Two Auditions in One: How to Self-Tape the “Person” and the “Problem” (Without Overacting)

If self-tapes have been feeling like a weird speed-run of acting—“say the lines, hit the beats, don’t look at the camera, please let this be good enough”—you’re not alone.

Here’s something that helped me (and a lot of actor friends) make tapes feel more watchable without doing more.

Almost every audition is **two auditions at once**:

• **The Person**: who you are when you walk into the room (your baseline, your point of view, your normal).
• **The Problem**: what’s happening today that pulls you off that baseline (the ask, the conflict, the want).

Most of us over-focus on “the problem” because it’s loud. But casting is often scanning for the person first: *Do I want to hang out with this human on screen? Do I believe them?*

So let’s build a tape that sells both.

Why “plot acting” reads fake on camera On stage (or even in a bigger room), you can lean into the event. On a self-tape, the camera is basically an honesty detector.

When we “play the scene” too hard, it tends to look like:

• emotional pre-loading (starting at a 7 before anything happens)
• urgency with no specificity (fast, vague intensity)
• line readings that sound like “a performance” instead of a person

The fix is rarely “more emotion.” It’s usually **clearer baseline + clearer shift**.

Casting doesn’t need you to act harder. They need to see you change.

The Person/Problem pass (a simple two-pass approach) Here’s the method. It’s fast. It works even when you’re tired.

Pass 1: Tape the “Person” (your baseline) Before you tape, answer these three questions:

• **What’s true about me before this scene starts?** (I’m composed. I’m playful. I’m guarded. I’m exhausted.)
• **What do I normally do to get what I want?** (charm, logic, intimidation, caretaking, humor, silence)
• **What’s my relationship habit with this person?** (I manage them. I avoid them. I impress them. I test them.)

Now here’s the key: **play the first 20–30 seconds as if the “problem” hasn’t fully landed yet.**

Even if the scene begins mid-conflict, you can still show your baseline *inside* it. Baseline doesn’t mean calm. Baseline means *recognizable and consistent.*

Practical note: in this pass, don’t chase “moments.” Just aim for:

• simple listening
• clean thoughts
• not pushing

If you get a tape where you go, “Oh. That’s a person,” keep it.

Pass 2: Tape the “Problem” (the shift) Now do a second take where you focus on only one thing:

**Where does the problem actually change you?**

Not where the writing says it’s dramatic—where it actually lands.

Look for one of these:

• a new piece of information
• a boundary crossed
• a rejection/acceptance
• a moment you realize you’re losing
• a moment you realize you might win

Mark that spot in your script. Then in the second take, let the scene **turn** there.

Your job isn’t to make every line intense. Your job is to:

• stay baseline until the turn
• let the turn hit you
• adjust your tactics after

That’s it. That’s the whole “arc.”

How to do this with a reader (without turning them into a director) If you’re using a reader (highly recommend for anything with timing, interruptions, or emotional stakes), you can get a cleaner Person/Problem tape with one quick request.

Before you roll, tell them:

• “First take, I’m focusing on **baseline**—simple, real, no pushing.”
• “Second take, I’m focusing on the **turn**—I’ll probably shift after this line: ____.”
• “Can you keep your pace consistent between takes so I can feel what changes on my side?”

That’s a professional note, not a needy one.

If your reader is live on video, ask for one more thing: “If I talk over you a bit, don’t pull back. I want it to feel like a real conversation.” That alone can make your tape feel less ‘audition-y.’

A quick example (so you can steal the template) Let’s say the scene is: you’re asking your sibling for money. You’re embarrassed. They’re skeptical.

**The Person (baseline):** you’re the sibling who usually keeps it together and makes jokes to stay in control.

So your first 30 seconds might be:

• slightly too casual
• a little charming
• avoiding direct asks

**The Problem (turn):** they say, “You always do this.”

That line is the turn because it threatens your identity (“I’m not that person”). Now you shift:

• jokes stop working
• you get more honest (or more defensive)
• your ask becomes specific

Notice: nothing about this requires bigger acting. It requires **clearer logic**.

The camera trick: baseline lives in your stillness On camera, baseline shows up in what you *don’t* do.

Try this:

• Keep your body quieter than you think you need.
• Let your eyes do the work of tracking thoughts.
• Give yourself half a beat before important lines.

If you feel “boring,” you’re probably getting close to watchable.

Your baseline is what makes the shift readable.

When you only have time for one take If you’re on a same-day deadline and can’t do the two-pass method, here’s the condensed version:

1) Choose your baseline in one sentence: “I’m the kind of person who ____.” 2) Circle one turn line. 3) Promise yourself you won’t peak emotionally before that line.

That’s enough to keep you out of “everything is urgent” land.

A final self-tape note: you’re not proving talent, you’re showing behavior A bookable self-tape isn’t a perfect performance. It’s a clear piece of storytelling: *this person, under this pressure, choosing this tactic.*

When you play Person + Problem, casting gets to see both the texture of you and the engine of the scene.

And honestly? It’s a nicer way to tape. You’re not fighting the material. You’re letting it work.

If you want to try this with a reader, send them the “baseline/turn” heads-up before you start. You’ll be amazed how much calmer the whole process feels—and how much more like an actual scene it plays.