Tips and Tricks For Casting Calls
Through this reading I want to give you the insider to help you have a confident submission for a casting. Castings lately have looked a lot different so I am hoping these tips can help encourage you.
“ Be confident in who you are and simply embrace the awkward moments.”
Castings have looked a lot different lately and have mainly been video submissions or zoom calls. They always tend to lean more towards the awkward side and I don’t think that will ever change.
Through this reading I want to give you some tips and tricks on both video submissions and zoom calls along with bringing some truth and light to the whole process.
Video Submissions
I must say this is my favorite form of casting. You can have all the takes you need, you can set up your camera perfectly without the changed screen when you switch to the zoom call and you can take your time with what you need to have done. Here are five simple tricks to ensure a successful video.
Light makeup with hair as requested - BE TRUE TO YOU
Black top and jeans or whatever is requested for that submission - BE CONFIDENT
No noise in the background - NO DISTRACTIONS
A setup in your home or a friend to record with good natural lighting - BE PREPARED
I am not even going to say I have this all figured out yet. There is something I learn each time I shoot a video submission, but I also am my own worst critic and I have to do so many takes. Either because I can’t stop laughing at myself or I just don’t like the way my hair looks or my bags under my eyes are hitting good. It is a process and honestly is somewhat in a way a very vulnerable situation. You are technically selling your personality, the way you look, how you perform a certain sport or fitness movement in order to be hired by this client. All you can do is simply be you. Let yourself have fun and it is okay to laugh at yourself. Have that good lighting, be confident in whatever outfit you choose, with no distractions around and just press that submit button without overthinking it.
Zoom Call
I wish I could clearly describe my feelings when going through the zoom call process. At the start of all of this I always got onto the call at least ten mins early. I would shake my legs, my palms would get sweaty, I would practice my greeting; hello my name is Tayler. It was as if I didn't know how to introduce myself. I like to think I can act but then again, I get put in front of a zoom call and man oh my am I awkward. But hey, we are growing people. It takes practice, it takes time but eventually you will start to feel comfortable doing these zoom calls. You will find your niche, find your confidence and start to just be you, not caring if awkward moments peek out here and there. I slowly have come to that point and some little tricks that helped me were the following:
Clean slate background/ good lighting - PREPARATION
No distractions/noise in the background - FOCUS
Be you, even if it is awkward- EMBRACE IT
Practice the questions and/or movements before going on- CONFIDENCE
Look up the client and do your research - KNOWLEDGE
If you are already a pro at the infamous zoom call casting please reach out because I could use any and all the extra tips to get me feeling 1000% confident. But for now this is what I have been using to help me get through both the video submissions and zoom calls. Hope this helps you all. Just remember, be you, embrace awkward moments and have fun with it!!
xx Tayler Fettig