Actor audition types explained

A self-tape is a recorded audition you submit digitally. Casting reviews it on their own schedule — which could be the same day or a week later. You own the production quality, so preparation matters more than in any other format.

What casting provides: sides (the script pages to perform), a breakdown with character notes and sometimes specific directions for framing or slate style, and a submission link or instructions.

• Frame yourself correctly. Head and shoulders — roughly the same crop as your headshot — unless the breakdown says otherwise. Fill the frame; don't shoot yourself as a tiny figure across a wide room.
• Background. Neutral, uncluttered, and well-lit. A clean wall beats a busy background every time. Keep it consistent across multiple scenes in the same tape.
• Lighting. Your face must be clearly, evenly lit. A window in front of you (not behind you) is the simplest fix. Ring lights work; just position them at eye level to avoid harsh shadows.
• Reader placement. Your reader should be off-camera, directly beside the lens, so your eyeline stays close to the camera. An eyeline aimed at a spot far to the side reads as avoidance on screen.
• Audio. Clear, clean audio matters as much as video. A quiet room and a decent external microphone go a long way. Record a test clip and listen back.
• Slating. Follow the breakdown's instructions exactly. A standard slate is: name, representation if you have it, and the role you are reading for. Keep it professional and calm — the slate is part of the audition.
• File format and naming. Follow whatever the submission platform or breakdown specifies. When no instruction is given, MP4 is widely accepted. Name the file clearly with your name and the role.

Submission deadlines matter. When a breakdown says "submit by 5pm Thursday," that is often a hard cut — late tapes sometimes go unreviewed.

The traditional in-person session is run in a casting office or studio. You come in, wait your turn, and perform the sides for the casting director (CD) — often with a reader provided by the office. You may be redirected and asked to run the scene again.

How the room typically runs: you check in with the assistant, wait, are called in, slate or introduce yourself, read your sides, and may receive one or two redirects before you are thanked and dismissed. The whole session is often five to ten minutes.

• Know your sides. You do not need to be off-book unless specifically told to be, but you should know the material well enough to hold contact and listen.
• The reader is a tool, not a scene partner. CD readers vary wildly in their performance energy. Adjust your listening to what they actually give you — do not perform a scene you planned in your head regardless of what comes back at you.
• Taking direction. When redirected, make a real change. Repeating the exact same read with slightly different energy does not signal that you heard the note. Make it different and commit to it.
• Be ready the moment you walk in. Brief small talk is normal; the read can start quickly. Arrive focused, not still warming up.
• In the waiting room: do not rehearse loudly, do not coach yourself conspicuously, and do not compare notes with the other actors waiting. Keep your energy contained.

A virtual audition is run live over video — Zoom, Skype, and Google Meet are all common. Unlike a self-tape, you cannot choose your best take; unlike in-person, you cannot fully control the technical environment. You must prepare for both.

What is different from self-tape: casting is watching in real time, the session may run longer than a self-tape would, and you can be redirected on the spot and asked to re-read immediately.

• Test your setup in advance. Camera position, framing, lighting, and audio all apply exactly as they do for self-tape — but you must also confirm your internet connection, the video platform, and your login details well before the call.
• Your reader. You may be given a reader by the casting office on the call, or you may need to arrange your own. Confirm this when you receive the appointment. If you bring your own, they should be positioned beside — not in front of — your camera.
• What casting can see. On most video setups, the casting director can only see from roughly mid-chest up. You will not get credit for full-body choices they cannot observe. Put your energy into your face, eyes, and what comes through the lens.
• Log on early. Be in the waiting room or the call at least five minutes early. Technical problems are your responsibility to solve, not a valid reason for a late start.
• Reduce your background noise. A quiet room, closed windows, and notifications silenced. Your audio is more vulnerable on a live call than on a recorded tape.

Confirm the platform and whether you need to download anything before the appointment. "My Zoom didn't work" is not a neutral statement in a casting office.

A callback is an invitation to return — usually in-person or virtual — because your initial read stood out. It is a positive signal, not a guarantee of booking. Treat it as a new audition, not a victory lap.

What changes at a callback: more people may be in the room (associates, directors, producers), the sides may have changed or expanded, and the session may go deeper — more redirects, different scenes, sometimes an improvised exchange.

• Re-read the sides even if you know them. Callbacks sometimes swap one scene for another or add a new one. Verify what you are preparing against the updated confirmation.
• Do not try to replicate your first read. Callbacks are not a memo to the casting office that you can do the thing you already did. Come in ready to explore.
• Know the material more deeply. At a first audition you are showing the character's surface. At a callback, they are asking: what else is in there?
• Remember what you wore. Casting will sometimes ask you to come back in the same or similar wardrobe so they can compare notes from the initial read. Check the original confirmation or ask your agent.
• Improvisation and scene work. Some callbacks ask you to improvise a scenario, play a scene that is not in the script, or do a scene with another actor. Stay present rather than performing a prepared invention.

A chemistry read pairs you with one or more other finalists — usually for a lead or series-regular role — so the creative team can see how two people feel together on screen or on stage. It is typically a late-stage session; you have likely already been to a callback.

What is being evaluated: not just whether each of you is good individually, but whether the pair creates something interesting — tension, warmth, opposition, ease — that serves the story. You can deliver your best individual read and still not match a particular partner.

• Listen, really listen. A chemistry read rewards genuine attention to the other actor above almost everything else. This is where practiced technique becomes a trap — if you are performing at your partner rather than with them, casting will feel it.
• Do not try to win against the other person. You are not competing in the room; you are building something together. The team will find the right combination; your job is to be fully present with whoever you are paired with.
• Prepare the material as specifically as if it were a callback. Know every beat, know the relationship as you understand it from the script. The more grounded you are in the material, the more freely you can respond to another actor.
• You may be paired with multiple people. Casting sometimes rotates combinations. Between each pairing, reset and treat the next read as fresh.

A chemistry read is a positive sign about how far you have come in the process. Whether you book or not, the fact that you were there means casting sees you as a serious contender at that level.

A producer session (sometimes called a "producer callback" or "test") is typically a late-round audition where the creative and financial decision-makers — producers, director, sometimes studio or network executives — are in the room alongside casting. It can be in-person or virtual.

Why the format matters: more observers in the room changes the energy. Some actors find this pressure clarifying; others find themselves performing for the room rather than to the imaginary world of the scene. Awareness of that tendency helps you manage it.

• Treat the material the same way you did at the callback. The scene has not changed; the audience has. Your job in the scene is identical.
• Do not scan the room. Acknowledge the people in the room briefly when you enter; then direct your attention to the work and your reader or scene partner. Playing to the observers rather than into the scene is a common tell under pressure.
• Take notes if redirected. You may be redirected by multiple people — the director, a producer, an executive — each with a different instinct about the character. Listen, acknowledge, and make a real change with each note.
• Network or studio tests may come with a formal offer process. For union work at this stage, there is sometimes a "test deal" paperwork process before you go in. If this applies, your agent manages it — do not sign anything without representation present.

A cold read is not a separate session format — it is a preparation condition. You receive the sides very shortly before reading them: in the waiting room with five or ten minutes, same-day with an hour, or occasionally in the room itself. It can happen at an initial audition, a callback, or a virtual session.

What casting is observing: your instincts, your ability to find the scene quickly without extensive preparation, and your technique under pressure. A cold read that is alive and specific is more valuable than a memorized one that is cautious.

• Use the time you have, all of it. Scan the whole scene first for the arc. Then identify the core relationship and the character's main want in the scene. Then read your lines aloud quietly at least once.
• Hold the page. A cold read is a held-page read. Casting knows you did not have preparation time. Work between the lines — look up on the important moments and look down when you need the words. That is what the held page is for.
• Make one strong choice. Under time pressure, actors sometimes hedge everything to stay safe. One clear, committed choice is more interesting to watch than a carefully hedged, neutral read.
• Do not apologize for not knowing the material. Everyone in that room knows it is a cold read. Starting with "sorry, I just got this" names something they are already accounting for — and uses your limited time.

Same-day sides sent via email are becoming common for initial self-tape requests too — a three-hour turnaround is effectively a cold read. Build a preparation routine that works under that constraint.

A screen test is a full on-set or studio shoot — you are put in costume, hair, and makeup, and the scene is filmed and lit as if for production. Screen tests are relatively rare and are typically reserved for major film or television roles where the studio needs to evaluate your camera presence at full production scale.

What makes it different: unlike every other audition format, a screen test involves a real production setup — crew, lighting, camera operators, and often a director. It is the closest thing to actually filming the job before being cast in it.

• Know the material at the deepest level you can. A screen test generally comes with enough lead time to be fully prepared. There is no excuse for being under-prepared at this stage.
• Work with the crew, not against the environment. You will be moved and adjusted for camera, lighting, and continuity. Accept these notes and repositioning calmly — they are not criticism of your performance.
• Ignore the equipment. Cameras, boom operators, and crew are present. Your job is to pretend none of them exist. Screen tests select for actors who can sink into a scene in a busy production environment.
• You may have a scene partner. They may be the other finalist, a stand-in actor, or someone cast in the opposite role. Prepare to work with whoever is put in front of you.
• Deal matters. For union screen tests on a major project, there is often a deal process similar to a producer test. Your agent handles this. Do not proceed without knowing the terms.

Screen tests are genuinely uncommon for self-submitting actors — they typically arrive after an established relationship with casting and a series of prior callbacks. If you are invited to one, you are being seriously considered.