Auditions in the Age of Technology
Imagine a competition-centered reality show all about music performance and production in the age of technology—today’s epoch. Would one expect to have an audition to be a competitor in the show? Is it time to question the definition of the word audition in the age of technology? It is safe to nod in agreement.
Founded in 1905 as the Institute of Musical Art, The Juilliard School did not finalize its name until its final division, Drama, was established in 1968. For decades, Juilliard accepted in-person applicants, requiring them to attend their music, dance, or drama audition(s) before a live pre-screening committee. Shall we include our technology age into this historical scenario? Let’s begin.
Currently, The Juilliard School no longer requires applicants to be present for their pre-screening audition or exam. All applicants are now required to submit a digital video file according to the application requirements. Through this approach, the school has eliminated an entire event that was once experienced in person by both the applicants and the selection committee. What remains is a digital video file that—if crafted and perceived according to the applicants’ intentions—holds the power to represent them completely.
Returning to the music competition reality show, Sound vs. Sound, the Canadian TV series announced its digital casting call for all potential competitors in November of 2011. The show follows musicians, composers, arrangers, and producers as they face musical challenges across genres
, Don writes for Guiltar.com. All submission guidelines pointed to one word: digital. The age of in-person experiences is no longer part of the screening and selection criteria for casting directors.
Heidi Levitt, a renowned casting director, took her readers on a journey to explain how the online world has transformed the casting process. She exclaimed:
“I miss having the time to spend on research, I miss the connections, the open calls, the serendipity of organic discovery made without the help of Google or a call to social media to put the word out. Today such searches and open calls can all be done from our computer desktops. Who knows if the next step could be to technologically enhance an audition with an Instagram filter?”
Published under The Academy‘s Art and Science category—devoted to exploring cinematic history—Levitt’s article, The Art and Science of Casting a Movie, explores how she has come to rationalize her many years of experience by redefining casting through the lens of today’s technological tools and digital expectations.
