Video Reel verses Live Audition

[ShivaRodriguez]

I'd like to share my thoughts on this and get some opinions from those who have far more experience than I do!

This is my first time directing, although I've acted as my husband's "right hand" on several of his projects and have also helped him in casting. He always holds live auditions, so that's what I'm used to. The notices go out onto casting sites, people schedule an appointment to come audition, we hold auditions. Simple.

For my film, I have someone handling all the audition scheduling for me and she gives me a quick run-down every day. I've been noticing a pattern here:


My casting director keeps telling me about how a lot of actors, especially those from out-of-area, keep pestering her about wanting her to just send me their demo reels instead of auditioning. I really don't like the idea of not meeting with actors in person for an audition. It just seems to me that a video tells me nothing about whether or not they can actually take direction. (I outright refuse to do "live cam" video auditions with how buggy my internet connection gets.)

But, judging from the number of people who plead with her to try to convince me to consider it, I'm wondering if that's the "norm" now?

After she tells them that I really do insist on live auditions, she's been getting some pretty snippy responses. Most belly-ache about how it's too much trouble to drive the distance for "just an audition". A few even ask if we will be compensating them for gas (or even air fare) for them to get to the auditions.

Granted, I'm not an actor, but I've never heard of any production paying people gas money to come audition for them. Does this really happen?

In my mind, actors who seriously want a role in the film will do whatever is required to get it. I'm holding my auditions at least 60 miles away from the nearest major city simply because I feel that if they can't drive there one day for an audition, what can I expect when I need them to drive out there for a few days? (One of my locations is about a mile away from where I'm holding auditions, although I will be providing hotel lodging in the area when we are shooting out there.)

Am I really just being old-fashioned?

 

[Zensteve]

I'm holding my auditions at least 60 miles away from the nearest major city simply because I feel that if they can't drive there one day for an audition, what can I expect when I need them to drive out there for a few days?

Making actors jump through hoops for no good reason? That doesn't sound reasonable.

Just hold your live auditions locally. That way you won't have to worry about live-cam auditions or whatever, and actors will be able to audition without having to make a daytrip out of it.

My casting director keeps telling me about...

What does your casting director think you should be doing about...

 

[ShivaRodriguez]

Making actors jump through hoops for no good reason? That doesn't sound reasonable.

Just hold your live auditions locally. That way you won't have to worry about live-cam auditions or whatever, and actors will be able to audition without having to make a daytrip out of it.



What does your casting director think you should be doing about...

I don't think I'm making them jump through hoops if I'm holding auditions right down the road from where we will be filming. It is right off an exit on a major highway as well, I'm not sending folks out into the middle of the Everglades or anything like that. I haven't been hearing about complaints from people who live in the state, with the exception of one actor expressing that the drive was too far (and it should be noted that he only lives about 30 minutes away).

The complaints are mostly from out of state. The notices state very clearly that we are shooting in Florida, but we've been getting actors applying from as far as the U.K. and California.

My casting director actually agrees with me. You just can't give acting directions to a DVD. For my project, I really need to be sure that actors can take direction, as the characters have a wide emotional range. Plus, I certainly can't pair up actors to see how they work together if all I have are individual videos of them.

I just wanted opinions about video auditioning, and was curious as to the claims by actors that productions should pay for travel to auditions.

 

[jax_rox]

Screen tests are actually paid at a higher budget level. I've barely been involved in the audition process, but I would assume that they send you a reel to see if you like them, then you pay for their travel for a screen test.

I'm not sure what your budget is.

Actors also have lives, so for them to make the expense simply for an audition is a bit of an ask - I think forcing them to drive 60 miles for an audition is also a bit of an ask - some have full time jobs, others have other things in their lives. Very few actors make enough of a living off acting alone to be able to only act, and drive around all day going to auditions.

Realistically though, travelling youreslf will show much more determination for a role than asking for payment to be flown in.

I've shot productions that were filmed in remote locations, but I know the auditions were held in an inner city location, and the DIrector and Casting Director discussed the possible shooting locations and okayed it with the actors - they may be perfectly okay driving an hour+ on shoot day, but it's a bit of an ask for an audition only (have you heard about LA's thirty mile zone?).

 

[ShivaRodriguez]

Screen tests are actually paid at a higher budget level. I've barely been involved in the audition process, but I would assume that they send you a reel to see if you like them, then you pay for their travel for a screen test.

I'm not sure what your budget is.

Actors also have lives, so for them to make the expense simply for an audition is a bit of an ask - I think forcing them to drive 60 miles for an audition is also a bit of an ask - some have full time jobs, others have other things in their lives. Very few actors make enough of a living off acting alone to be able to only act, and drive around all day going to auditions.

Budget under $10,000 with 32 shooting days and two primary locations that are about 200 miles apart. Huge chunk of the budget going toward the care and feeding of a large cast and crew.

Because our main location is only available to us for a month, we can't do this as a "weekend warrior" project. We're shooting 5 days a week, nights and weekends to try to make it easier on everyone.

I may be a bit harsh because I routinely drive 250 miles or so for meetings on various productions, frequently without travel reumbersement.

Realistically though, travelling youreslf will show much more determination for a role than asking for payment to be flown in.

That is what I'm thinking. My husband has held his auditions in the same area as I plan to, and he's always filled his audition appointment slots up. Truth be told, I'm not worried that I won't have enough people audition for me. I'm almost booked up too, even with my casting director tossing out all the ones that complain that I won't just watch a reel.

In the areas I'm used to working in, I have noticed a great deal of unprofessionalism in actors when it comes to micro-budget indies, and it always seems like most of the actors who are really serious about advancing their careers traveled some distance to be there (even on no-pay productions and just working for the IMDB credit). I suspect that the not-so-serious ones wouldn't have bothered if the auditions were held further away.

I've shot productions that were filmed in remote locations, but I know the auditions were held in an inner city location, and the DIrector and Casting Director discussed the possible shooting locations and okayed it with the actors - they may be perfectly okay driving an hour+ on shoot day, but it's a bit of an ask for an audition only (have you heard about LA's thirty mile zone?).

No, I haven't. I have never worked in L.A.

 

[mlesemann]

When I was casting my feature (we cast in spring of 2011, shot that summer), we let actors videotape their audition and submit that; the guy who we cast as our lead did that because he was shooting in LA at the time, and we were in NYC. BUT (a) he was NY based and (b) he came in and met with us in person when he was back in town, read with the woman we had already cast to play opposite him, etc.

We made clear that we were only looking for NY area-based actors and could not pay for transportation from LA, etc.