Self Tape Equipment For Actors

You can’t become an actor nowadays without learning about our industry’s most popular support technology. Nothing shouts “inexperience” like having a sub-optimal self-tape set-up.

As you prepare to embark on a professional career, here are some equipment suggestions to help you look polished during your auditioning journey.

Tripod/Phone Mount for your phone.

Modern cell phones have great cameras now and work really well for self-taping. Having a great tripod will help you get your phone at the right level so you can film easily. Make sure you have a phone mount so your phone will easily pop into that tripod. Then you can easily set your phone up for recording your auditions.

Pop-Up Background

A clean blue backdrop will showcase your professionalism and keep you from having to perform in a distracting setting. Our favorites are the light weight portable ones that can pop up and break down easily. Store them in a closet or under your bed and bring them out when you are ready to film.

Editing Software

You will likely need to edit slates and takes together for an audition at some point. Find a software that is workable and learn it inside and out now. There are even some great free options available. Most Actors involved with Actors Connection prefer to use IMOVIE for self-tape editing which you can find for free on most apple devices.

Lights

Starting off, you can pull regular house lamps to support your tapes and keep shadows off your face. But soon after, you may want to graduate to formal lighting that can help you look sharp anytime of day. Here’s a great kit to help you look great!

Lapel Microphone

Uplevel your sound with a lapel microphone. Make sure this is compatible with the device you record on. Here is an option that syncs with an iphone.

Need more tips on getting up to speed with technology for your acting career?
Check out Jeffrey Dreisbach’s vault class HERE!