A checklist protects the performance from avoidable mistakes. It does not make every tape look the same. The scene can stay alive while the technical workflow becomes predictable.
1. Translate the deadline into your time zone
Write down the date, exact time and named zone. Do not rely on the timestamp shown by a forwarded email or messaging app. If the production says “end of day” without a zone, ask. Build in upload time; a completed tape sitting on your phone is not a delivered tape.
2. Extract every instruction
Separate requirements from suggestions. If the brief requests one take, sending four “options” creates work for the viewer and shows that you ignored the instruction.
3. Prepare the space
- Use a quiet room and silence notifications.
- Place the camera at eye level and stabilise it.
- Light the eyes without flattening the entire face.
- Move away from the wall enough to reduce hard shadows.
- Check clothing against the background and avoid distracting patterns.
4. Test sound before emotion
Record ten seconds of normal dialogue with the reader. Listen on headphones. Check room echo, traffic, jewellery, clothing noise and whether automatic gain causes the volume to pump. The reader should be audible but should not dominate your voice.
5. Set eyeline and frame
Follow the requested shot. Leave enough room for movement without turning the tape into a wide establishing shot. Put the reader close enough to the lens that your eyes remain visible, unless the scene or direction asks for something else. Do not stare directly into camera by habit.
6. Rehearse the change, not just the words
Know what you want at the start, what new information lands and how that changes the next action. A fluent line reading without changing thought can feel finished but empty. Practise privately in Studio, then stop rehearsing before the work becomes fixed.
7. Record fewer, more intentional takes
Choose a clear adjustment between takes: pace, stakes, concealment, relationship or physical stillness. Do not repeat the same approach and hope one file becomes magically better. If fatigue is visible, take a real break.
8. Review in three passes
- Performance: Is the thought readable? Does something change?
- Technical: Can every word be heard and is focus stable?
- Compliance: Did you follow frame, slate, length and take instructions?
9. Export and name cleanly
Use the requested format. Avoid unnecessary 4K exports that create slow uploads. Name the file with your professional name, role and take where permitted. Open the final exported file—not just the edit timeline—and watch the beginning and end.
10. Deliver safely
Use the stated portal or verified contact. Check sharing permissions in a private window so the recipient will not request access. Do not include identity documents or financial information inside the media folder unless a legitimate, verified process specifically requires them. For unfamiliar contacts, use the casting safety guide.