{"id":6520,"date":"2024-08-23T13:43:53","date_gmt":"2024-08-23T13:43:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/?p=6520"},"modified":"2025-06-02T16:26:24","modified_gmt":"2025-06-02T16:26:24","slug":"self-taping-tips-from-casting-directors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-essentials\/self-taping-tips-from-casting-directors\/","title":{"rendered":"Casting Directors\u2019 Self-Tape Top Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The casting directors of \u2018Paddington 2\u2019, \u2018Sex Education\u2019 and \u2018Father Brown\u2019 share their top tips for preparing for, filming and sending off your self-tapes.<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Between them, casting directors Hannah Simons, Lauren Evans and Emma Sylvester have cast a variety of commercials, films and television shows, including: <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Paddington 2<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sex Education<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Father Brown<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sister Boniface Mysteries<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Casualty<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lost Boys &amp; Fairies<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Renegade Nell<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Apple<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rightmove<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Autotrader<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just Eat<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With so many amazing projects, you can only imagine the number of self-tapes they\u2019ve seen over the years, and the advice they wish they could share with the performers submitting them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hannah, Lauren and Emma are our judges for our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/into-the-spotlight-young-performers\/\">2024 \u2018Into the Spotlight\u2019 Young Performers competition<\/a>, and we asked them to put together a list of their top tips. Whether you\u2019re planning to apply for the competition or not, be sure to keep these in mind next time you receive a self-tape request for a role, especially if they\u2019re the ones casting for it!<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Hannah Simons\u2019 Tips<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Try to be as confident as you can, it&#8217;s never great to see people fiddling with their fingers, or looking nervous\/scared. Just enjoy yourselves \u2013 show me why you love performing!<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you don&#8217;t tell us your name or agent at the start of your self-tape, and your file isn&#8217;t labelled, it means we have no idea who you are!<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make sure we can see and hear you clearly.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Lauren Evans\u2019 Tips<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Find a quiet space. Don\u2019t worry about finding a plain or fancy background. We just want to be able to see you clearly (ideally your head and shoulders) and hear you.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pick a point of focus (left\/right of camera &#8211; not directly down the lens), but don\u2019t end up in profile.\u00a0 Think about where you are placing your eye-line if there is a third character in the scene. Build the scene for us and it will inevitably help your performance.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Put down that camera and walk away. Please don\u2019t keep going and going because you have the time and the inclination. Give yourself a maximum number of takes and let it be.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Emma Sylvester\u2019s Tips<\/h3>\n<h4><b>Preparation<\/b><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read the casting director\u2019s instructions carefully and thoroughly. Don\u2019t skim read the invitation email.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Time and perspective are your best friends. If the casting team has sent you the full script, read it. Allow yourself an initial read, then put it down (overnight is best). Look at it again with fresh eyes and different thoughts, and ideas will come to you on that second read. This is crucial to get those creative juices flowing.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do your research, who is the Director \u2013 what have they done before?\u00a0 Who is the producer\/production company? If it\u2019s an established show can you look it up and watch an episode or two to get a sense of the style, period or genre.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Try, as best as you can in the time to get on top of your lines you will feel more confident when the time comes to press record.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Taping<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make sure the environment you choose to record your tape in is conducive to doing your best work. If you find too much noise distracting, find somewhere quiet or wait for a time you can safely feel that there will be no interruptions.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A reader should be someone that you can work freely with. If you find they are correcting you on how to say words or lines, it might make you feel a little annoyed, and that will stop you from performing at your best.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Something that I think is often overlooked is warm up and rehearsal. An opera singer won\u2019t perform unless they are warmed up, and the same goes for actors. Do some simple stretches, a bit of yoga, star jumps \u2013 anything to get into your bodies physically!<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Together with your reader, go through the scene a few times. Allow one run through to settle yourself in the space, and then try a few more run throughs until you feel that you have found your way with it and are ready to press record.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember that there is no right or wrong way when it comes to your performance of the scene. We (the casting director, director and producers) are still finding our own way with the characters, and at this point the characters only exist in black and white on the page. Trust your own instincts and ideas and don\u2019t aim to please us or second guess what we are looking for. You are being asked to tape for a reason and we are excited to see what you can bring to the role.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make sure you are taping against a plain background, not with your back facing a window (facing a window is brilliant for natural light) and make sure the shot is tight, so head and shoulders only. If the casting team has asked for an ident and\/or longshot, you can add this in at the end of the tape.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep your eye-line nice and tight. Have your reader left or right of the camera, and keep your face in profile so we can see all of your lovely work.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If there is very complicated physical action written in the script, you don\u2019t need to do it in your tape. You could mark it with a change of energy or just ignore it altogether.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Record the scene a maximum of three times. Hopefully, with your rehearsal, you have gotten yourself to the best possible place performance-wise, so you won\u2019t need to do lots of different takes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you have finished recording, refer back to the casting team\u2019s instructions. Do they want one take or two? How would they like to receive the tape? Via Dropbox? WeTransfer or Tagmin?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Always ensure you label your tapes with your name, the role you are auditioning for and the project. The casting team will be very grateful, as sometimes they are working across multiple projects so will be receiving a lot of tapes at the same time. Doing this will ensure all of your hard work doesn\u2019t get lost.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you have sent your tape, try as best as you can to put it out of your mind.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You will hear from the casting team as soon as any decisions are made, and sometimes this can take a while. There is a lot going on behind the scenes.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A massive thanks to Hannah, Lauren and Emma for sharing these extremely useful self-taping tips with us!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Take a look at our website for more <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/?tag=self-taping\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">self-tape tips and advice<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, including:<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/how-to-fix-common-self-tape-mistakes\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6 simple tips to make your self-tape sizzle<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/getting-work\/improving-your-self-tapes\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Troubleshooting tips to improve your self-tape<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.spotlight.com\/news-and-advice\/the-essentials\/the-spotlight-guide-to-basic-video-editing\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to edit your self-tapes and showreels<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The casting directors of \u2018Paddington 2\u2019, \u2018Sex Education\u2019 and \u2018Father Brown\u2019 share their top tips for preparing for, filming and sending off your self-tapes. Between them, casting directors Hannah Simons, Lauren Evans and Emma Sylvester have cast a variety of commercials, films and television shows, including: Paddington 2, Sex Education, Father Brown, Sister Boniface Mysteries, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6522,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[64,101,71,70],"class_list":["post-6520","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-essentials","tag-casting-directors","tag-parents","tag-self-taping","tag-young-performers"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Casting Directors\u2019 Self-Tape Top Tips | Spotlight<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Casting directors Hannah 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