ACADEMY 2026: Virtual Class: The Art of the Self-Tape
Zoom
Moderated by Erin Pineda
Thursdays, 6:00-9:00pm
$245 for four 3-hour sessions
This Academy Class is designed for professional actors at every stage of their career, from those just starting out to seasoned performers looking to refine their craft.
Virtual Class: The Art of the Self-Tape
These days, we book camera and theater work with self-tapes, so let’s not be just good at them, let’s NAIL them. In this four-week class, we’ll dive into the tools and techniques that take your self-tapes from good enough to work that truly showcases your talent. This isn’t an acting class; instead, we’re focusing specifically on the art of the self-tape: How do we tell the story of the scene within the frame? How do we grab attention immediately while still putting our most authentic work forward? And how do we make our job as actors easier?
Some of the other questions we will explore: how we make a tape immediately engaging, use of props, teleprompters, actor tension versus character tension, handling physical scenes, eyelines, set-ups, ease on camera, breakdowns, slates, and line accuracy.
Each week, we’ll each bring in an assigned self-tape. Together, we’ll watch it, experiment with different approaches, see what works and what doesn’t, and discover how small adjustments can make a big difference. You’ll leave the class feeling more confident not only in your setup, but in how you approach your material, make choices for different genres, tell your story on camera, and put your best, most authentic tape forward.
Before the first class, each student will prepare a self tape to review for feedback. After you sign up for the class, please email academy@antaeus.org to receive the ideas for the self-tape.
November 5th, November 12th, November 19th, December 3rd
Please note: There will be no class on November 26.
*Please note, students under 18 require permission from the moderator to take this academy class. If you’re in this category, please reach out to us at academy@antaeus.org.
About Erin Pineda
Erin Pineda has been teaching the art of self-taping for over a decade. She is a co-founder of Put Me On Self Tape, where she has been coaching actors for the past ten years. She also teaches audition technique at John Rosenfeld Studios.
Erin has worked in television and film for over two decades and brings that experience directly into her coaching. She uses the same techniques she teaches her students to book her own roles through self-tapes.
Over the years, Erin has helped countless actors put their best work forward on tape, with actors booking everything from co-stars to series regulars.
Erin has recurred in such shows as Apple TV’s Physical (Seasons 1, 2, and 3), Freeform’s Good Trouble, Grace and Frankie (Netflix), American Princess (Lifetime), and No Activity (Comedy Central).
Other credits include: Brilliant Minds (NBC), Chad (TBS), Happy Endings (ABC), American Housewife (ABC), Magnum P.I. (CBS), Homecoming (Netflix), Here Comes the Bride (Lifetime), NCIS: LA (CBS), Criminal Minds (CBS), and Comedy Bang! Bang! (IFC).
She has also performed in All My Sons, As You Like It, Love & Information, and The Tempest at Antaeus.
