Selftape App

Selftape App
beta version
New Actor Line
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New Pause
New Partner Line
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New SFX
Press Record, wait for three, then make sound
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Record Scene
0 steps saved
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Import Script

Extracting dialogue from PDFs can be tricky — try these options in order:

1 Should work for standard screenplay format.
2 Uses ChatGPT. For unusual formats & stubborn PDFs.
3 Paste text manually

Paste text from your script into textbox and edit to match the below format.

If none of these work for you, press cancel and record your lines one by one.
Confirm
Tips
What is Selftape App?
The goal of this app is to give actors a reliable scene partner for selftapes so you don’t always have to ask a friend or loved one for help.

You'll begin by building your scene. You can do this by either recording all the lines one by one from scratch, or by importing your script and then recording over the lines.

Once ready, press Run Scene and the app will act as your scene partner.
Using on Chrome
This app was built to be used on the Google Chrome browser on a laptop. This is the recommended setup.
Sound quality
The better your mic and speaker, the better the app will sound.

The built-in laptop mic on many modern laptops will do a good job.

If you have a mic for voiceovers etc, that will be even better (just make sure to click the icon beside the web address to select your mic as the input device).

Similarly, a Bluetooth speaker will sound more convincingly like a real scene partner than most laptop speakers.
Collaborating on scenes remotely with a friend
If you'd like to create a scene, then email it to a friend so they can record the partner lines, this is easy to do using Save, Export Scene and Import Scene.

Your friend should select Open a Saved Scene, Import Scene and then select the file you sent them.

They should then select Record Over Lines, tick the box Partner lines only, and then record their lines. If they tick the Autoplay lead-in box, the app will play any recordings you have made of your actor lines.

When they're done, they can press Save, Export Scene and send it back to you.
Script importing
The script importing feature should do a good job on most typical script audition PDFs. It is likely you will need to make some small edits. The edit button on each line should make this a quick job.
Making your scene rock solid
Voice recognition technology is not perfect and will occasionally fail to hear your cue word. This can be because of unusual words, unfamiliar names, unusual delivery etc.

This app provides the tools to ensure none of your takes will be ruined by occasional failure to hear your cue.

Once built, begin by rehearsing your scene. Look out for any troublesome lines.

If you find any, use the below tools.
Failsafe timer
If you're worried that the app may not recognise a word you're saying, you can set a failsafe timer to make sure the partner line triggers and your take isn't ruined. You can set this as a default for all lines.

For best results with the failsafe timer, record your actor lines as well as your partner lines. The failsafe timer will match the amount of time it took you to say the line so it is perfectly timed.
Cue words
If you'd like to make an exchange more fast-paced or avoid an awkward word, you can set the cue for each line to any word(s) you want. You can also set the default cue position so it applies to all lines in the scene.
Starting mid-scene
If you want to run a particular section, place the green "Start Here" marker along the side of the scene at any position you want.
Recording partner lines cleanly
The app automatically trims partner lines to cut out unwanted noises like buttons clicking. For best results leave a tiny pause after pressing the record button and another before pressing stop.
Using SFX for tricky partner lines
If you're finding it awkward to get a partner line to sound the way you want it (because of non-verbal sounds or trailing 's' sounds or heated lines being cut off), you can record the line as an SFX instead. SFX lines allow any sounds and aren't trimmed the same way as partner lines.

Of course SFX can also be used for things like laughter, coughing etc
Pauses
Pauses can of course be helpful in many scenes. We have added a default 3 second pause at the beginning of all scenes to let you get into position. You can add an actor line "Action" before this pause if you want even more control over the start of your scene.
Autocue
When running a scene, the autocue is designed to track the speed at which you're speaking, so your eyeline remains consistent, saving you from having to learn lines by heart.

You can also adjust autocue settings like font and font size.

Thank you very much for using this beta test version of the app. We hope you find it enjoyable and reliable to use, allowing you to concentrate on the acting. Please let us know if you have any feedback or suggestions by clicking the 'Feedback' button in the main interface.