To slate, look straight into the camera and say your name, usually your height, and your agency or where you're based, in your own relaxed voice. Add profiles, hands or a full-body shot only when the instructions ask, and on a self tape put the slate at the end unless told otherwise. We asked 18 casting directors whether to stay in character, and in accent, around the scene.
On this page
A slate is your on-camera introduction: you look into the lens and say your name and a few details, so casting has a visual and spoken record of who you are. Self-tape expert Darren Darnborough sums it up as your name, usually your height, and sometimes your agency or where you're based.
The word comes from the film set's clapperboard, which marks each take. Darren's first rule: sometimes you don't need one at all, so read the instructions first.
If the instructions don't say otherwise, Darren's default is: look straight to camera and say your name, your agent and your height. Something like "Hi, I'm Jane Smith, I'm five foot six, and I'm with ABC Talent." Add the role or your location only when asked.
What to leave out:
Some requests ask for profiles: after your name, turn to show one side of your face, then the other. Darren's tip is to tuck long hair behind your ear so they can see the whole profile.
For a full-body shot, tilt the camera from head to toe or step back into a full-length frame. Casting director Bonnie Zane said the request will tell you if it's needed, and it's asked of women more often, for example on love-interest roles. If it isn't requested, skip it.
Mostly for commercials. Commercial casting expert Shaan Sharma explained that so many spots feature hands that casting must check you have all your fingers, and note tattoos or scars. Those don't disqualify you; nobody wants a surprise on the day. Hold both hands up to camera, fronts then backs.
A commercial slate itself should be warm. Shaan calls it your hello to the clients who'll watch the tape later, since casting already knows you. More in our commercial acting guide.
Follow the instructions first: casting may want it at the beginning, the end, or as a separate file. If there are none, both casting directors who raised it with us, Lisa Beach and Victoria Burrows, prefer the end or a separate file, and so does Darren.
Lisa explained why: a director watching 50 tapes doesn't want 15 seconds of name, height and profiles before every scene. Victoria wants to open on the scene when she shows producers. That matches our self tape tips.
Less than you'd think. Casting director Meg Morman told us she only watches slate shots when someone has no reel and she needs to check whether they have an accent. A slate with personality is nice, she said, but it won't book you the role. The audition will.
We asked 18 casting directors whether to talk in the character's voice before and after the scene, which includes your slate. Ten said don't arrive as the character; seven said it's your call; Victoria Burrows spoke only to accents.
Accents were the clear exception. Seven of them, including Gayle Pillsbury, Josh Einsohn and Bonnie Zane, said that for an accent role you should arrive and slate in the accent, because producers who hear your real voice start listening for slips. Victoria Burrows' advice is to drop back into your own accent only after you say thank you.
For a heavy emotional scene, Josh Einsohn will skip the chat and slate afterwards. David Newman saw one actor lose a role by staying in character through a producer meeting.
In your own voice, never in character. Voice actor David H. Lawrence XVII calls the slate some of the most valuable real estate in the audition, so make it friendly and brief.
His trick: record the audition first, while you're in the character, then record your slate as yourself and put it at the front of the file. They hear a likeable person, then you snap into the role. More in our voice actor guide.
A SlateShot is a seven-second video attached to a headshot on Actors Access, so casting can see and hear you when they open your submission. As of November 2026, Breakdown Services says your first one is free, and its help centre suggests filming it in landscape with yourself centred.
Kym recommends one on every photo, because by default submissions with a headshot, video and SlateShot show first. A longer "actor slate" introduction video is different, and breakdowns expert Gary Marsh thinks real scenes serve you better. See what Breakdown Services is.
The same way, only simpler: follow the instructions exactly, since a request for young actors may ask for different details. Practise a short, natural hello.
Keep personal details off the tape, as Kym advises for any audition. At an in-person audition, child acting expert Karen Workman says parents wait outside the room. For the bigger picture, see how to get your child into acting and teen actors.
Look into the camera and say your name, your height and your agency or the city you are based in, unless the instructions ask for something else. Keep it warm, natural and a few seconds long.
Do what the instructions say. If there are none, the casting directors who raised it with us prefer the slate at the end or as a separate file, so they see your performance first.
Usually for commercials, which often feature hands. Casting checks you have all your fingers and notes any tattoos or scars, which do not disqualify you.
No. Slate as yourself. The exception is an accent role, where most casting directors who raised it said to arrive and slate in the accent.
A few seconds. Lisa Beach told us directors don't want 15 seconds of introduction before every scene, and an Actors Access SlateShot is seven seconds.
Kym's free class: the ten steps, in order, from first class to first booking. Free, just pop in your email.
Get the free classKym's free class for actors who've been at it a while and want things moving again. Free, just pop in your email.
Get the free classWant the whole library? Start your 7-day free trial and watch every answer on this page.
All rates current from breakdownservices.com and actorsaccess.freshdesk.com as of 5 November 2026.