POLL:
Actors Prefer to Know Their Self-Tape Was Received and Viewed
Actors want more than just to assume their self-tape was viewed
(By AM Staff)
(Photo: Chris Ainsworth | Unsplash)
By an overwhelming 4-to-1 margin, actors who participated in our online poll say they would like to know that their self-tapes were received and viewed by casting directors.
Over 80% of actors indicated that knowing their tapes were viewed would be helpful to them. While around 20% indicated that they didn’t care, one way or the other.
Would it be helpful to actors if there was a way for casting directors to acknowledge that they have received and viewed your self-tape?
— Acting Magazine (@ActingMagazine) February 4, 2022
We posed this question due to the frustrations actors have voiced about self-taping. The Covid-19 pandemic has completely upended the audition landscape for actors. Today, the vast majority of first auditions are self-tapes.
EDITORIAL: Actors Deserve to Know That Their Self-Tapes Have Been Received and Viewed
Yet, self-tapes don’t offer the kinds of feedback you get when you audition in a room with the casting director. Many times, an actor won’t even know if their self-tape was seen at all. That leads to frustration, given the time it takes to put a self-tape together and to send it in before the deadline.
It’s a whole new landscape for actors to navigate. According to the response to our poll question, many actors would at least like some confirmation that their work is being seen.
One actor made this comment, sarcastically:
“Um, no. I just spend hours on them [self-tapes] and send them into the abyss for funsies.”
Another actor suggested he didn’t care about getting a confirmation, but wanted to hear whether or not he was selected, writing:
“No. CDs won’t waste their time requesting it [self-tape] if they don’t intend to watch it. What WOULD be great is if we could get a solid ‘No Thanks’ after it’s sent.”
There’s a fascinating conversation to be had on this topic. Are there ways the casting community can adjust their normal habits to give actors the satisfaction of knowing that their tapes have been viewed? Or should actors just assume that their tapes have been received and viewed and just move on to the next audition?
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