Top 5 Tips for Self Taping an Audition

As an actor, the chances are, you’re going to be asked to self tape sometime soon – if you haven’t already. It’s the Casting Director’s best way to take an initial look at you. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world, a self tape is a quick, easy way for a CD to whittle down the options.

Here’s my Top 5 Tips on Self Taping for an Audition:

ONE: It doesn’t need to be a high quality camera, but it does need to be good quality footage. A tripod will definitely improve the stability of the picture. Don’t forget that the sound is also important, so if your phone can do a good quality picture with nice clear sound – that’s just fine.

TWO: Keep your head and torso visible in the shot, don’t make it a disembodied head.

THREE: Don’t spike the camera – don’t look down the barrel of the lens. Place your reader off camera and do your dialogue to them.

FOUR: Be ruthless with yourself. Don’t accept the first ’take’. Do several, do twenty. Pick the best of the lot. If you don’t have one. Do another. Save the file as your equity name and the character you are auditioning for.

FIVE: Once you’ve got your best ’take’ of the tape, post it to a private Vimeo account and send the CD the password. DO NOT send the file to their inbox. They will hate you. Don’t put it publicly on YouTube, because if you suddenly become an overnight success, you will not want that audition tape doing the rounds.

Want more help with your Self Tape Audition? Our self taping guide is free to download in the Acting Advice Guides section of our website.