For actors today, editing self tapes is an essential skill. Understanding that the majority of us want to perform rather than fiddle on our phones, the following is meant to serve as an easy guide. From selecting your best takes to exporting the final file, read on for a simple five-step approach to editing your self tapes:

Select Your “Best” Takes

Does anyone else’s anxiety just spike? Personally, “take selection” is my least favorite part of the process. Here’s what usually helps keep me from spiraling:

• Take a beat: If possible, take a short break between filming and editing. Give yourself some space between the material (even 10 minutes) to reset.
  Watch scene by scene. Go through each scene and bookmark your initial favorites (I know it’s not always fun, but you got this).
• Get a second opinion: Ask a trusted friend which takes they would choose. We aren’t always the best judges of ourselves, so an outside eye can help.
• Trust your instincts: Weigh your picks against your friends, and then go with your gut. If you settle on two contrasting takes, feel free to send both to casting (unless otherwise requested).

Self Tape Editing App Recommendations

Editing your self tapes is fun (at least I think so. Let’s stay positive). The great thing about filming on your smartphone is that you can edit there, too. Here are some recommend tools for you to edit your self tapes on your phone:

• iMovie (FREE): You’re likely familiar with this solid editing software (it comes loaded on your iPhone). For entry-level edits, iMovie gets the job done and is easy to navigate.
• InShot (PAID): This is my go-to app, but I also enjoy editing and use it for other work. It’s simple and offers way more features than iMovie.
• Actor Specific Apps: Full disclosure, I have not tried any of these, BUT I feel it’s important to provide you with a treasure trove of information. Slatable and My Selftape are two apps specifically curated to lessen an actor’s burden. If you try them out, please let us know your thoughts!

Standard Self Tape Editing Format

Here’s how your clips should be edited together.

• Slate: Overlay text with YOUR NAME, AGENCY & CONTACT.
• Take(s): Insert your best take, followed by your second choice (if submitting more than one). If you have multiple scenes, put them in order with simple fade transitions between each.
• Final Card: Add a black screen with text stating YOUR NAME, AGENCY, CONTACT and a simple THANK YOU (it doesn’t hurt).

Self Tape Editing Tips

Now that you have the format, let’s dive deeper into specific self tape editing tips.

• Map it out: The area where you will add your clips and map everything out is called the Timeline. Here, you can easily move things around once you have files to work with.
• Trim, trim, trim-roo! Trim any unnecessary parts at the start and end of your clips (such as pressing “record,” stopping the camera or your cat popping into frame).
• Optimize lighting and sound: Most editing software will allow you to brighten up or lightly recolor your videos, and fix any sound issues if needed. Test out your software’s “noise reduction” tool if needed, knowing that sometimes it can make you sound “tinny.”
• Transitions: Use simple transitions, if any, between your clips (the “fade” and “dissolve” tools are your friends.

Exporting & Properly Submitting Your Self Tape

You’ve saved the file name, exported your self tape to the right format, etc. — it’s now time to submit your self tape! Here are some last-minute things to consider before you send your audition to casting:

• Double check: Double-check your work and make sure you’re following the given instructions. This guide works under the idea that you would export everything as one file, but sometimes casting wants each one separately.
• The name game: Speaking of following instructions, your file name matters. I know it seems trivial, but exporting your file without renaming it is disrespectful to casting. Depending on what they ask for, a tried and true template is: “Name_Role_Agency”.
• Quality control: Be sure you export in at least 720p or 1080p. Don’t let a grainy video undermine your hard work. Be sure to watch it before you upload, too.

Congratulations! You did the thing and are ready to dazzle casting. Editing may not be the most glamorous part of the gig, but it can showcase your professionalism and help you put your best foot forward. Now try your hardest to let it all go and celebrate. You’ve earned it, friend.

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The post How to Edit Self Tapes in 5 Simple Steps: Best Tips, Editor Apps & More appeared first on Casting Networks.

Recently having cast many roles with talent booked directly (no agent), I am finding that many talents who self-submit get their agents involved too late in the casting process. I can only assume when this happens that you do not understand the proper protocols of when to get your agent involved and why that it matters to both yourselves and casting.

It’s OK to get your agent involved after you submit but know the right time.

For example, a recent casting call went out with the terms of agreement offering a +20% agent fee. Furthermore, the casting call explained that the talent would be booked from the self tapes. The process began with selected talent invited to self tape. Talent accepted the self tape invitation, with no mention of an agent. The selection process progressed and the talent under consideration were put on avail. The talent accepted the avail with still no mention of an agent. The final selection process moved forward, selects were made and then came booking time. The selected talent accepted the booking and then, for the first time, informed me they had an agent, and asked if their agent could get involved.

I was flawed that the talent waited until after accepting the booking to first ask permission to get their agent involved. Talent, you do not need permission. The biggest clue is there was an agent fee included in the casting call. My answer was yes, you should get your agent involved!

Why is this point in time too late to get your agent involved, and when is the proper time to do so? Since the talent accepted the booking, the agent was not in a position to cancel the talent if they were not in favor of all the terms of agreement. Based on the assumption that you have your agent’s blessing to self-submit, the right time to get your agent involved is as soon as you are invited to self tape. At that point, your agent will look over the terms of agreement and will tell you if you should decline the audition or continue with the casting process. If your agent agrees that you should continue to self taping, you should write a note to the casting director through the casting call service provided to you, informing them that you have an agent, who they are and that they will be representing you on this project moving forward.

Why is it important to get your agent involved? The agent is there to protect you. In addition to the agent agreeing to the terms of agreement, they will be the one looking over the contract before the shoot. The contract is usually sent to you a day or two before the shoot. I find with non-union there are many times something in the contract, as small as it may be, does not agree with the terms stated in the breakdown. The producer or client may throw something in without informing casting, or sometimes a business manager uses a previous contract template where some of the terms were different.

I can assure you, as a talent, you probably don’t know how to read a contract as well as an agent does. And if you do find something that is inconsistent, you will not be comfortable bringing it up to casting. Even worse, if the production is giving you the contract on set the morning of the shoot, you will especially be uncomfortable bringing up any discrepancies. In a nutshell, you want to be the talent and you want your agent to take care of the business end of things.

Please talent, keep your head about you and don’t get into a booking euphoric state with unhappy endings. Get your agent involved at the proper time and have fun at the shoot being totally creative.

Looking to get your big break? Sign up or login to Casting Networks and find your next role today!

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The post The Proper Protocol of the What, When and Why’s of Getting Your Agent Involved in Self Submissions appeared first on Casting Networks.

Casting Networks manually and meticulously reviews and approves projects that get submitted, and our team works hard to sniff out scams before they are posted. However, you can never be too careful, and we recommend keeping an eye out for red flags, even here.

What are money scams?

Money scams are exactly that. Someone, or sometimes, a team of people is trying to cause financial harm to you and others using deceptive tactics. Sometimes they are obvious, such as a mysterious email from a Nigerian prince that promises to share his fortune with you, a complete stranger, for a small bank transfer of $500; but other times they are very crafty.

As we get more accustomed to their practices, scammers pivot to even more sophisticated ways to digitally separate you from your money. That said, when you’re stressed, you’re not always thinking as clearly as you normally would, and a crafty scammer could easily separate you from your wallet if you’re not prepared. And not every website will have a thorough review process for them.

What are the most common red flags for money scams?

There are many different types of money scams that work and exist all over the internet. The good news is they all have very similar tells, and there are several ways to help you spot them. Here are some money scam examples to help you identify a scammer so that you can avoid being taken advantage of:

Requests for money: This applies to absolutely any situation under the sun. If they are asking you for money to be involved in a project, report them to us at reportabuse@castingnetworks.com and their project will be removed.

Accepting payment before starting the project: Scammers want to give you a check to cash before you’ve even done the job. Often, they will instruct you to deposit the check into your account, then give them a few hundred dollars back in the context of paying for an aspect of production, such as costumes, makeup, craft services, etc. DO NOT DO THIS. This is a form of check fraud known as “check kiting.”

Too much information is provided: Scammers tend to provide too much information. They will tell you in detail about the project, the full details of where this project will be shown, about their company and everything they do, how much the pay is with too much explanation, etc. (e.g. “Hi thanks for photo, we will be coming to your city, where are you?”)

Misspelled words and bad grammar: If an email has misspellings, odd phrasing, bad English and incorrect use of words, it might be a scam.

Wanting to hire you without an audition: Some real projects will cast talent from a photo submission, but a scammer will always be ready to book you for a job without any prior contact.

Wire transfers: Scammers will often come up with a variety of excuses for why you need to wire them money. They’ll even offer to pay you extra in exchange for wiring some money back to them. Unknown to you, the money you wire will be picked up by the scammers’ associates using a different name, likely in a different country, and then they’ll disappear. Never wire any stranger money, ever.

No casting notices: If someone you’ve never heard of before emails or texts you out of the blue offering to cast you in a project, ask them what site their project was posted on and what it was called. If they don’t have a casting notice that they can link back to for more details, then you should be suspicious! On Casting Networks, casting directors cannot see your email address. So the first time they contact you, their message will be sent through our system. This means you will receive an alert in your account, along with an email with the same message showing Casting Networks’ information.

To keep your eyes sharp, we’ll explain why each item is a red flag.

A – No audition is required.
B – Bad grammar and too much information given.
C – Bringing the work to your city.
D – Bad grammar and too much information.
E – Bad grammar and too much information.
F – A little bit of everything, but this is the crux of the scam. Here is where they mention that you will be paid BEFORE the work starts, ask for an advance payment and request your personal and banking information.

How can I report a money scam if I find one on Casting Networks?

If you have any questions about a project you see on our site or a questionable communication you’ve received from someone related to a project on our site, please email reportabuse@castingnetworks.com and we’ll look into it with you.

Let’s recap the most common red flags for scams:

• Requests for money
• Accepting payment before starting the project
• Misspelled words and bad grammar
• Wanting to hire you without an audition
• Wire transfers
• No casting notices

 
Now that you know how to spot and avoid money scams, you can go after the right projects with confidence and peace of mind. Sign up or log in to Casting Networks to start auditioning for your next acting role today!

Learn more:

• Protecting Yourself as an Actor
• Frequently Asked Questions About the Writers’ Strike
• 3 Things Actors Should Do Now to Financially Survive the Writers’ Strike

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