Opinion | Student Films in Singapore: Why Actors Shouldn’t Be Asked to Self-Audition or Rehearse for Free

Student films are often described as a space for learning, experimentation and growth. And they should be. Many of today’s working filmmakers in Singapore took their first creative risks there.

But somewhere along the way, a problematic norm has taken root — one that quietly places the burden of “learning” disproportionately on actors.

It has become increasingly common for student film productions to require self-taped auditions, followed by unpaid rehearsals, sometimes even before casting is confirmed. This practice is often justified as “industry standard” or “part of the learning process”.

It is neither.

Self-Auditions Shift Labour, Not Learning

Self-auditions were never meant to replace proper casting processes — especially not in an educational context.

When actors are asked to self-tape, they are not simply “auditioning”. They are:

• Sourcing equipment

• Setting up lighting and sound

• Framing, recording and sometimes editing

• Interpreting direction with no feedback loop

In other words, they are doing production work, unpaid.

For students who are learning to direct actors, casting should be a live, guided exchange, not an outsourced task disguised as convenience. If a director never sits across from an actor — observes their instincts, communicates adjustments, reads the room — then a core part of filmmaking education is lost.

Efficiency should not replace pedagogy.

Unpaid Rehearsals Are Not Neutral

Rehearsals are work.

They require time, preparation, emotional labour, and often transport costs. Asking actors to rehearse for free — particularly before roles are confirmed — establishes a dangerous precedent: that an actor’s time is infinitely flexible and of lesser value.

Student films may not have budgets, but that does not mean they are exempt from ethical considerations.

If rehearsals are essential to the learning process, then:

• Keep them minimal

• Keep them purposeful

• And be transparent from the start

Better yet, structure rehearsals after casting, not as an extended audition under another name.

“Everyone Has to Start Somewhere” Is Not a Free Pass

This phrase is often used to justify unfair practices.

Yes, everyone starts somewhere. But not everyone starts with the same leverage. Actors, especially freelancers and older performers, often juggle multiple jobs, caregiving responsibilities, and years of accumulated experience.

To ask them to repeatedly “donate” time in the name of student learning ignores the asymmetry in risk:

• The student gets a credit

• The school gets a portfolio

• The actor absorbs the cost

Learning should not depend on unpaid labour from others.

What Student Films Should Do Instead

This is not a call to cancel student films. It is a call to do them better.

Practical alternatives exist:

• Hold short, in-person or live online auditions

• Use script readings, not full performances

• Cast decisively and rehearse efficiently

• Respect actors’ availability and boundaries

• Be honest about what you can and cannot offer

These constraints often lead to better directing, clearer communication, and stronger work.

Education Includes Ethics

If student films are meant to prepare filmmakers for the industry, then they must also teach professional respect.

An industry that normalises unpaid emotional labour early will struggle to sustain itself later.

Actors are collaborators, not resources to be extracted from.

And learning should never come at the cost of someone else’s dignity