SELF-TAPE STARTER KIT

Hi Friends! Audition season is just around the corner, and huge part of the job right now is self-taping. I have had a lot of people tell me recently that self-taping is difficult for them because they can’t afford nice equipment. And I totally honor that! But alas — self-tapes are not going away!

So, I wanted to create a list of a couple of affordable products and tips that might make your life easier this season. Here are some of my favourite self-tape tools! And remember, Oscar nominated films have been made on iPhones — so please don’t stress yourself out abut spending $3,000 on a new camera if you are not also getting really excited about being a photographer!!

Here are a few SELF-TAPE TIPS!

  • Make sure that your work is prepped, you feel confident with your look, and that we can hear what you are saying!

  • Read ALL of the instructions in your self-tape request email — and then do the things that are asked of you. If you are supposed to use an accent, say something specific in your slate, etc — we will ask you to do it. Don’t negate yourself from booking because you didn’t follow all of the instructions!

  • Try not to have a distracting background, wardrobe, or reader. The simpler the better — I want to be able to focus on you only!

  • Be sure to show your full body at some point in the self-tape. Either during the slate, or you can start with a full body shot and slowly pan in during your scene work. Also, always shoot horizontally!

  • Once you have recorded your self-tape, please upload it to YouTube (unlisted), Vimeo, Dropbox, or WeTransfer. Make sure that the link is downloadable and if there is a password, don’t forget to share the password with your submission. Reminder, Google Drive asks you to grant permission to each email address that needs to see the content — and that often involves lots of extra steps.

  • Most importantly — MEET THE DEADLINE! If there is a timeline associated with returning the self-tape, make sure you have sent that tape by the time that is asked! If you return a tape late, it most likely will not be watched!