4 Secrets for Unforgettable Self-Tape Auditions
Self-tapes are here to stay. Every job you audition for—TV, film, commercials, even Broadway—starts with a self-tape. But here's the thing: most actors are winging it, and it shows. Gone are the days where you can just hit record and let your acting book you the job.
After coaching hundreds of actors and watching them book jobs using these exact techniques, I'm sharing the four secrets that separate amateur self-tapes from the ones that get callbacks.
Tip #1: Master Your "Need to Speak" 🎬
Stop looking like you're auditioning.
The biggest mistake? Starting your tape by staring directly at your scene partner and jumping into your first line. This screams "ACTOR AUDITIONING!"
Instead: Create what I call a “Need to Speak”. Your Need to Speak is exactly that: WHY ARE YOU TALKING? What has happened in the scene that makes you say your first line. Your audience (the casting director) needs to SEE this moment so that your scene makes sense. Maybe you react to something your scene partner just said (even if they don't have the first line). Maybe you discover your scene partner for the first time. It’s different than your acting “Moment Before” in that we need to actually see what happened in the STORY that makes you speak.
The magic: Casting directors watch your tape and think "That's them" instead of "That's an actor saying lines."
Tip #2: Avoid Eye-Locking with "Thinking Places" to 👀
Great on-camera acting is about watching you THINK.
If you stare at your scene partner 100% of the time, we can't see your thoughts hit your brain. Your audition looks one-note in the box. (and P.S. no one does this in real life)
The fix: Set up two "thinking places" - spots to the right and left of your scene partner's eyes. Use them to find your thoughts and choose your words, then share them with your scene partner.
Pro example: Watch Viola Davis in Get On Up when she says to the late Chadwick Boseman: "I left—because I loved you." Her eyes move to the thinking place and we see her pain and history just from that eye movement.
Tip #3: Break Up Your Lines (Stop Being So "Clean") 🎭
Theater actors: this will feel wrong, but trust me.
In theater, we deliver lines cleanly as written. On-camera? That sounds like memorized dialogue, not a real human choosing their words.
Instead: Break up your lines with small beats. Search for words in your thinking places. Make it sound like you're coming up with these words for the first time.
Example transformation:
❌ Clean: "She'd been doing so well when she told me she was stopping, I just, I had to do something."
✅ Natural: "She'd been doing so well... when she told me she was (BEAT) stopping, I just—I had to do something."
Tip #4: Master Your Button (Don't Leave Us Hanging!) 🎯
Every scene needs a button. Period.
I see so many self-tapes where actors finish their last line and... just stop. Stare blankly. Leave casting wondering "Is that it?"
Your button: One final thought after your last line. A beat where we see what your character thinks about what just happened. Just like on set—the scene isn’t over when you finish your last line. The scene is over when the director yells “Cut”. You need to stay in character and keep THINKING.
Technical tricks:
Change where you're looking from your last line
Add a subtle intake of breath or sigh
Even just parting your lips slightly creates that beat change
Why it works: Commercials end with buttons. TV comedies (AND dramas) end with buttons. Your audition should too.
The Bottom Line 🎯
These four secrets have helped my students book everything from Chicago Med to national commercials to Broadway shows. The difference between actors who consistently book and those who don't? They understand that self-tapes aren't just auditions—they're short films.
Remember: Most actors are still winging it with their self-tapes. By implementing these four secrets, you're already miles ahead of your competition.
Ready to dive deeper?
Take my Self-Tape Intensive group class–where I walk you through my entire MAP technique that's helped hundreds of actors go from audition to booking in record time.
Or check out my online course, Self-Tape to Set: A Masterclass where you can go at your own pace and have a one-on-one with me after you complete it!
