Crafting Standout Self-Tape Auditions

The SAG-AFTRA President’s Task Force on Education, Outreach & Engagement presented Casting Directors Dish Self-Tape Tips on July 8. The stream was a broadcast of Casting Directors Talk Self-Tape, an event hosted by the Los Angeles Local Member Outreach, Relations and Education Committee in 2019. It featured casting directors from the Casting Society of America: Caroline Liem (Jimmy Kimmel Live!), Krista Husar (Godzilla vs. King Kong) and Tracy ‘Twinkie’ Byrd (Fruitvale Station), with Jenny Jue (Okja) moderating. 

The panel called attention to common technical mistakes actors make when creating self-tapes and offered constructive advice about setting up recording space, lighting and sound, using a reader, filming and sending submissions. Panelists also discussed how actors should utilize self-taped auditions as a way of showing their skills and understanding a role.

“Self-tapes are part of a process toward getting hired,” said Husar, “and maybe that doesn’t happen for a current role, but [it can happen] for a future role.”

To get more self-taping tips, click here to read “Self-Tape Anatomy,” first published in the SAG-AFTRA magazine summer 2020 issue. For more panels and interviews featuring casting directors, visit sagaftra.org/videos and subscribe to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation YouTube channel. 

The views expressed by the guests are their own and not that of SAG-AFTRA. Any mention of products or services does not imply SAG-AFTRA’s endorsement.