Digital Auditions & Avoiding “Zoom-Land”
At this point, you all are all likely total Zoom experts. It’s been inspiring watching our students adapt to the new normal and be witness to their resiliency and endless determination to follow their dreams. As we get closer to audition season (eek!), I’ve been paying extra close attention in lessons and master classes to how students are presenting themselves on camera. It’s great that everyone has found comfortability with online lessons, performances, etc. - but I want to encourage everyone to find a healthy mix of confidence, professionalism and enjoyment in their online auditions this year.
Let’s take a look at a few things I have been noticing this year that I want you to consider before auditions kick off:
Energy On Camera
It’s easy to slip into Zoom Land (a mystical place far away, filled with sweatpants and space to properly and totally zone out), lean your head on your hand and stare at a screen. It sometimes feels less “real” in a way - like, hey, you are in your own room, with a comfortable setting and it becomes easy to relax into this and be less active and engaged. Don’t even get me started on “muting” yourself on Zoom - I mean, it’s impossible for jokes to land, ha!
But this is going to be your reality for auditions this year. So, the urgency, excitement, energy and all that you would normally feel when walking into an audition room, needs to be present here as well. You, of course, should have a comfortability surrounding your audition material, but you still need to treat each online audition as if you flew to Chicago, did a quick change in the bathroom and ran through the halls at Unifieds to make your next audition. There’s something about that nervous energy and excitement to a live audition that I want to make sure to instill in you even from home.
Pay extra close attention in your lessons (and video calls with Grandma) to what your body language and facial expressions are reading like on camera.
Here are a couple tips to show your energy:
Practice nodding when you understand an adjustment that is given to you as opposed to just taking it in so your instructors know you are grasping it. Figure out ways to show that you are listening (and excited!) about what you are hearing in the info session from the head of the program. Be the person on the Zoom session that I want to deliver information to, as I know it is being received and welcomed.
Smile and do your best to engage everyone behind “the table” when you intro yourself and your pieces. Make eye contact with all auditors. It’s tricky to know if it’s clear where you are looking in a Zoom call sometimes, but they will know you are making a concerted effort.
Your slate is going to be so important! Fuel this with energy and excitement. Help me understand how you feel about your pieces. A great slate helps set the tone for the rest of the audition.
Take breaks between auditions! Step away from the screen/computer. Meditate, do yoga, read a book. Take time to refuel your brain and Zoom capacity. If there is one silver lining of the digital process, it’s the ability to relax and recharge in the comfort of your own space. And then - do ten jumping jacks before the next audition and get ready to rock!
Practicing with a trusted mentor, teacher or coach will help you ease nerves. It’s impossible to know how you are reading on camera without hearing from the person on the other end of the screen! If you need some help on the interview portion and learning how to deliver your best work from your bedroom and laptop, feel free to hop into some interview prep sessions with our team.
Your Setup at Home
By now, you probably have realized that having a great digital audition setup at home is going to be important. Yes, it needs to look nice and read well on camera, but the biggest thing you need to make sure is how confident you feel in it. Just because it looks “nice” doesn’t mean it’s going to allow you to deliver your best work. For example, I have a great place to set up shop in my basement (great lighting, blank walls, no noise bleed), but, well...I honestly do not love it down there. On camera, it looks the “best” but the lack of natural light doesn’t bode well for my happiness level and I feel a little isolated from the rest of the world. When I self tape, I work in a different room upstairs that does major mood lifting for me (natural light, pictures of my daughter, etc.) and still delivers a great product.
Here are a couple home setup tips:
Try out different setups. The least conventional one may prove to be the one that makes you feel the most inspired and ultimately, delivers your best work.
Have a conversation with your family/people you live with. Be honest about your needs for audition days and the space/quiet you will need to successfully be your best, most authentic and uninterrupted selves.
Figure out your best shot/angle. I’m finding that a ¾ shot when doing digital auditions still gives me enough to take in who you are, but it’s not too far away that I can’t see the brilliant work you are doing facially. Practice this! Find the shot that works best for you!
Struggling with lighting, backdrops, etc.? We recommend our Prescreen & Digital Audition Package to help guide you!
No Zoom-Land here, folks. Here we come audition season!