Self Tape Lighting: How to Light Your Self Tape

Light your face evenly from the front with soft light. Face a window, or put two diffused lights either side of the camera, keep some distance from your backdrop so you don't cast shadows, and check the picture isn't grainy or shiny. We asked 21 casting directors about backdrops and what makes a tape look professional, and it kept coming back to one thing: can they clearly see your face and your eyes?

How do you light a self tape?

Evenly, from the front, from both sides. Our self-tape expert's rule is to light yourself from both sides so the light is even across your face: a window plus one light works, and so do two lights either side of the camera. Kym's own setup is two soft box lights on stands, one either side, with window light on her face as well.

With a window, face it, with the camera between you and the glass and your backdrop on the opposite wall. Soft, indirect daylight is ideal; direct sun throws hard shadows, so diffuse it with a sheer curtain, and shoot your scenes in one session before the light changes. Kerry Barden put sound and lighting at the top of his list for a professional tape, so casting can see your eyes.

Do you need lights for a self tape?

You need light; you don't always need lights. Kym says a room with good window light can carry you until the sun moves to the other side of the building. After that, or if your home doesn't get much daylight, buy a couple of lights.

Your camera will tell you. If the picture looks grainy, Kym explains, not enough light is reaching the lens and the camera is struggling to make up for it. If you look shiny and the detail in your face disappears, there's too much.

What are key, fill and back lights?

The three positions of classic film lighting. The key light is your main source, in front and a little to one side. The fill is softer, on the other side, filling in the shadows the key leaves. The back light (or hair light) sits behind you, above head height, and puts a thin edge of light on your hair and shoulders so you separate from the background.

For a self tape, key and fill at similar strength give the even look casting wants. Our self-tape expert called the back light a nice 3D touch, but overkill.

What lights should you buy for self tapes?

Soft ones. Kym recommends box lights or umbrella lights: a lamp with a reflective surface behind it pushing light towards you, and a white diffusing cover in front to soften it. The result is blurry, soft-edged shadows instead of crisp ones, which she says are distracting on a tape. She uses Interfit box lights, and has also liked lights from RPS Studio.

Whatever you buy, look for stands you can set at about face height or a little above, and lights you can dim so the two sides balance. Avoid bare bulbs pointed at your face.

Are ring lights good for self tapes?

They can be, with care. Our self-tape expert said ring lights are fine as long as they aren't too hot, so you look like you're on television rather than in a bad selfie. In one of Kym's own setups, a ring light sat just behind the camera as a top-up, with a window on one side and a soft light on the other.

The usual problems are the ring reflected in your eyes and a flat look when it's the only light up close. Keep it back, dim it, diffuse it, and let it support your main light rather than replace it. Our self tape setup at home guide explains why Kym is wary of them.

What colour should your self tape lights be?

Match your sources. Daylight is cool and blue-ish; ordinary household bulbs are warm and orange. Mix them and one side of your face turns a different colour from the other, which is hard to fix later.

If you're using a window, set adjustable LED lights to daylight and switch off warm overhead bulbs. At night, use only your lights, all on the same setting. Then lock exposure and focus on your face (on many phones, press and hold on the screen) so the picture doesn't drift brighter and darker as you move.

How do you stop shadows and glare?

Step away from the wall. Our self-tape expert warned that sitting too close to your backdrop creates very distracting shadows behind you; a little distance lets them fall out of frame, and diffusion softens whatever is left.

Then check the details. Don't stand directly under a ceiling light, which shadows your eyes. Make sure the camera, the tripod and your reader aren't blocking a light. If you wear glasses, Kerry Barden's advice was to watch for reflections and either move the light or take the glasses off.

Which backdrop colour works best with your lighting?

Blue or grey, for most people. Of the 21 casting directors who told us their backdrop preference, 15 named blue, grey or both. Kerry Barden said blues don't reflect or refract light, and Josh Einsohn said everybody pops off grey. The other six had no fixed preference, as long as the background is plain and doesn't pull focus.

Some colours fight your light. Meg Morman and Sunny Boling warned against yellow or green undertones, which can make skin look sickly whatever your lighting. Ricki Maslar avoids white, pink and yellow because they wash skin out, and Victoria Burrows said white can be glaring and is unkind to darker skin tones. David Newman's advice: test a few options on camera and pick the one you look healthiest against.

How do you check your lighting before you tape?

Film a test and watch it on a bigger screen. Kym's crew moved her around a couple of times until the light on her face was even. Look for grain, hot spots on your forehead or nose, shadows behind you, and whether you can clearly see your eyes.

Then stop fussing. Casting needs a tape it can pass on to the filmmakers, but David Newman told us he'll forgive dodgy lighting and sound if the story is alive. Good light makes your performance easy to watch; it doesn't replace it. For framing, readers and sound, see self tape tips.

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