WORKING WITH A READER (SELF-TAPES)
🎥 Most self-tapes fall apart long before casting hits play. Because the “reader” isn’t actually acting.
🎭 Scenes are conversations, not monologues with interruptions. If the person off-camera can’t play, neither can you.
🔥 Your behavior is only as alive as the partner feeding you. Tone, rhythm, stakes, style… you need someone who understands all of it.
⚡ And yes: in-person readers change everything. Zoom kills pacing. Lag kills chemistry. Silence kills momentum.
🔊 Your reader should never overpower your audio. If they’re close to the mic, move them back. This is your tape, so stay in control.
⏱️ Off-camera readers shouldn’t milk silences or take dramatic pauses. Their job is timing and support, not a secret performance.
👀 Your eyeline tells the story before you do. Eye level = equal status. Down = lower status. Up = higher power. Place the reader as the primary character and put everyone else across the lens.
🏀 Self-taping isn’t a solo sport. The quality of your reader is the quality of your acting. Choose people who help you shine.
