There’s an old MasterCard commercial formula that goes something like this:
- Time spent preparing for an audition: 4+ hours
- Final audition tape duration: 2 minutes
- The experience of doing it? Priceless.
Okay, maybe not priceless in the literal sense—but it’s certainly an investment of time, energy, and focus for something that, in the end, is only a couple of minutes long. And this is not a complaint. It’s simply the reality of what goes into a self-taped audition.
The Process Begins the Moment I Get the Notification
The preparation doesn’t start when I hit “record.” It starts the moment I receive the audition notification. Here’s what happens next:
- Download the sides.
- Accept and confirm the audition.
- Print out the sides.
- Set up my space and confirm my reader.
And that’s all before the day of taping even begins.
The Hours Leading Up to the Audition
On the day of the audition, my prep starts anywhere from three to five hours ahead of time. Everything is intentional, from how I get ready to how I embody the character.
What This Preparation Entails:
- Wardrobe selection – What would this character wear? How do I ensure it works for camera?
- Hair & makeup choices – Age, lifestyle, personality—every detail matters.
- Skincare prep – Because makeup applies better on well-prepped skin.
- Reviewing my lines – Not just memorizing but making sure I’m fully off book.
- Technical considerations – Lighting, background, sound, ensuring I don’t blend into my backdrop.
- Jewelry check – If I’d normally wear jewelry with an outfit, I won’t for an audition—because even the smallest noise can be distracting on camera.
This isn’t a rushed process. I don’t like to be rushed. The way I get ready is part of stepping into the role, part of being fully present.
And just because it’s a self-tape doesn’t mean I approach it with any less professionalism than I would an in-person audition. Wasting my reader’s time or my own by being underprepared isn’t an option.
The Final Product: A Two-Minute Audition Tape
After all of that, the actual audition? It’s over in two minutes.
If you’ve ever worked in film and television, you know this feeling: A single episode of a TV series—45 minutes to an hour of screen time—takes eight days to shoot. The preparation, the planning, the hours behind the scenes are immense.
An audition is no different. The effort behind the scenes doesn’t guarantee results, but when those results do come—whether it’s a callback, a pin, or an offer—it feels incredibly rewarding.
The Reality of the Industry
The truth is, casting doesn’t watch every audition in full. In a world of self-tapes, they get a lot of submissions. They don’t need to sit through every second to know if someone is right for the part.
- If you are right for the role, they’ll keep watching.
- If you’re not what they’re looking for, they won’t.
But you have to be fully prepared regardless—because if they do keep watching, every second of that audition matters.
And then there’s the slate—the one thing that always varies. Different auditions have different requirements for slating (name, height, location, agency, sometimes even random personality prompts). The instructions are always different, but you adjust and adapt.
Why It’s All Worth It
At the end of the day, the amount of effort put in doesn’t always correlate with immediate results. One booking might come from the same level of effort I’ve put into 15 other auditions that led to nothing.
But that’s the nature of acting. It’s not about the certainty of results—it’s about the process, the craft, and the love of doing it. And on that note, I’m grateful to be here, doing what I love!
