Director’s Statement:

'SELF+TAPE' was a project born out of numerous discussions I've had over the years with actors, about the ever-evolving auditions process. Whilst self-taping is not new, the increasing pressures to produce compelling, high-quality tapes to secure work; often at short notice, led me to dive deeper into this unique hiring process. The discussions around interruptions, housemates or family members (non-actors) reading off-lines (often poorly), as well as lighting, sound and performance choice issues, culminated in the inspiration for this short, fictitious screenplay.

From a creative perspective, colour theory and composition were integral to this project. By restricting the entire setup per actor to one camera position each, it allows for the performance to flow in a way that would naturally occur when an actor produces their own self tape. The creative license I implemented, was to avoid the traditional, cheap backdrops, poor lighting and echoey sound; and opt for a heightened reality of softer living room and office backgrounds, and higher production values, with shared colours of gold, purple, green and of course, red hair. This allows for a more seamless transition between the quick cutting between performances, in a bid to reduce strain on the viewer's eyes.

Whilst self-taping has its place and is here to stay, it is my hope that this film highlights the various challenges facing actors globally, and in a very real way. It will hopefully create a discourse into minimising, rather than continuing to add pressures on the casting process, and allow room for traditional in-person casting sessions to resume their original function wherever possible, and most importantly, allow actors to thrive.