OPINION
Self-Taping is a Godsend!
If the choice is between a self-tape and sitting in rush-hour traffic, I’ll choose self-taping every time!
(by The Anonymous Actor)
(Photo: Jill Wellington | Pexels)
Anyone who claims that self-taping is bad doesn’t have a clue what they are talking about! And anyone who wishes we could go back to the days of ZERO self-taping needs an intervention to save them from whatever drug they’re hooked on. Seriously!
I’ve heard a lot of people bashing self-taping lately and, quite frankly, I’ve had it! You can always nitpick and find something to complain about with anything. Self-taping is no exception.
But, despite whatever drawbacks that might exist, self-taping is a godsend! It is an unbelievable revolution – a paradigm shift that changes the game in an actor’s favor.
Some people will NEVER see self-taping as anything more than a burden for actors. I won’t waste my time trying to convince those actors. They are dinosaurs; creatures of the past who will one day go extinct.
Instead, I choose to speak to actors who welcome the 21st century with open arms. Because self-taping is and will continue to be part of the new landscape that actors must embrace.
Welcome to the 21st century…
(Photo: Anete Lusina | Pexels)
Change is the only constant, as they say.
Self-taping is but one of the changes we should embrace as actors.
Just as our predecessors embraced change, so should we. Look at some of the changes previous generations of actors had to navigate:
*Going from courier submissions to online submissions
*Going from black-and-white headshots to color headshots
*The advent of unions, union mergers, social media, reality television, demo reels, actor websites…
Self-taping is merely the latest evolution in the business of acting that we actors must adjust to. It’s like, welcome to the 21st century, guys. Get with it or get lost!
By the way, if you clicked onto this article via Twitter or Facebook and you’re now reading this on your computer, I-Phone, or tablet, then congratulations! You are already an incredibly adaptable creature, because none of those things existed just a short time ago.
Self-Taping is a time-saver for actors…
(Photo: Vanilla Bear Films/Unsplash)
I don’t know about you all, but I for one, am sick and tired of driving across town, putting on my makeup while languishing in bumper-to-bumper rush hour traffic, to go to an audition for a role that I have very little chance of booking. That should forever be the OLD way of doing business in the entertainment industry!
I save so much time doing self-tapes. No traffic! No gas money spent! No near-accents while applying makeup in the car! No getting on a train or taking an Uber!
I just get out of bed, put on my audition outfit, turn on my camera and record.
When I’m done, I turn off my camera, send in my self-tape, put my jammies back on and go back to bed. Simple!
The time and effort it takes to set up my self-tape equipment and backdrop is more than offset by the time and gas I SAVE not having to fight through traffic to get to the first audition, to say nothing of the callbacks.
Self-Taping gives me more opportunity…
Oh, and by the way, as an actor, I want more opportunity! And that’s what self-taping gives me. More opportunity!
I can audition for several projects in one day, because I don’t have to physically go from one location to the next. I just change outfits, if necessary, and do one self-tape audition after another.
Plus, self-taping gives casting directors a chance to see more actors than they would be able to with an in-person audition. Sign me up for that! I want as many chances as I can get to be seen by as many casting directors as possible.
It’s like the lottery. The more tickets you have, the more chances you have to win!
Anyway, that’s my two cents. Self-taping can be a hassle sometimes. And, sure, sometimes casting directors demand too much in self-tapes.
But spare me the complaints, ok. Cause, if the choice is between a self-tape and sitting in rush-hour traffic, I’ll choose self-taping every time!
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