← Resources
Self-Tape Glossary for Beginner Actors
Slating, looping, B-roll, headroom — every term, defined plainly.
FeaturedResources
Casting briefs are written in shorthand. Here is every term you are likely to meet in a self-tape request, defined plainly.
Camera and framing terms
- Slate — the short introduction where you say your name and role.
- Chest-up / medium close-up — the standard self-tape frame, chest to just above the head.
- Headroom — the space between the top of your head and the top of frame.
- Eye line — where you look; usually just off the lens, at your reader.
- Full-body — a head-to-toe shot, usually recorded separately.
Sound terms
- Lav / lavalier — a small clip-on microphone worn near the collarbone.
- Room tone — a few seconds of silence recorded in your space, used by editors.
- Clipping — distortion caused by recording too loudly; unfixable.
- Looping / ADR — re-recording dialogue later to replace bad audio.
Top Picks
Affiliategear
Maono PD100W Wireless USB Mic
4.6
Tested on three self-tape days: clean dialogue at desk distance, tight rejection of room echo, and USB-C plus XLR so it moves with you from laptop to interface. The best sub-$60 voice upgrade for seated slates.
$59Check Price
Ring Light
Neewer 18" Bi-Color Ring Light
4.5
Best balance of power, color accuracy, and price for self-tapes.
$129Check Price
Microphone
Rode Wireless ME
5.0
Clip on, hit record. Broadcast-clean audio with zero setup.
$149Check Price
Process terms
- Sides — the pages of script you audition with.
- Redirect — casting asks you to re-tape with a note.
- Callback — a second round, sometimes live, sometimes taped.
- Producer session — the round where producers and directors watch.
- Pin / avail — you are being held for a role while decisions finish.
- Off book — you know the lines without holding the pages.
Delivery terms
- H.264 — the video codec casting players expect, inside an .mp4 file.
- Bitrate — how much data per second the file uses; controls size and quality.
- B-roll — supplementary footage; almost never relevant to auditions.
- Watermark — overlaid text or logo; never send a tape with one.
Frequently asked questions
Keep reading
From across TapeReady
Editorial team
TapeReady Editors
The working actors, editors and camera assistants who test every setup TapeReady recommends.
Full profile and articles
