Most first round auditions in the UK now happen on tape. The request lands in your inbox, the deadline is usually tomorrow, and your spare room becomes a studio for the night. The actors who get recalled are not the ones with the best cameras. They are the ones whose tapes are easy to watch, so casting only notices the acting.
These are the self tape tips I use myself as an actor, backed by what Spotlight and casting directors ask for, and shaped by filming showreels in Liverpool where light and sound are my day job.
The short version
- Landscape, always. Chest up, camera at eye level on a tripod.
- Plain background. Spotlight finds grey works best.
- Soft light in front of you, never a window behind you.
- Microphone close, reader just off camera and quieter than you.
- MP4, named properly: your name first, then project and scene.
1. Read the request twice
Before you move a single lamp, read the email properly. Casting requests differ. Some want an ident at the start, some want it as a separate clip, some want profile shots or a full length shot, some want each scene as its own file. The deadline and the upload method matter too. Doing exactly what was asked is the first sign you are easy to work with.
2. Set up your space
Background
Film against a plain wall or backdrop. Spotlight’s own guidance says grey tends to work best. Clear away posters, shelves and doors. A cheap pop up grey backdrop is one of the best investments a working actor can make.
Light
Use natural light if you can, with you facing the window rather than sitting in front of it. A window behind you turns you into a silhouette. If you use lamps, you want one large, soft source slightly to one side of the camera, not a bare bulb overhead. A ring light is fine, but pulled back and set low, so your eyes do not become two bright circles.
Camera
Landscape, never portrait. Casting directors are firm on this one. Put the camera at your eye level on a tripod or a stack of books, and frame from roughly the chest to just above your head, unless the request asks for something else. Keep the camera still.
Sound
Get the microphone as close to you as you can. Soft furnishings, curtains and a rug help a lot in an echoey room. A small clip on microphone plugged into your phone makes a bigger difference than any lens.
| Kit | Why it matters | Budget option |
|---|---|---|
| Tripod | A steady, eye level frame | A phone tripod with a clamp |
| Microphone | Clear voice, no room echo | A clip on lavalier that plugs into your phone |
| Soft light | Even, flattering light on your face | A window in daylight, or one LED panel with a diffuser |
| Backdrop | Nothing pulls focus from you | A pop up grey backdrop or a plain painted wall |
| Your phone | Modern phones shoot more than enough quality | Use the back camera, not the selfie one |
3. Your reader and your eyeline
Casting directors say not to read the other lines in yourself or use an app, because it is distracting. Get a friend or another actor to read in. Ask them to read naturally, with no accents and no big performance, and to stand or sit right next to the camera and a little quieter than you, since they are much closer to the microphone.
Your eyeline goes to the reader, just off the lens, so casting sees nearly your full face. Do not look straight down the lens unless the scene or the request asks you to.
4. The ident
If an ident is requested, keep it short, warm and in your own voice. Usually that is your name, your agent and where you are based, and sometimes your height or a quick turn to each side for profiles. Only give what is asked. It is often best as a separate clip or at the very start, as the request instructs.
5. The performance
Know the lines well enough that you are not reading them. Casting directors often say your first take is your best, and suggest taping for no more than about thirty minutes. Spotlight’s advice: if you cannot get it in three takes, pause, reset and try again later. Only send more than one take if they are properly different and the request allows it.
6. Trim, name and send
Trim the dead air at the start and end, but do not add titles, music or filters. Export as MP4. Spotlight advises naming files with your name first, then the project and scene, so your tape is easy to find among hundreds. Send through the method asked for, usually Spotlight or a transfer link, and test the link before you reply.
Request lands
Read, reply, book your readerConfirm you can make the deadline and lock in someone to read in.
Same evening
Learn it and make choicesWho are you talking to, what do you want, what changes?
Next morning
Set up and tapeDaylight is your free softbox. Aim for three focused takes.
Before the deadline
Trim, name, send, checkLeave a few hours spare in case an upload fails.
Questions actors ask
Should a self tape be landscape or portrait?
Landscape. Casting directors are clear on this. Frame from roughly the chest up, unless the request asks for something else.
What is the best background for a self tape?
A plain wall or backdrop. Spotlight says grey tends to work best. Avoid clutter, posters and doors.
Where should I look in a self tape?
At your reader, who should sit right next to the camera. Only look into the lens if the scene or the request asks for it.
What file format should a self tape be?
MP4 is the safest choice. Name the file with your name first, then the project and scene.
How many takes should I send?
Usually one. Send more only if the request allows it and the takes are properly different.
More guides for actors: How to make a showreel with no credits · What casting directors want from a showreel · Spotlight headshot requirements.
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