Commercial Auditions in the Time of COVID

Jennifer E. Gardner will be dancing all alone at home tonight.

William Lynch is in his yard walking in place, his hands on the back of a patio chair, approximating the grocery cart he’ll be pushing through a parking lot. 

Miguel Nájera, wearing a cowboy hat, scans the living room for his lost herd.

In Los Angeles, these three SAG-AFTRA performers audition for national TV commercials in their homes, temporarily converted to ad hoc casting studios.

It’s called Contactless Casting and is currently the preferred way to cast commercials in L.A. due to COVID-19 virus safety protocols. 

Throughout our industry, performers, casting directors and talent agents are adjusting to this method, which is helping commercial production get back on its feet, all the while keeping everyone safe.

“Right now, we seem to be back in the groove,” said Jamie Hernandez, the head of commercials for Los Angeles at KMR Talent Agency. She’s clearly on the frontlines and optimistically reports that her department has lately been extremely busy.

To be sure, Contactless Casting may just look like “self-tape,” which, of course, it is. And for actors, shooting that way isn’t exactly new. In fact, it’s pretty routine for film and television casting. But before this pandemic, self-tapes were rarely used for casting big-budget TV union commercials. 

That’s because in-person auditioning better suits the collaborative, quick-paced nature of TV spot casting. Plus, casting directors usually request performers to make adjustments in first call sessions in order to show ad agency creatives how well that actor takes direction.

So, can commercials be cast without in-person auditions?

Hernandez says yes, it’s already happening, and then she shared a few tips to help performers bridge the gap between at-home auditions and the casting office. 

The first is obvious. Performers must look like their headshots. When casting folks choose who they want to consider, they expect to see a likeness that’s current! 
“You never want to surprise casting,” Hernandez said. 

Another tip: Read and then follow ALL the casting notes. “Everything is important,” Hernandez said. Instructions for the slate, the action, all the way to the preferred upload method are there. “Details — The devil is in the details.” 

Finally, Hernandez said, “You don’t have time to waste.” 

The submission deadline is the end date, and if you wait until then you’ll be at the bottom of the pile. It’s always better to be at the front of the line.

Setups may vary. Some performers just have a neutral-colored wall and a ring light, while others have more elaborate backdrops, professional light kits, advanced cameras and sound equipment.

Actor Crystal Rivers advises finding a quiet space, because “Sound is important,” adding “ring lights are definitely worth it.”

Rivers prefers auditioning from home, escaping the traffic and parking issues, though she does miss face time with friends and colleagues.

And if you have to self-tape, Gardner recommends, “You really have to show your personality in the slate,” since you’re not meeting the casting director in the flesh.

Lynch looks forward to the time when studios reopen. “I prefer being at a studio with instruction and feedback. Otherwise, you’re kind of guessing what they want.”

Nájera is in agreement, though grateful to be able to audition at home, “But I miss casting offices. You go in and they already have the setup, I’m around my friends and socializing.”

Speaking of socializing, conferencing apps provide a hybrid alternative, offering Contactless Casting in a virtual meeting where ad agency creative teams, CDs and performers can collaborate from separate locations. This method is sometimes used for first call auditions, but more often for callbacks.

Mike C. Nelson auditioned this way during the pandemic, plus all the other types mentioned, and he even experienced a few in-person castings. His combined efforts resulted in landing a national spot, and he’s happy to report he felt totally protected with the safety measures for commercial sets. “All the protocols were pretty great,” he said.

Gardner also has a current TV commercial. One of our union’s newest members, she was asked how she felt benefitting from residuals when her work is rerun, whereupon she simply responded, “Such a gift.” 

A moment later, she received an incoming text on her phone.

“I just got an audition while we were talking. Due tomorrow. I better go.”

Hollywood: the land of opportunity— contactless opportunity, for now.