The Gear

Nobody has ever been cast or not cast over sensor size. Put the money into light instead.

Keeps you framed when there is no reader and no operator in the room.

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For walk-and-talks and vlogs. A self-tape wants a locked-off frame, so leave this one in the bag for auditions.

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Only worth it once the light and the sound are already handled.

The single biggest jump between a tape that looks amateur and one that does not.

Big, soft light that wraps your face instead of flattening it. Two of them give you a key and a fill.

Two little panels that run off a power bank. Good as a hair light, or a fill on a tight budget.

Fine for a Zoom call or a quick social video. On a self-tape it flattens your face and puts rings in your eyes, so get the softbox.

The low-cost way to get a mic onto your collar. Plugs straight into the phone.

Clean sound from across the room, and a backup recording on each mic in case the signal drops.

Clip it on and forget it. Two mics, so your reader can be heard too.

A wired lav for the Wireless GO when the clip-on mic would show in the shot.

Records sound on its own, for a voiceover or a backup track.

On iOS 26, the Camera app can record through your AirPods. Good in a pinch, not for a tape.

A stack of books works until the day it does not, and that day is always today.

The small part that turns any camera tripod into a phone tripod.

If you self-tape on an iPad or tablet. Most phones only fit it upright, so for a phone get the NEEWER phone adapter instead.

For when the phone sits on a desk. Stack books under it to get the lens up to eye height.

Not green, and not your kitchen. A plain sheet of felt on this keeps the attention on your face.

Puts the script right over the lens, so you can read and still look into camera. For DSLR cameras with lenses only. If you tape on a phone, several teleprompter apps are available in the app stores.

Trim the top and tail, add a slate card, export. That is all most tapes need.

Quick trims and captions without leaving the phone.

The free version does far more than a self-tape needs. Worth learning if you cut your own reel.

Cleans echo and room noise off your voice. Professional results in moments, with adjustable settings for the output.

A big step up from iMovie with the same feel, and no subscription.

The industry standard. Worth it if you already pay for Adobe.

Built for tutorials and screen recordings, and easy to learn.