Are you looking for a self tape audition studio in Los Angeles to record and submit your audition to television, films, or commercial projects? Need someone to read the script with you and coach you through an audition?
These are the most affordable and most recommended self-tape studios across Los Angeles.
Get your footage edited before you leave and submit to an Actor’s Access deadline on time!
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Top 4 Self Tape Studios in LA
🔍 CloseUp Crew
Location: Burbank
Price: $30 for 30 minutes or $60 for an hour.
Link: https://www.closeupcrew.com/
CloseUp Crew in Los Angeles provides high-quality equipment and services for taped auditions, including controlled lighting, an HD camera, a premium backdrop, and a microphone.
The studio is sound insulated and offers flexible booking options, including weekends and nights at no extra charge.
Files are delivered within two hours and can be edited or provided as raw, unedited files.
- Reader: Actors can choose between a reader with or without feedback. Both options are included in the price, but you may need to schedule extra time to accommodate the notes.
- Other Services: Coaching is also available to help you ace the scene for an additional $70.
đźŽÂ Margie Haber Studio
Location: Hollywood
Price: $20 to $80, depending on the length of the audition. Includes reading and editing.
Link: https://margiehaber.com/self-tape-los-angeles/
Margie Haber Studio provides both in-person and virtual self-taping services for auditions in Los Angeles, with trained actors as readers, high-quality sound and lighting, immediate playback and review, and delivery of the audition via iPhone AirDrop or linked file through Dropbox or Vimeo.
This includes on-camera time, time to review and slate, edit and delivery, and pages of the script. Students of Margie Haber Studio receive discounted rates.
- Reader: Virtual reader sessions cost $15 for 20 minutes, $28 for 40 minutes, and $35 for one hour, while in-person taping sessions range from $20 to $80, depending on the length of the audition.
- Other Services: They offer coaching sessions separately from self-taping sessions, and have world-class teachers and acting classes for actors of all levels.
🌴 Stella Self-Tapes
Location: Hollywood
Price: $45 for half an hour or $75 for an hour. Includes coaching.
Link: https://www.stellaselftape.com/
Stella Self Tape Studios offers various services to help with your audition.
These include free parking, a 4K camera, sound recording, lighting, props and furniture, a professional reader and scene coaching, grey and blue backdrops, teleprompters, musical/singing audition capabilities, full-body slating options, professional editing and color correction, immediate playback of takes, same-session file return, and HD uploads.
They also offer Zoom and virtual callback options, and a creative environment.
- Reader: All sessions come with a reader and editing and you’ll get your files via WeTransfer, Hightail, Dropbox, or Vimeo before you leave.
- Other Services: Voice over sessions, live-streamed auditions and call backs, and virtual audition services.
↗️ Video Audition Uploads
Location: Mid-Wilshire
Price: $60 for two scenes.
Link: https://www.sebestiensoliz.com/services
Want to show off your acting skills in high quality?
Video Audition Uploads is a specialty audition taping service run by actor Sebestien SolĂz, a SAG-AFTRA member since 1987/90, and who is passionate about helping actors showcase their talent.
He offers virtual auditions via AA Live, Zoom, or Skype with Casting Directors and Producers, while following safety guidelines to protect everyone involved.
It’s a flat rate of $60 for up to 2 scenes per character or project, with $12 extra per additional scene. There is a $30 same-day or last-minute cancellation fee.
- Reader: Reading and editing is included automatically.
- Other Services: They also offer one-minute scene shoots, actor reel editing, and VO demo production. Teleprompter services are available for an extra fee.
âš“Â Intrepid Tapes
Locations: North Hollywood and Hollywood
Price: $1 per minute and a $10 setup fee.
Intrepid Tapes offers a professional reader, full lighting system, high-quality audio and video, immediate playback, cutting/editing, choice of delivery format and compression, and super-fast turn-around all in the San Fernando Valley.
Rates start at $1 per minute, with a $10 session fee.
Appointments are available for 10, 20, or 30 minutes, priced at $20, $30, and $40, respectively.
They also offer Slate Shots at a flat rate of $10 per look. To schedule a session for Slate Shots, simply book the amount of time you need to shoot.
Appointments are by reservation only.
🟦 Selftape
Locations: West Hollywood and Sherman Oaks
Price: $50 for half an hour or $75 per hour, which includes reading and editing.
Link: https://www.selftape.com/
SELFTAPE was founded in 2008 by casting director Jason Montgomery. Its original purpose was to provide actors with a professional space to record themselves. It’s considered the original self tape studio in Southern California.
The studio has 3 fully equipped taping studios with great lighting and sound, a custom-built voiceover booth with mixing bays and an ISDN line, and state-of-the-art 3D scanning and virtual reality studios.
- Readers: Optional readers can be provided, or you can bring your own or not have one at all.
- Other Services: In addition to self-taping, they offer demo reel editing, website design, and headshot photography to meet all your acting career needs. They also offer Skype coaching for audition preparation.
FAQs
What is a self-tape audition?
A self tape is a way for actors to audition for a part without being physically present in front of the Casting Director. Actors receive a request to "put themselves on tape" via email, along with the sides and instructions.
To create a self tape, actors must:
- Find someone to read with them
- Find a suitable place to shoot with proper lighting, sound, and camera
- Find someone to edit, compress, and send the audition online
With the rise of online streaming services like Casting Workbook, Actors Access, Let It Cast, Now Casting, and Casting Frontier, knowing how to self tape properly is essential for every actor.
What can you do at a self-tape filming studio?
Most self-tape studios in Los Angeles can not only help you film your scene, but also ensure the perfect take.
Get assistance with scene coaching, editing, interpreting and breaking down text, script analysis, directing a scene, shaping a unique performance, and proficiency in a variety of dialects.
Whether you require guidance with refining acting techniques, perfecting performances, or navigating the self-tape process, these studios can provide the support you need.
What’s the average cost of a self-tape studio?
Expect to pay about $40 to $70 per half-hour of filming.
This will usually include editing and a final tape you can take with you when you leave the facility.
Hourly sessions or longer can run upwards of $75/hr if you want a reader and editor to help you wrap up the project.
How long should I book a self-tape session for?
Not sure how much time you should book? It depends on what you’re trying to film.
Leave about 10-15 minutes at the end to retrieve your edited footage.
- 1 scene: If you only need to film one scene, then a half-hour session should be sufficient.
- 2-3 scenes: Book at least a 1-hour session so that you have adequate time to do multiple takes of each scene and to edit it at the end.
- 3+ scenes: Some studios allow you to book up to 90 minutes or two hours, depending on how far in advance you book. This is ideal for filming enough scenes to create a full reel.
What are virtual auditions?
Not all auditions can be done in person. Increasingly, the film and television industry in Los Angeles is sourcing talent from all over the USA and asking for actors to submit their auditions virtually. Using one of these self-tape studios, you can record over a high-quality backdrop, green screen, or neutral color and submit your self-tape virtually.
Virtual auditions receive criticism because they reduce the face-to-face time that actors used to get with casting directors and producers. However, they allow actors to submit to more projects as they don’t have to make a long drive from the valley down to Beverly Hills or back up to Burbank for multiple auditions in the same day!
What are the benefits of virtual auditions?
Virtual auditions, or self-tape auditions, enable actors to audition for roles without being physically present in front of the casting director. This provides more flexibility for actors in terms of location and timing. If you are unable to attend an in-person audition in Burbank because you don't live in LA, you can simply film your audition on your phone and submit it online.
Filming from home can make actors feel more comfortable and relaxed, which can lead to better performances. You can record multiple takes instead of just one or two that you would get during an in-person audition.
Self-tape auditions can also save actors time and money that they would otherwise spend traveling to and from in-person auditions.
What are the benefits of in-person auditions?
In-person auditions provide the opportunity for actors to have face-to-face interactions with casting directors and producers, allowing them to make a more personal connection and showcase their personality and professionalism.
If this role isn’t a good fit, maybe one in the future is!
In-person auditions offer more flexibility in terms of adapting to the needs and preferences of the casting team. You can get real-time feedback from the casting director about what they want to see you try next.
In-person auditions also provide a chance for actors to network and make connections in the industry as they’re waiting outside of casting offices!