Self-Tape Shopping List
Welcome to the Self Tape Shopping List!
This is a continuously updated listing of self-taping equipment that I have tried and fully recommend.
I don't make any kickbacks from any of these links, because it's important for me that you know I would never recommend something I have not tried myself and feel deserves to be here based on its own merits.
THE BASIC SELF TAPE KIT
In my course "Mastering the Self-Tape Audition" this is the basic self-tape kit that I recommend. Further down, you'll find ways to augment this kit with other options that are more economical while still serving the same purpose in the kit.
LIGHTS
My favorites:
Slightly smaller and less expensive:
AUDIO
The following microphones are really worth the money you'll pay for them. If you're looking to invest in a mic, I suggest the Deity D3 Pro as a good place to start - it's great for voiceover as well, and at around $100, it returns amazing results right out of the box.
And if you're going the shotgun route, here's the setup for that:
BACKDROPS
Be super picky about your backdrop. It’s the only other thing other than you in the shot. You don’t want it stealing the focus with ugly wrinkles or by being dirty with spots or stains, too light, too dark, or a distracting color. The key thing to think about other than a clean, wrinkle-free appearance is the color. You want a good contrast between you and the color behind you, to help the eye navigate to the center of the frame. I like various grays, and light blues, and have a few in my kit so I can use a light or a dark one depending on what I'm wearing, or what the mood of the piece asks for. The Kate backdrops are excellent, inexpensive and easy to maintain. Many of them also have a velvety texture that help absorb - rather than reflect - light.
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Backdrop Stand
Your backdrop stand needs to be at least 8 feet high, and the width should be adjustable. This one fits the bill. -
Backdrop Clamps
If you have a backdrop stand already but it didn't come with clamps and clips
CAMERA SETUP
OTHER EQUIPMENT OPTIONS
TELEPROMPTER APPS and DEVICES
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Prompt+ Teleprompter App (App Store)
LIGHTS
In addition to the Neewer Kits mentioned above, here are some other 2-Light Kit options. When looking for lights, you want as much power as you can afford, and also diffusion. If your lights aren’t diffused, you can simply purchase some diffuser panels, but you’ll then need a way to mount those, so built on diffusers are really convenient. Both the Neewer Kit and the Switti Kit have built-on diffuser panels, plus they come with their own stands, so you're getting quite a lot in the package.
Ultra Low Budget
The first link here is a video by Wistia, a popular video streaming service, where they put together a complete lighting kit in one trip to Home Depot. You can scale this kit up or down as desired, and it's surprisingly effective! I have a several clamp lights from this list, as does Lauren, and they come in super handy.
As you inch up in price, what you are adding is build quality and output. The more light your kit outputs, the easier it is to get the look you want, as the lights can be positioned further away, and also will put out sufficient light to be bounced off of a bounce card, for example.
LIGHT KIT
If you are looking to jump up to a new level, or if you're going to be shooting a lot of self tapes at night, you'll do well to have a bit more of a powerhouse lighting setup, with brighter lights, and larger softboxes. These larger items will, of course, necessitate a slightly more robust light stand to hold them up without falling over. You'll need two lights, two softboxes, and one pair of heavy duty stands. Good is a great company that makes durable, reliable equipment, and they just released a one-light kit that includes light, parabolic soft box and stand:
APPS
FiLMIC Pro is hands down the the best app for making video on your phone right now. It gives you all the control you need, and is pretty easy to use once you get the hang of it. Adobe Rush is a phone and laptop-based editing tool. It's not free, but is part of the Adobe suite. The phone version does allow unlimited editing projects for free! you can use it to add titles to your video s and do simple editing and fading in and out.
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FiLMIC Pro (Find on App Store) $15
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Adobe Rush (Find on App Store) Free for phone
STANDS, ETC.
No kit is complete unless you have all the extras you need to hold things up and attach them together. Stands need adaptors to attach to microphones and camera mounts, and those adaptors must be flexible and easy to adjust. Your lights might come with stands, but your mic and camera will need them too. And don’t forget clamps and gaffers tape, for, well, basically everything else that comes up!