New York City’s award-winning post production company Sound Lounge and its Casting Division have launched Virtual Booth, the first-of-its-kind real-time, virtual audition service amid the COVID-19 crisis.
Prior to launching Virtual Booth, Sound Lounge Casting was receiving and reviewing the actors' at-home auditions after the fact and then providing notes for the talent to re-record later. Casting Director Alexa Magnotto felt that approach was too static and knew there must be a more creative and efficient way to deliver top-notch auditions to her clients.
Clients turn to Magnotto for her trained ear. Tapping into her variety of casting tools, she’s able to critically listen to the actors and pull a specific, desired read out of them. As a result, Magnotto developed Virtual Booth, a series of 10-minute virtual casting blocks, that allow talent to still audition face-to-face with her, receiving real-time direction, and ultimately giving the clients the best variety of creative reads for their project.
"I could tell actors were easily getting stuck in their own heads while directing themselves from home, delivering the same style of read over and over again," explained Magnotto. “They were missing that personal direction, something that we would be able to find together in the audition booth. So, I figured out a way to still be with them, just at home.”
Magnotto has worked with top brands like Budweiser, Subway, Mailchimp, Publix and Shiseido. As we progress in this new normal, Sound Lounge will continue to pivot and improve their remote offerings. The studio's aim is making sure clients are receiving the best work and having the most seamless experiences possible.
