This is the age of the virtual audition. The “Self-Tape” is king and we are its minions. For those of us that don’t stay in one place but want to still keep up with the game, here’s some helpful gadgets to make your self-tape life a lot easier.
LuMee
This is not only good for self-tapes, but it’s good for interviews on the go, and epic Instagram photo shoots on your iPhone or other phone of choice. What is this magical device? Well, it’s a lighting system for your phone. You have the option of a one-sided or two-sided lighting system, and yes this is the one the Karadashians use.
Pop Socket
Listen I know you don’t want to bring a tri pod. You’re bringing enough to your destination. So, if you are working from your phone. Get yourself a pop socket. I waited for eternity to get one. Cause I thought they were lame. But not only are they not lame, they are very practical. You can prop your phone up where ever you are, and you can also hold it with ease if that’s what you have to do to get the best angles. There are also some attachments you can get to harness it to your car and other surfaces, all of which are small enough to travel with.
Voice Recorder
Now I don’t have any brands that you need to be loyal to here, but these are always handy. I know that you often have a million apps to add to your phone that can record your voice, but the sound quality is never as good with your phone as it is with an extra mic. Now there are mics that you can add to your phone, and those are great options for keeping things small. But sometimes back up sound not from the source of your visual source is best, just in case.
Mic
I love love love Yeti mics. There are nice cases for them and a variety of blue mic options. This is for those on the fly voice over auditions that come up. You want to send the best quality of your voice, so be sure to not limit yourself by not having a reasonable microphone.
iPad or Tablet
Having your full lap-top computer can be so bulky, but you are going to need to edit and upload. While you can do all this on your phone, its much nicer to have a bigger screen to work with, and more power behind you to send things.
Overall you can do all these things with apps and just your phone. And listen, they’ll be times when that is the only choice you have. But you always want to submit the best you. So, getting prepped and having the best new gadgets not only help you to look good, they decrease the stress of having to have less than ideal circumstances to work with. So, don’t let your career ground you. Go to Fiji, bring your gadgets, and book that job.