Self Tape Audition Equipment
Here is a list of some of the tools I use and some I would highly recommend for self taping at home. Click on the image to check out the spec and buy.
Always a winner. You don’t want you recording device to be held by someone when you’re shooting because even the slightest bit of movement reads heavily on screen. Invest in a full sized tripod that will be able to reach your full height when you are standing and shooting.
Full Height Tripod
This one is my tried and trusted tripod. Very lightweight and takes up next to no space at home. It doesn’t quite reach my full height when I’m stood up so I usually opt to place books under each leg for the additional height. Now that I have a full height tripod I use this one for my ring light. Highly recommend.
(Nearly) Full Height Tripod
Perfect for when you’re on the move. Place it on a table, chair etc and shoot away. Very light weight and small. This is now my go to tripod for my LED light panel to create a kick light effect.
Table Top Tripod
I exclusively shoot my self tapes on my smartphone (as does the vast majority of Actors these days) so I need a clamp to attach to my various tripods and they are not included. This Manfrotto one is sturdy, adjustable and has a lock feature meaning I’m never running the risk of my phone falling out - what a nightmare!
Smartphone Clamp
A brilliant piece of equipment when you’re struggling for space. Easily clamps to a door frame, table edge etc and the adjustable arm makes it super easy to move around to accommodate for different shots. Again, light weight and small so storage or travel is not a problem.
Flexi Arm Phone Clamp
Bad audio can really break your self tape which is why I invested in this beauty. It is a directional microphone meaning that whatever its pointed at, it will pick up the audio and everything else around it won’t be. So if you’re struggling with a bit of background noise then this is perfect! It produces a crisp clear sound - love!
Shotgun Microphone
A brilliant investment for the overall visual quality of your self tapes. Soft boxes produce a diffused, gentle light that has wide coverage meaning that it will light the entire frame instead of just a small portion. A set of two soft box lights will ensure an even, natural two point lighting set up.
Soft Box Lights
My go to fill light for my self tapes. Very versatile as the LED bulbs allow you to change the colour temperature (daylight, natural and tungsten) depending on your needs. You can also control the brightness settings so you don’t end up over or under exposed.
Ring Lights
Great on the go as its so small but I predominantly use it as a kick light to throw some light across my background to produce more depth , dynamic and space between the subject (myself) and the background. Again, you can control the colour temperature and the brightness levels - super versatile.
Mini LED Light Panel
For all the self tapes you make you need to store them somewhere just in case. This is why I got myself an external hard drive. Yes, you’ll likely delete the footage once you hear the outcome of an audition but its also useful for your showreel footage, headshots, CV’s and other general Actor business related stuff.
External Hard Drive
(Smaller) External Hard Drive
If you don’t want to splash the cash on a large hard drive, something like this is perfect.
Blue seems to be an incredibly popular and flattering colour to use as a background for self tapes these days. Its also really useful to have a dedicated background especially if you struggle to find a non distracting wall in your home.
Blue Background (with stand)
Grey is also a super popular colour to use as a backdrop. Grey (for the most part) neither absorbs nor reflects light meaning you won’t have terrible trouble balancing your light and exposure for the tape. Its also a pretty flattering colour for a lot of skin tones and hair colours.
Grey Background