Self-taping guidelines

Handy tips for self-taping:


  1. Find a quiet, uncluttered room that has very little or no background noise. Try to position yourself a few feet away from the wall to avoid shadows. Try not to film in front of a window. Film yourself saying the lines. A shot from mid chest to just above your head is best. Any more and we can’t see your face.


  1. State your name and age and who represents you before starting your audition.


  1. Film against a plain background, white or blue is best. Remember it should have a good amount of natural light or be well lit and make sure that the light is behind you so that we can see your face clearly.


  1. Your camera should ideally sit on a tripod to maintain a steady image. If you don’t have a tripod make sure that you can put the camera on a steady surface or have someone hold it steadily. DSLR or video cameras are good, smart phone cameras are generally good quality these days so most casting directors are happy for you to self-tape yourself using your phone.


  1. Watch the tape back and check the audio, it’s important we can hear you.


  1. In a two-person scene it is best to not film alone but get someone else to read in the other lines. This person should not be on screen. We want the focus to be on you. Please make sure that the reader’s voice is not too loud, this can happen if they are very close to the camera/phone and can also be a distraction for the casting director.


  1. Please label the file with your name and character.


  1. There are many different ways to submit your self-tape, we are usually guided by the casting director who will let us know which format is best for them.


  1. Please look at the file and check the size. A file over 100MB will take a long time to send and usually means that you shot it at a very high quality. If your file is over 100MB you may consider using Clip Champ to compress it. You won’t lose much of the quality but the file will be much smaller and easier to send.


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