Self Tape 101 - Week 4

We’re in the home stretch. Here is your final Self Tape 101 homework assignment. I’m looking forward to everyone getting straight-green this week!

1. Click on the link below to download your side. This is for a pretend prestige, indie drama. A big name director and name actors are attached. Focus Features just signed on to be the distributor. This pretend film is called “The New Normal” about a family dealing with the shame and stigma of a traumatic brain injury. Think “Marriage Story” meets Apple TV’s “Defending Jacob.”

2. This is a lead role. The character description is as follows: Married couple Gale and Casey Novak find their lives are turned upside down after Casey suffers a moderate traumatic brain injury. Now they find their roles have changed to patient (Casey) and caregiver (Gale). During Casey’s year of recovery, they try to hide Casey’s injury because of the stigma surrounding brain injuries and financial implications if Casey’s boss finds out. Before the injury, Casey was a top civil engineer, and Gale a boutique bookstore owner. The scene happens just after a party where the TBI is accidentally revealed to family, friends, and Casey’s boss.

3. Choose either the Casey or Gale role and self tape it. Feel free to send more than one take.

4. Special note if you choose the Casey role: Casey is about six months into his/her recovery. Casey is out of the acute, critical phase, so his/her primary symptoms are fogginess, forgetfulness, and extreme exhaustion. Do NOT overplay the symptoms. Focus on Casey’s relationship with Gale.

5. Please shoot a full-body slate. During your slate, say your name, height, role, and if you consent to COVID testing.

6. Also, show-and-tell time! Take a still photo (or shoot video) of your self-tape set up so we can all see what you are doing.

7. Please send separate files for everything. So at a minimum, you will be sending three files: one for your slate; one of your setup; and one for your audition. If you do additional takes, send that as a separate file.

8. MOV, MP4, or MV4 files. (JPEG is fine for the still shot of your setup.)

9. Label the file Firstname-Lastname_ROLE_TAKE1 (i.e. Lucy-Simpson_CASEY_TAKE1 or Homer-Simpson_CASEY_TAKE2 or Charlie-Brown_GALE_SLATE or Captain-America_GALE_SETUP).

10. Email a downloadable link of your self tape file to your teacher’s email address. Use a file transfer site like Hightail or WeTransfer. (No YouTube or Dropbox).

11. All file sizes must be less than 120 MB.

12. Due by NOON (PDT) THREE days prior to your class. For example, if your class is a Monday, your homework is now due on Friday; or if your class is a Wednesday, your homework is due on Sunday. (Late submissions only allowed with casting permission.)

Sides for Week 4