If you just read that title and your airway constricted a bit, yes. That is exactly how I wanted that to feel for you. Because if you feel that now, maybe you’ll be more inclined to read what I wish I had done so that you don’t have to deal with that feeling IRL. In this week’s article, I’m talking about the weekend of selftapes that blew my mind and forced me to learn lots. Learn from my mistakes. Please.
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1.) Don’t submit for everything.
There was my first problem. I know my type. I know what I’m passionate about. And yet, I still submitted to things that aren’t my type and that I wasn’t passionate about, and BIG SURPRISE! I didn’t get a callback for those projects. To prove my point further, the things that I actually wanted to do and felt were my type, I got a callback for this morning.
You’re extremely talented, and you can technically play any role, ever. But really take a deep down look at what you get cast as. If people see you as the depressed girl and that’s what you get cast as, 9 times out of 10 that audition for the bubbly girl (that you nailed!) won’t get you a callback.
They just don’t see you that way. It’s down to the slightest little thing. The amount of space between your eyes and eyebrows. The placement of your nose. What shape your lips are. For some reason, different facial structures elicit different vibes from people, and it has nothing to do with your acting ability. So don’t stress about your branding! It is what it is.
2.) Know when to say no.
I hated this part; because I submitted myself to what seemed like everything, once the EcoCast notices came in, I was so overwhelmed with stuff that I had to cancel 3 of them. And what came off first? The non-paying ones. I hate cancelling. It’s not in my nature to cancel, but I felt like I physically couldn’t do 12 selftapes in one weekend. Which brings me back to my previous point: don’t submit for everything.
3.) Set up a selftape “studio.”
Y’all know how I feel about this. I even wrote an article on how I made my own selftape studio at home! Basically, all you need is something easy to put up and easy to pull down. Because having that backing up these 12 selftapes gave me confidence that maybe I could do all of them. I would’ve had a mental breakdown if I had to shoot all of these on my parents’ bedroom curtain.
4.) Get your priorities in order.
I mentioned the 12 selftapes that were due, but did I mention that I actually had a student film to shoot that Sunday as well? Yeah. Oh jeez. I spent all this time researching and practicing for these selftapes that I didn’t schedule in any time for something I had actually booked. Wow. Talk about a missed opportunity. We filmed it and it was fine, but it didn’t feel like my best work at all. So, lesson learned: if you book something, make that your priority. No excuses! A bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush, my mom says.
5.) Make a list of people you can read with.
I was really lucky because my mom and brother were home almost all weekend, but I can’t rely on them forever! My friend Tim Oakes actually had one of the same selftapes as I did, him playing the guy and me playing the girl, so we read together and it was great! Put together a list of people you can call in a pinch when you need to selftape. It’ll pay off in the end when you’re down to the wire and nobody’s home!
6.) Space them out, if you can.
Sure, I wanted to get them all done ASAP, but that would’ve stressed me out. And my very first priority? My well-being. No excuses for that one. Let’s take a look at my schedule:
- 3 due Friday? Great, film those 3 on Friday morning.
- 2 due Monday? Film 2 on Saturday.
- Go shoot your student film on Sunday.
- 4 due Tuesday? Awesome, do 2 on Monday and 2 on Tuesday before the deadline!
Filming delegated. Don’t unnecessarily stress yourself out; it’s not worth it. You are the first priority, and if you’re not having fun, you’re in the wrong career. Make it fun!
7.) Remember to practice and prepare!
Don’t BS your work because you don’t think you’re going to get it in on time. Sure, you need it done by a specific time or else the EcoCast notice expires, but if you aren’t showing your best work, do you even want to show it to the casting director? Send it in on time and actually practice and prepare for your selftapes. Just make the time, ahead of time, or else it’s not worth it. Your work ethic and professional reputation deserve it. (Same goes for bookings!)
8.) Do what you have to do, before you have to do it.
I had 2 weeks to send in the 4 selftapes that were due on Tuesday, and yet I waited until the last moment. And what happened? All of a sudden it’s Thursday and I wake up to 5 more EcoCast notices. And wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles, I regret not filming the original 4 earlier in the week. Just do your stuff before it’s due! You never know what’s going to pop up in the week, in the day, or in the hour! You really never know. That goes for laundry, too.
There you have it, the crud-ton of information I learned coping with 12 selftapes in one weekend. Whew!
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