Self-Tapes

Self-tape and video conferencing auditions provide opportunities to Artists that might be unable to attend an in-person audition and for Theatres in remote locations to audition a wider pool of Artists. They also present unique challenges to all parties involved in the process.

Regardless of whether an audition is held in-person or by digital means, the audition must comply with the terms found in the agreement or engagement policy.

This Best Practices Advisory was developed by Equity and the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres (PACT) to provide recommendations for auditions by digital means, in consideration of the time requirements and potential expenses of self-tapes.

Best Practices

Based on Clause 8:06 (V) of the Canadian Theatre Agreement (CTA) and Independent Theatre Agreement (ITA), the following best practices are applicable to auditions under all of Equity’s agreements and engagement policies:

It’s in the best interests of the Theatre, Artists, and the process of live performance for auditions to be held in person
An Actor who is unable to attend an in-person audition can submit a self-tape or arrange for video conferencing
Requests for self-tapes must be made by the Theatre at least five (5) days prior to submission deadline

Material Guidelines

Guidance should be provided to the Artist in regard to the tone, style, and any other aspects of the creative vision of the project
Clear instructions on technical requirements should be given for both the recording and submission of self-tapes (e.g. framing, file format, maximum file size, where/how to upload, etc.)
Artists should be well lit and audible so they can be seen and clearly heard. However, self-taped auditions should not be evaluated based on an Artist’s equipment, set-up, backdrop, technical abilities and/or recording quality (e.g. lighting and camera)

Accessibility

Accessibility should be considered when providing audition material. PDFs and other documents should always be compatible with existing free screen readers.
The Theatre should be made aware of any accommodations that D/deaf and Disabled Artists may require to submit a self-tape

Limitations

A Theatre should only request as much material and as many self-tapes as they have sufficient time to review and consider
Theatres should be encouraged to request, and Artists to submit, sufficient material to showcase their suitability for the Role(s) but in no case should the material requested or submitted exceed ten (10) minutes
Artists should not be asked to submit a professionally recorded audition tape, paid for at their own expense
Theatres should provide Artists with backing tracks for a musical audition or videos of any choreography the Artist is expected to audition with, taught by the Choreographer and recorded from behind

Have a question about your rights at work?

If you’re auditioning for a project and are unsure if what an Engager is asking is permitted under the collective agreement or engagement policy, please get in touch with an Equity Business Rep.

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