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Casting Director Submission Specs Cheat Sheet

File formats, length, and naming conventions across major casting offices.

By TapeReady Editors January 8, 2026 4 min read
Open paper notebook with a pen resting across a checklist page.
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Specs vary by office, but the defaults are remarkably consistent. When a brief is silent, these are the safe answers.

File and format defaults

  • Container: .mp4
  • Video: H.264, 1080p, 8–10 Mbps
  • Audio: AAC, stereo, peaks around −6 dB
  • Frame rate: 25 fps in PAL regions, 30 fps in NTSC regions
  • Orientation: landscape

Naming defaults

Role_LastName_FirstName.mp4, with a matching _Slate file if the slate is separate. Underscores instead of spaces, no other punctuation.

Length and content

Send exactly the material requested and nothing more. One take per scene unless options were invited. Slate at the head unless told otherwise, and no titles, music, or credits anywhere in the file.

When the brief conflicts with this page

The brief always wins, including its capitalisation and its choice of delivery service. If two parts of a brief contradict each other, follow the more specific instruction and mention your reading in one short line in the email.

Frequently asked questions

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