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Creating your Introduction Video for Castings

Creating your Introduction Video for Castings

Category: Presenter Career Strategy

Last year Star Now introduced an Introduction Video feature on their casting website. Casting professionals are now looking at these video introductions as part of their casting process, often when applying to a casting as well as sending your showreel you may be expected to film a short introduction video about yourself, this gives the casting professional a real chance to see your personality and who you are. If you get this wrong it might cost you the job.

Here are some of our tops for your Introduction Video for your casting profile stand out:

1.      What to include in your Introduction Video

Your video should have a Beginning, Middle, and End. Ensure you catch attention by saying your name and what you’re doing at the moment. Keep your energy up throughout the video, think about your USP, what are you good at? What makes you unique? Mention a passion or hobby. In the end, use a short call to action like ‘That’s me I look forward to hearing from you soon’ or ‘If you want to hear more about me check out my website at xxxxxx’. Unless you’re an expert at ad-libbing, plan your structure. It’s a good idea to use what we call the ‘Rule of Three’. There tends to be a natural flow with 3 items and not only can your short-term memory easily retain, your audience is also more likely to consume information this way. Most importantly be yourself.

2.      Location

The location of your filming is very important. Bad Video can be very distracting. First of all, choose a nice dedicated space in your home which will be your area of filming, ensure it’s clean clutter-free (make sure you tidy that washing away!) Your background should ideally be a plain wall. If you don’t have a plain wall, you can purchase an affordable pop-up backdrop.

3.     Lighting

Have nice natural light, do not have a window behind you as the camera will focus on the brightest light which will be from outside, this will then make you darker and harder to see. Instead, you can use the window facing you or you may want to consider purchasing an LED ring light.

4. Filming Mode

Film your video in landscape mode which is horizontal not as a selfie. If you’re using a smartphone or iPad it’s best to use the rear-facing camera if you can rather than the front camera as it tends to have better quality. Make sure you have the correct framing of your video or zoom call by using the rule of thirds and ensure your video is steady by using a tripod. You can ask a friend to help if not, use a mirror.

5. Sound

Sound is at least 50% of your video quality, if not more important than the visual itself. Generally, the internal microphones on mobile phones and laptops are not great, they can make audio sound echoey and tinny, so invest in an external microphone so you have good, clear sound. For smartphones either Rode Smartlav orAltson Lavalier Mic for a budget option, just check the compatibility with your phone or if you need any adapters.
Want more tips to help your video stand out and grab attention?
There are many more tips including what to wear to make you stand out, tips for those who have to wear glasses, bringing in props, and some of the big mistakes people have made so make sure you check out the reply offer webinar in your members area.