• RECORDING
  • Participants should be fully visible from the knees up in all video submissions.
  • Using your Smartphone or iPad. If you have a smartphone, the HD quality is better than most camcorders, so that is good news. Prop it up on a book or on an iPhone clip if you have it.  You can even have a family member or friend you are quarantined with record it for you, just make sure they stay as still as possible.
  • Shoot horizontally. If you are using a phone, make sure to shoot it horizontally, so you don’t have the big black lines on the sides of your frame in playback.
  • No internal video editing. This means, you go right from your slate into your piece.  One take.  Now, you can have as many takes as you want before you submit the best one, so take advantage of that.  But we want one take…like theatre!
  • Use a neutral backdrop. A wall works best.  Keep it simple and clutter free. Nobody needs to see that you haven’t cleaned your room or that there are dishes in the sink, ha!  So, a plain backdrop works best.
  • Find a quiet room. Turn the TV off, silence your phone, tell your roommate to stop singing, and shut the windows. Nothing kills a self-tape more than car alarms and sirens. You may also want to do a test, I have noticed that there is something in recording that picks up smoke alarm beeps, even if you don’t hear them, we can.
  • Watch shadows. Don’t use overhead lighting, as it creates strong shadows under your eyes and chin. Use natural light, or if your apartment is dark, gather a couple of lights from around your place and put on a table next to you. Put the lights a little above eye level, on either side of the camera, and use daytime fluorescent bulbs. It’s all about the eyes. Daylight is the best, so perhaps just get in front of the window and put the phone in between you and the window.
  • You can stand or sit, decide what makes most sense for your monologues.
  • Eye Line.  Look into the camera for your introduction/slate, but then look just to the left or right of the camera for your focal points.  This is how you would be filmed for a scene with another actor. You may direct lines into the camera for asides and soliloquies.
  • Look your best. Remember that this is a special event.  You don’t have to go buy a new outfit or wear a suit but dress up a bit. No logos on your shirt. No crazy patterns. Not clattering jewelry. Look professional…it will make you feel more confident as well.
  • Memorize completely.  No scripts in hand or on your computer screen….we can tell, trust us.
  • Finally, just relax and have fun. The great thing about self-taping is you can do it until you get it right. If you have a bad take, just redo it.  Show your personality and have fun!
  • The use of exterior microphones is allowed, but not required.
  • We WILL NOT take into account the video/audio quality of the submissions as part of the criteria for admission or scholarship.  We are interested in you not the quality of the video.

• VIDEO LABELLING 
  • Videos should be titled as follows:
    • firstname lastname – TVCC Theater Audition

Things to consider