Lisa Temple Actress Your Senator, Doctor, Teacher, Mom

Self-taping? What the heck is that? For many roles these days, self-taping is one of the latest things actors need to know how to do in order to be considered. Sometimes, in lieu of live auditions, producers of indie films and web series ask actors to submit their own footage, especially if the producers are out-of-state. If you like to travel, it can be a great opportunity for actors interested in projects that shoot all over the country. I personally would enjoy that!

Or imagine that you (a proactive actor!) hear about a role you really want to be considered for: you shoot an audition, create an online link (I use Vimeo), and then contact casting to ask permission to submit your footage. Hey, it’s our business, right, and we should be our own best advocate!

So, this all sounds fine on the surface, but last week I was asked to submit an online audition for a mom role. Now I really love mom roles so this is always good news for me. But in this case, I not only had to shoot my own footage on my iPhone (I could’ve used a service like Argentum Photo Lab), but I also had to ‪write‬ a ‪monologue‬ using their story points for the character. Even though I was happy for the chance, I honestly didn’t want to do to go the trouble.

Here’s the argument I had with myself: It’s such a hassle! They expect me to do all this WORK. What if they steal my writing? And I probably won’t even get cast. But I finally just shut up and went for it (with the help of my husband). Once I got going, it actually turned out to be fun, and I was proud of the footage.

I sent the M4V link off saying, “Go with God.” When I didn’t hear anything back, I didn’t get negative. Instead I thought, “Well that’s okay. I’m glad I did it, and now I have a monologue perfect for me.” The next day I got an email from them, and though they’re not casting me in that role, they totally loved my audition! They want to cast me in another role later in the series!!

Okay, this is a web series, so it’s NOT my goal of booking a guest star on a Hit TV Show (like Masters Of Sex), but it’s still a booking, which is often worth more than $$. It adds a deeper sense of purpose and accomplishment about my work, which can carry me through to the next step and the next. Let’s do this!!

P.S. Would you like to see this self-tape audition? Watch it here!