I have booked jobs from a tape shot on a phone propped against a stack of plays. I have also lost them to tapes where you could not hear the reader. The gear matters far less than people think, but the basics matter a lot.
The whole kit
- A plain, pale backdrop — a painted wall is fine.
- One large soft light in front and slightly to the side.
- A clip-on microphone. This is where the money goes.
- A tripod that puts the lens at eye level.
Keep the reader quieter than you, frame from mid-chest up, and slate exactly the way the brief asks. Casting directors are not grading your lighting. They are grading whether they can hear you and believe you.
