The safest self tape backdrop is a plain, wrinkle-free blue or grey that sits a little way behind you and doesn't match your top. Of the 21 casting directors who told us their preference, 15 named blue, grey or both. The other six didn't mind the colour at all, as long as nothing behind you pulls focus.
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Blue or grey. We asked casting directors which backdrop colours they prefer and 21 answered. Fifteen named blue, grey or both.
Their reasons were consistent. Sunny Boling said blues and greys are the most attractive on all skin tones. Kerry Barden likes the blue range because it sets off skin and doesn't reflect or refract light. Josh Einsohn said people pop off grey, so you rarely look like a floating head.
They split. Victoria Burrows called grey the most complimentary and said blue can be a little overpowering. Seth Yanklewitz is a big fan of grey and uses it in his own casting office. Scot Boland used to like blue and now prefers dark grey or dark blue. Lisa Beach simply said blue.
Shade divides them too. Greg Apps and Rachel Sutton like pale or light blue and grey, while Scot Boland, Seth Yanklewitz and Ricki Maslar leaned darker. Our take: either works. Pick the one you look healthiest against on camera.
Here is where the casting directors we read pushed back, and where they disagreed:
| Colour | What they said |
|---|---|
| Yellow and green | Sunny Boling and Meg Morman avoid them; Meg said a yellow undertone makes skin look a little sickly whatever your lighting. Kerry Barden said yellows and reds don't suit skin tones. Ricki Maslar is fine with light greens. |
| White | Split. Lou Mitchell, Sunny Boling and Meg Morman said it can work. Ricki Maslar said it washes skin out, Victoria Burrows said it can be glaring and unkind to darker skin, and Kym says it washes out pale skin. |
| Pink and red | Ricki Maslar, Kerry Barden and Kym all steer actors away from them. |
| Anything bright | Amanda Mitchell has no favourite, as long as it isn't too bright or distracting. |
Test it. David Newman's advice was to film yourself in front of a few options and choose the one that doesn't make you look like you need a hospital. Too pale a backdrop can drain you.
Kym's rule is that the backdrop shouldn't mute your colouring. She is fair-skinned, so white would wash her out, and pinks or reds wouldn't work at all. Kahleen Crawford added a nice test of her own: if your eyes pop against blue, use blue.
No, they should contrast. John Frank Levey has a blue wall in his office, and when actors arrive in a blue T-shirt they look like just a face. He suggests choreographing your backdrop with your clothing and your colouring.
Lisa Zambetti has gone off blue for the same reason: it can clash with what you're wearing. So choose your outfit for the role first, then check it against the backdrop on camera. If they blend, change one of them.
Whatever gives you a plain, even surface. Seth Yanklewitz's suggestion was a grey sheet tacked to the wall. Ricki Maslar told actors not to spend much, because old sheets work great. Kahleen Crawford said don't repaint your house; hang a sheet.
A stand is a step up. Kym's has a pole on each side and a roll of paper she pulls down, in whatever colour suits her. Lisa Zambetti likes a paper backdrop because it catches the light nicely. A plain wall with good light works too. A collapsible pop-up screen is handy for travel, but it only covers you from the chest up, so check your frame.
Pull it flat. Creases and folds show on camera, so steam or iron a sheet and clamp it taut at the corners. Paper stays smooth if you roll it, not fold it.
Make it wider than your frame, with its bottom edge out of shot, and stand a little way in front of it. Kym's own backdrop shows only soft, blurry shadows because she has light on both sides and in front of her; stand too close and your shadow lands right behind your head. For lighting, see self tape lighting.
Kym added one relief: for the full-body slate, it doesn't matter if the edge of the backdrop or a bit of furniture shows.
Some casting directors say yes. Gayle Pillsbury actually prefers a home setting, such as a couch, a chair and some books, and said many of the tapes her office ended up testing with were shot at home. Josh Einsohn said that since everyone got used to video calls, a bit of wall or furniture is fine if it isn't busy. Victoria Burrows likes a setting that helps the scene, like a table for a sitting scene.
But most still want plain. Rachel Sutton called a house behind you terrible, and Seth Yanklewitz doesn't want bookshelves or plants. If you go with a room, make it tidy, simple and right for the scene.
Anything that steals the eye. Our casting directors listed a washing machine (Lisa Zambetti), a cluttered kitchen (Kerry Barden), a spice rack (Kahleen Crawford), and people walking through (Gayle Pillsbury).
Also skip mirrors, which show your camera and reader; a bright window behind you, which turns you into a silhouette; busy patterns; and big logos or artwork.
Less than your performance. Meg Morman said if your audition is amazing in front of a green screen, she's still going to show it. Bonnie Zane said the colour doesn't matter as long as it's clean and you don't blend in. Risa Bramon Garcia warned that worrying about the blue background can stop you having a human experience in the scene.
Blue or grey. Of the 21 casting directors who told us their preference, 15 named blue, grey or both, and the rest just wanted it plain.
It depends on you. Some casting directors said white works, but others warned it can wash out pale skin and be glaring with darker skin. Test it on camera first.
Yes. Several casting directors suggested a plain grey or blue sheet. Iron it, pull it taut and keep its edges out of frame.
No. Wear something that contrasts with it, or you can look like a floating face. Check your outfit against the backdrop on camera.
A little way in front of it, so your shadow doesn't land right behind you. Soft light from both sides helps.
A plain wall is fine. A few casting directors are happy with a tidy room, but most prefer a plain background with nothing that pulls focus.
Your backdrop is one piece of a strong tape. For the rest of it, grab Your Free Self Tape Guide.
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