The 10 Commandments of a Great Selftape

These tips are for people who plan on using their smartphone to tape their audition. This is by far the easiest and cheapest setup, not to mention the most portable. There’s no shame in using your smartphone for a selftape audition either as phones today generally have extremely high-quality lenses and microphones. Some will even let you choose between lenses which has the added benefit of getting a closer shot without having to zoom (and thereby losing pixels and picture quality).

The other piece of equipment that you’ll need is some kind of a tripod with a clamping device to hold your phone. The tripod with the most flexibility — literally — and figuratively, is the Gorillapod Stand Pro. You can wrap it around just about anything so that it’s positioned where you need it. My setup at home is fairly elaborate but the Gorillapod is still an essential part of my traveling self-tape studio. I’ve wrapped mine around a coat hanger and hung it off a lampshade. Honestly, they’re great.

Before you start, make sure that you are in a place where you won’t be interrupted by other people in your home. Also make sure that there aren’t loud noises, like lawnmowers or barking dogs, that could distract from your audition.

The 10 Commandments of a Good Selftape

1. USE LANDSCAPE MODE: The camera should be in landscape (horizontal) mode when you are filming. This means sideways so that it is wide instead of tall, so it most represents how we view film (at the movies or on TV). Often casting directors request that you set up your phone with your camera lens on the left side. Never use the selfie camera. Instead, use the rear camera as it has higher-quality lenses.
2. USE PROPER FRAMING: The ideal framing, unless otherwise requested, is from just below your armpits to just over the top of your head. Why? Because the casting director, director, or producer wants to be able to see your face, most especially, your eyes. If they also request a full body shot, they want to see your ENTIRE BODY in the frame. What they don’t want to see is a slow pan from your feet up to the top of your head. Feet. Knees. Hip. Chest… you get the idea (I hope).
3. USE GOOD LIGHTING: The ideal light is natural meaning not artificial. And what is natural light? The sun. So, unless you live in Finland in the winter, you should have access to it during the day. The best setup has your camera at the window so that you are facing the light. The light should never be behind you.
4. USE A NEUTRAL BACKGROUND: A blank wall in a neutral color works great. Ideally, nothing other than the wall is behind you. We should not be able to tell which room you’re in or what you had for breakfast. If you want to up your game you could use a backdrop in grey or blue, though grey is the preferred color of most casting directors. I use a popup backdrop like the one in the photo above. The velcro makes it really easy to hang off a curtain rod but you could also just prop it up on a table.
5. FIND A GOOD READER: A reader is someone who reads the scene with you. Ideally, this is someone who will read the other part(s) in a way that helps you react and connect emotionally to your part. Pick a good actor with great diction and you can’t go wrong. You don’t want their bad acting skills or lazy pronunciation to be a distraction. The reader should stand to the immediate left or right of your camera but they should not be visible in the frame. This will put your eyeline close to the camera lens without looking directly into it. NEVER, unless requested, look directly into the camera. Your reader should also try not to be too loud. You don’t want your reader to be louder than you are. If you don’t know anyone who can help you then try out WeAudition. They have a ton of actors who are willing to help with your audition for a nominal fee or sometimes even for free.
6. DRESS FOR THE ROLE: The clothes you choose should suggest the character you are portraying. There’s no need to wear a lab coat and stethoscope if you’re auditioning to be a doctor but you shouldn’t wear a tank top and flip-flops either. Avoid white as it reflects light and can wash you out. Also, avoid patterns and skin tones, solid, bright colors are best. Avoid gimmicky items like hats or flashy jewelry. If you are going to wear glasses make sure they are non-glare.
7. ENSURE YOUR EYES ARE ALWAYS VISIBLE: We need to see your eyes and how they express emotion. It’s okay to look away, or down, or even close them for a beat to convey emotion but make sure you don’t do this for too long or too often.
8. BE OFF BOOK: Learn your lines so you’re not fumbling with the script. Besides, if you’re looking at your sides we won’t be able to see your eyes.
9. MAKE STRONG CHOICES: Break down your script so that you are confident in the choices you make. Every line (from all the characters, not just your lines) should have meaning for you. If something doesn’t make sense, call the casting director and ask questions. Though be sure not to waste their time with lazy questions that you could have answered yourself if you had done your homework. Know where you’re coming from and where you’re going. Know what you want. Take us on a journey from beginning to end with your emotions. If you make the choice to start the scene angry you might want to end with forgiveness, sad to happy, or confused to clear. These are obviously just examples. The main thing is to show a full range of emotions. End on a strong note and DO NOT BREAK CHARACTER.
10. EDIT YOUR SELFTAPE: Make sure to edit out the beginning before the scene starts and the end after you have finished your scene. Almost all computers these days have some sort of editing program but even your cell phone will let you cut the front and back of a video clip.

That’s the lowdown on creating a great self-tape. Now get out there and break a leg!