How to film the perfect audition self-tape

Self-tapes are a tool used by many actors, agents and Casting Directors around the world as a replacement for the usual auditioning process. The reason self-tapes are so popular is because they are cheap to make and view and it allows the casting team time to see a large amount of actors within a shorter time period. However, self-tapes can be quite tricky to master as they can involve a fair amount of setting up and filming. In this article I have highlighted the things that are important to remember when filming a self-tape.

Setting up:

1. Use a tripod. Using a tripod is the best way to film a self-tape as it keeps the camera in position and ensures that camera won’t slip or fall during a take. You don’t need to use a professional camera for filming, a self-tape a smart phone will work as well.

2. Use a plain wall. Using a patterned wall or a busy background can distract the viewers’ attention away from you when they watch your self-tape which you don’t want to happen. If you live somewhere that has a plain wall you can use as a background then you can use that or alternatively you can purchase blue, green and grey screens from Amazon which work as well.

3. Natural daylight is good for filming self-tapes but if you happen to be filming in a room that doesn’t have much natural lighting you can purchase a ring light from Amazon which should have a warm setting you can use instead.

Filming the self-tape:

1. Get someone you can trust to read in with you. I would recommend using an actor friend to read in with you if you have one. If you don’t you can use a friend or family member instead so long as you feel comfortable filming the scene with them because if you don’t then most of the time it will show on screen.

2. Before filming commences you need to make sure in your camera shot you have two inches of space above your head and two inches just below the shoulders.

3. You are now ready to start filming! Try doing something slightly different for each take so you can watch them back and pick out what you liked so you can use it for the final take.

Once you’ve finished filming:

1. Email the self-tape to your agent. Most of the time using sights such as WeTransfer or Vimeo is recommended for doing this as the video file size might be quite large but check with your agent what they’d prefer in case they’d like you to send it another way. Make sure you name the self-tape before sending it so your agent knows what it is as soon as they get it.

2. If you are doing the self-tape through Spotlight or another acting website then you should contact them and find out how they would like you to send the tape to them.

Self-Tapes are usually done for a specific role so make sure you do your research into your character and pay attention to the brief you have been given by the Casting Director or you agent.