The term self-tape comes from a time when actors would record auditions on an actual VHS tape, then had it delivered to either their agent or a casting director. Though VHS tapes became obsolete the term “Self-tape” stuck.
Self taping wasn’t used much until recent years. Though casting directors usually still preferred you audition in person. Some would not even accept a self tape. As technology progressed it became more accepted. Now with Covid-19, it is pretty much the only way to submit an audition.
Let me give you some critical guidelines for self-taping.
Pros of self taping.
The growth of self taping has been beneficial because you no longer have to drive all over town to get to an audition. This saves you time and wear and tear on your vehicle, not to mention money.
Often, self tapes are due the following day, which gives you the freedom to record them at your convenience before the deadline. So, you get to audition for more projects, improving your odds of booking one.
If you record your self tapes at home, you have the luxury of multiple takes and less anxiety because you are in a place where you feel comfortable.
Cons of self taping.
Depending on your living situation you may not have someone to read the other characters lines for you. This means you might have to go to a studio that offers self taping service, which can get expensive. Also, with the higher demand for self taping, many of these studios are booked up.
If you can record the self tape at home, then you have to be a one-person producer. This may require that you buy extra equipment, and learn basic editing.
Elements for self taping at home.
As a serious actor you should already have three things:
- A smartphone
- A computer
- Printer
- Internet service
Additional equipment that you will need:
Optional equipment that is highly recommended:
Self tape set up.
Most of us don’t have the luxury of dedicating a room for self taping. But choosing a wall to self tape can be a little tricky. You want to find a wall in a part of your home where there are a few to no distracting noises (cars, airplanes, neighbors voices, etc.) . However, that wall may not have the best lighting. That’s why I highly recommend buying a ring light.
The wall you choose should also not be distracting. It should be a solid color, possibly blue or gray. If this is not an option, you can always hang a sheet for the self tape and remove it when you are done. This works well if you need to conceal a bookcase. Some people like to use a pop up background which can be easily collapsed and stored. I don’t recommend these options because you are required to give a full body shot for most slates and such backgrounds are not big enough for this purpose. Actors may also be required submit self tapes for commercial auditions which are generally shot wider than theatrical auditions and again don’t cover enough surface area. However, pop up backgrounds do work well for more close-up static shots or for your Zoom meetings.
A smartphone is more than capable of shooting your self-tape. Just insert your smartphone into the tripod mount and attach that to your tripod. You want to mount the smartphone horizontally or in landscape orientation. Then set up the shot according to the audition instructions.
Make sure you are in focus and you can be heard clearly. That is pretty much all the technical set up out of the way. Just know that self tape’s have made acting more competitive because casting directors can now see more actors’ auditions. For this reason I highly recommend getting a light and microphone. I like to use an inexpensive lavalier microphone compatible with smartphones with a headphone jack and DSLR cameras. It makes you look more professional and hopefully making a casting director watch your entire audition. With a larger pool of actors to choose from, casting directors can be more selective. Let’s not make it easy for them to pass on the audition that you put so much work into.
Submitting your self tape.
Casting director’s sometimes will put a specific note to see if you follow directions. So make sure you edit, label, and submit the audition according to their particular directions. Your files do not need to be large, that just takes more time and hard drive space. So, if you recorded your audition in 4K for instance, when you are exporting that file, it doesn’t need to be larger than 720P. Casting director’s often forward your self taped audition to director’s that may view it on their smartphone. You don’t want to have it continually buffering or not loading at all because the file is too large.
The secret to self taping.
Whether you are a filmmaker or not very tech savvy, it doesn’t matter what camera, lights or other equipment you use to record your self tape if the work is not there. Before you go out and spend thousands of dollars on equipment, that money is better spent on acting classes or coaching. With things in this industry moving so fast, casting directors are too busy to send the actor’s feedback. What happens more often than not is that you will submit your self tape and not hear anything back. Pretty much the only feedback you get is if that same casting director requests that you audition for another project or role in the future.
There are times when you are away from home and are asked to submit a self tape. You might have to record it in a hotel room, a relative’s house and the conditions will not be optimum, or you just can’t afford the extra equipment, so the work has to be compelling. Some technical things can be forgiven if the acting is solid, but not the other way around.
Self taping tips.
- If you don’t have a reader, you can have someone on a video chat feeding you the other character’s lines. Try not to record the other character’s lines. It sounds terrible and messes with your acting because the timing may be off.
- If you have a small space and going wide to get a full body shot reveals parts of your place you don’t want in your shot, turn the camera vertical or portrait view. Then you can rotate the picture with your editing software. Only do this for full body shots. For everything else shoot it horizontally.
- Have your reader step back or speak in a lower volume to not be so loud since they will be closer to the microphone.
- Casting directors are expecting your best work on these self tapes, so be “off book” as much as possible.
- Take an auditioning class, where you can learn other tricks when “action” or movement is required.
- Submit early. Don’t wait until the deadline to submit. It is rare, but if a casting director likes your work but wants to give you some direction, you want to have time to resubmit with this new direction.
- Work first, all else secondary.
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