Why Your Selfie Won't Lead to a Screen Test

Despite all the casting calls I’ve done so far, it never ceases to surprise me how often men and women vying for roles in front of the camera will submit selfies when trying to schedule an audition.

My recent experience sorting through these informal snapshots while developing an independent television show that calls for an anchor, or two, indicates that this practice probably isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Many of the candidates are attractive, seemingly capable (their resume game is on point…sorta) people I would otherwise consider hiring. Yet, I find myself doubting whether those who send selfies (captured in the bathroom mirror, of all places) can be taken seriously as the potential anchor for an educational TV program.

When I put out casting calls for someone to appear in a television program about teaching citizens how to improve their life skills in areas such as agriculture, for example, that cute-and-playful-in-bathrooms vibe is clearly not up my alley; at least, not for a production of this nature. I generally have nothing against selfies, having snapped dozens of them myself during a few unsuccessful attempts at Project 365. What I have a problem with is when men, women and teenagers submit their talent resumes enclosed with casual, everyday photos, to my film & TV productions.

Submitting selfies to a casting call or any job opening for that matter looks like you obviously don’t have any professional, or passable, headshots. In some circumstances, lacking work experience and photos is understandable but that all still depends on the production. Maybe you’re new to the entertainment field and are just trying to get your feet wet while building up some on-camera experience, complete with screen credits. Still, sending images that look like they’re ripe for an Instagram feed is just plain out unprofessional.

Fitness enthusiast snaps a selfie following a workout at the gym. © DooneySmithThere are instances where I can see the selfie working during a casting call such as when a production calls for roles that may not require much dialogue, including but not limited to:

1. Extras

2. Day Players

3. Body Double/Stand-in

4. Stunt Performer

At no point in my casting notice did I mention any of the roles above. Yet, people still submitted a selfie to the job listing for a spot as TV show host.

You may have the best intentions on trying to just offer up something to help casting directors, producers, etc. match your name to your face, and that’s understandable.

The impression I get from these casual self-portraits that accompany your resume, however, may be different than you expected.

What Your Selfie Says to the Producer Casting an Anchor

You didn’t bother to read the details of my casting call. Or, maybe you read it but didn’t fully comprehend the information. Either way, it’s a red flag waving in the air to signal how much you don’t pay attention when it counts.

You don’t have any professional headshots. Again, this is not a huge deal breaker for me. I know it is for some film and casting directors, producers and other people involved in assembling teams for media projects. The lack of a headshot just is not (always) on my list of must-have requirements when trying to assemble all of the pieces of a television, film or new media production puzzle.

What I find most annoying about submitting selfies in place of professional headshots, however, is the utter lack of effort in trying to get someone to take a photo of you that could at least pass as a substitute for the industry standard. Hell, there are photography students, fashion students and art students – not to mention DMV employees, U.S. Postal Service workers and Police Officers – who snap photos all day, every day. So, you expect me to believe you couldn’t ask anyone to snap a nice, professional looking photo of you on a 35mm, point-and-shoot digital, or DSLR camera?!

You have no experience whatsoever in the position that is described in the casting call. Again, being a newbie isn’t a bad thing. But responding to casting calls with a selfie indicates the possibility that you don’t know what you’re doing. It screams amateur, like you were just browsing the internet on your lunch break, saw a job opening and thought “Ooooh, it would be fun to be on TV!” so you send me one of the most recent – and best looking – images in the camera roll on your iPhone. Thanks, but no thanks.

The thing that gets me about some of the men and women who sent selfies to the casting calls I’ve posted over the years, is that their resumes are filled with previous work experience. It isn’t hard to find some that possess special talents and/or skills, did training at acting schools or other educational facilities, programs, etc. or have all of the standard qualities one would look for when casting a film, television show, music video, TV commercial, or some other type of production. Unlike newbies, people switching careers and regular everyday folk putting a bid in for their fifteen minutes of fame, those with the hefty resumes do know better. So, that only leaves me wondering what in the world convinced them that a selfie was not only acceptable, but also going to get them an audition for the project.

There is a time and a place for self-portraits and the type of projects I work on usually don’t fall within that realm. Where my most recent project is concerned, selfies and educational programs don’t mix. When responding to casting calls, job offers, interview requests or anything that involves you sending a photo that best represents you in the space you’re operating in, remember it’s all about context. Are you trying to channel Brian Williams or are you going for that Snooki, Jersey Shore vibe? Keeping this in mind will mean all the difference between whether the person on the receiving end is likely to give you a call or move on to the next application in the pile. 

When was the last time YOU sent someone a selfie or posted one online?

What was the response to YOUR selfie?

When I (Almost) Quit Making Movies - The Query that Changed Everything #atozchallenge #IndieFilm

Once upon a time, an Australian filmmaker I met on MySpace (back when social networks were just starting to gain momentum) helped with the encoding of one of my short films and then asked me to tell him about the experiences making said movie.  What followed was a letter that detailed various aspects of the project – from my scriptwriting process, through production and all the way to my very first acceptance notice from a film festival. If it weren’t for his inquiry, I may have never taken the time to sit back and reflect on the journey of trying to make something from little to nothing; all that went well, all that went wrong and nearly everything in between.

His one, simple query led to what became my production notes – a filmmaking diary of sorts – which is something that I would have otherwise never even considered writing at the time. I underestimated the importance of production notes. They can be therapeutic by helping filmmakers get an overview of what the timeline and progress (or halt) of their project looks like.

Writing to Quito made me realize that I made lots of poor decisions in trying to get a project off of the ground. The letter also caused me to notice when and where I gave up on doing what’s best for my project, me and my long-term professional goals; the moments where I pulled through and the rewarding results that came out of less-than-ideal circumstances. Although you might not understand if you’ve never made a movie, I’m almost certain that you can still relate to the feeling of wanting to give up on something that you once thought you wanted more than anything in the world.

When you’re making a movie, it's easy to get off-course, especially if you don't have a clear idea of what you're aiming for. In that case, it helps to have an end goal and not rely on making it up as you go along. It's also easy to not notice all of the areas where you should've done something different -- especially if you're rushing and everything becomes a blur in the mad dash to get a film in the can.

It wasn't until I wrote my letter to this Australian filmmaker who I met on MySpace, that I realized how many mistakes I made trying to salvage something that wasn't working on so many levels. I also realized that I was delusional about what I could accomplish with the things that were available to me.

Has anyone ever asked YOU a question that led to deep reflection on an experience that YOU otherwise wouldn’t have given a second thought about?

What Freaks Me Out – Playing the Waiting Game with My Movie #indiefilm

One of the things I’m most afraid of is not finishing my movie in enough time to make the deadlines for any of the 40+ film festivals where I want to submit it for a premiere screening; and completing this flick at all.

Post-production is taking longer than it took me to shoot this project, partly because I’m currently trying to shorten it up and make a version that meets my vision for it as closely as possible within the right amount of time. In the last few days, I’ve been back and forth through that old mindset of wanting to just throw a project aside and move on to the next thing – but -- there likely won’t be a next anything if I don’t first finish the one I’m working on now.

Speaking of the next best thing, there’s also nothing else for me to do if I’m not involved in some capacity of filmmaking. I mean, I went to school to study it, then started writing about it on the path to becoming one – or so I thought. No one can be a filmmaker without having made one, which means, until I actually have a movie in my hands that I can show to people, I suppose I’m just a writer – after all – that is what I do.

Today’s post is a mash-up of two prompts from Jenni, who wants participants in the 'Blog Everyday in May Challenge' to answer the question “What do you do?” and share the thing(s) you’re most afraid of. I could’ve just as easily written about other fears such as watching “Requiem for a Dream” or witnessing animals -- or people -- get hit by cars in oncoming traffic, but those things didn’t come to mind until I finished writing this post.

What do YOU do and what are the thing(s) you're most afraid of?