Actors: I’ve held a lot of auditions over zoom during lockdown, in UK & US. A few subjective observations I thought might be useful to share since this may become a new normal... Again, these are only my opinion!
Thread. RT if handy.

1. Generally, I’d say it’s helpful to use the lens as the eyeline. I feel more able to connect to your performance that way. If you take the eyeline away, it very quickly can become an audition with a marvellous view of the top of your head, or an ear...

2. It’s really helpful if you’re not holding the lens: handheld self-shoots aren’t that easy to watch with all the jiggling around! If you are using your phone for the zoom, make sure it’s securely propped up in front of you and leaves you free to be marvellous...

3. Be prepared for both a close up & a wider shot set up (just in case), ie be set up in an area where you’ll quickly and easily be able to step back and give us a wider view if asked... (start with the closer set up so we can ‘meet’ you more easily and see you well).. and...

4. If you were sat down for the first closer up reads, you might also need to be able to quickly change the height of where your lens is for the wider shot, so that we’re not looking up your nostrils. ie have two levels you can put the lens on, eg desk and shelf above.

5. Generally, actors in US are rather more slick with their presentation at home. Worth being aware of if you’re competing with them for a role. Many have a light grey curtain behind them, which they’ve clearly drawn to cover up whatever! Gives a good blank canvas background.

6. If you have a professional mic, you may as well use it. But please don’t worry if you don’t have, as sound quality is pretty good on most phones and computers now.

7. I’d be off book: otherwise, again, only too easily it becomes merely a view of the top of your head as you look down for the text. If you’ve had it last minute and really can’t, then at least have the script as close to lens as possible, so that your eyeline still works.

8. I appear to have made a mess of continuing the thread, but if you’ve got to this #8, you’ve reached the end! (Clearly my own technical prowess to audition on zoom would be lacking, so I’ll just stay on the other side of the camera... )

PS: @poneillofficial brought up a good point, namely wouldn’t it be better to have eyeline just off the lens, same as a ‘normal’ screen casting. My personal opinion is prob not: I’ve found that the window of opportunity to do that when using a lens on a laptop or phone.. 1/2

is so small, that it’s too hard for an actor to gauge.. and pretty much every actor who’s tried it, in the auditions I’ve conducted, has quickly veered too far off, and I can no longer see their eyes. Which is of course key for connecting. 2/2