Self Tapes

Self tapes have become a huge part of our jobs as actors in the last four years. The dawn of the self tape has been brilliant for actors as we get the chance to put our best foot forward with what we send over to the casting director. Another positive is having access to auditions in different parts of the country and across the world. I have probably done over 200 now, including auditions for TV, film, commercials, voice over and self tape workshops with casting directors. It’s safe to say that this way of auditioning is here to stay.

I help actors self tape their auditions from my home, giving them the best chance to land jobs and impress the casting directors they really want to be remembered by!

I act as reader and director and can also help with editing.

Self taping can be stressful, especially if you don’t have the space, correct equipment, a good reader, or if you live in a house/flat/apartment/houseboat/etc that isn’t the best environment for quiet and focus.

If a huge opportunity is at stake, possibly the job of your dreams, it’s better to invest in your career and seek help with your tapes. This will ensure you are doing everything you can to elevate your work, adding detail and nuance in order to engage the casting director, as ultimately it’s their decision whether to pass your tape onto the director.

I love this process of helping people get work and I always make sure actors are happy with their takes before they leave.

Top tips

Learn the lines before the session where possible, as you’ll have more time for more takes.

Do some investigation of the script beforehand and make some decisions about the character and scene. You can always change your mind and try different things, but you need a starting point.

Think about what clothes your character might wear and bring a few options with you. This is very important for commercials as some clothing options suggest a certain age or profession etc. (if wearing a shirt, please iron!)

Be careful not to wear too much make up, unless it works for the character. This is very important for commercials, 70% of commercial castings want a natural look.

If taping on your phone, make sure your phone has enough storage left to tape at least 4 or 5 takes per scene.

Be realistic about how long you think it will take you. If you have three scenes to do, you will likely need to book a two hour session.

Sometimes casting offices will ask for a full length shot in the ident, so don't forget about the bottom half of your outfit.

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