What actors ask about Sides.

How the feedback grades a take, how the scene partner and the record page work, and what each plan includes.

About Sides

Can Sides rate my acting?
Yes. Upload a self-tape, or record one in the app, and Sides grades it against what casting actually looks for: the lines, your choices, listening, voice and body. You get a score out of 100, a verdict, and notes that point at specific moments, with a timestamp and the one thing to change on the next take.
Do I need a tape to start?
No. Bring the sides. You can rehearse with the scene partner and record in the app before you have anything to upload. The feedback comes when you have a take you are thinking about sending.
Can I record inside Sides?
Yes. The record page puts your lines on screen, has the scene partner read the other side, and saves every take to the audition so you can review, compare and pick the one to send.
Is there a human option?
Yes. Studio Notes is a one-time purchase of $49 that puts one take in front of an independent working film professional for written feedback, delivered within 24 hours or refunded.
What video formats do you support?
All the common ones: MP4, MOV, MKV and WebM up to 2 GB, and AVI up to 150 MB. Big files from a phone shooting 4K are shrunk in your browser before they upload, so they go up faster.
How quickly will I get feedback?
Feedback is usually ready a few minutes after the take lands. Review the notes, make one targeted adjustment, and decide whether the tape is ready to submit.
Is my footage private?
Yes. Uploads are encrypted and stored securely, and nothing is shared with anyone. You can delete a take at any time, and takes are deleted automatically after 90 days unless you keep them.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes, with one click from your account. No contracts, no cancellation fees. You keep access until the end of the billing period.

Self-tape feedback

What is AI self-tape analysis?
Software that watches a recorded audition and gives feedback on it. Sides grades the take across seven areas casting looks for, from knowing the lines to listening and the camera, and gives a score out of 100, a verdict and notes pinned to moments in the take.
Do casting directors see my Sides feedback?
No. Sides is for actors. It never submits anything or shares your tapes or feedback; casting only sees the take you choose to send, the way you normally send it.
How is the score worked out?
Each area is a set of checks, and each check is graded landed, partly or missed from the tape itself. The score is out of 100, and the verdict follows it: Developing from 50, Callback-ready from 70, Bookable from 85.
Does it tell me if I will book the role?
No. It tells you what is on the tape and what to change. Casting decisions depend on much more than one take, and Sides does not predict them.
How long does the feedback take?
Usually a few minutes after the take finishes uploading.
Is it free?
The free plan gives a preview read with your score on one tape a month. Paid plans unlock the full feedback, and you can buy one full analysis for $12 with no subscription.

The scene partner

What is an AI reader for self-tapes?
A reader for the other characters in your scene. Sides reads their lines in a realistic voice, listens while you speak, and comes in when your line is done, so you can rehearse or tape without a human reader. In Sides it is called the scene partner.
Does it really listen to me?
Yes. During a run the microphone is on so the reader can hear where your line ends. It only listens while a rehearsal is running.
Can each character sound different?
Yes. Give each other role its own voice, or use one voice for everyone. You can also ask for a whisper, a laugh or a pause on a specific line.
Can I use it while I record a self-tape?
Yes. The record page puts the same reader in the take, with your lines on screen, so the tape has a scene partner in it.
Can I use it as a line reader to learn my lines?
Yes. Run the scene as many times as you need, and skip ahead a line when you want to move on. A read-through has the reader perform the whole scene, your lines included, so you can hear it before you say it, and you can jump to any line in it.
Is the AI reader free?
You can try it on this page without an account. In the app, the free plan includes 1 live rehearsal and 2 read-throughs a month (in a read-through the reader performs the whole scene for you). 3 rehearsal sessions a month come with Sides Pro, and Sides Super Pro is unlimited.

Recording

Can I record a self-tape in Sides?
Yes. The record page records from your camera and microphone in the browser, with your lines on screen and the scene partner reading the other side.
How does the teleprompter keep up with me?
It listens as you speak and shows the next line once yours has landed, so it keeps your pace instead of scrolling on a timer.
Can I choose my microphone?
Yes. Pick the microphone before you record, including an external one plugged into your computer.
Do I have to record in Sides to get feedback?
No. You can upload a take you shot anywhere else (MP4, MOV, MKV or WebM up to 2 GB, AVI up to 150 MB) and get the same feedback.
Where do my takes go?
Into the audition, next to the sides and the role, so you can compare them and choose the one to send.

The AI coach

What can I ask the AI coach?
Anything about the take: what to fix first, why a moment is not landing, how to play a line differently, or a short rehearsal plan for the next take.
Is it generic acting advice?
No. The coach answers from your take’s analysis, including the notes and their timestamps.
Does it replace a human coach?
No. It is there at 11pm before a deadline. For a human opinion, Studio Notes puts one take in front of a working film professional.
How many messages do I get?
Sides Pro includes 50 coach messages a billing period and Sides Super Pro 100. A single $12 analysis comes with 5.

Plans and billing

What do I get for free?
1 self-tape a month with a preview read: your score and how confident the read is, and 2 scene read-throughs, where the reader performs the whole scene so you can hear the voices, plus 1 live rehearsal with the scene partner. Full feedback, the coach and more rehearsals come with the paid plans.
What is the difference between Sides Pro and Sides Super Pro?
Sides Pro is 8 self-tapes a month with full feedback (unused ones roll over), 50 coach messages and 3 scene partner sessions. Sides Super Pro is unlimited self-tapes and unlimited scene partner practice, with 100 coach messages.
How much do I save on a yearly plan?
Sides Pro is $19 a month, or $216 a year ($18 a month). Sides Super Pro is $39 a month, or $312 a year ($26 a month).
Can I pay for just one tape?
Yes. One full analysis is $12, with 5 coach messages about that take and no subscription.
Can a person watch my take?
Yes. Studio Notes is $49, on any plan: an independent working film professional watches one take and writes you notes, delivered within 24 hours or refunded.
What happens if I use up my month?
Your allowance renews with each billing period, and unused Sides Pro self-tapes roll over. You can upgrade at any time, or buy a single analysis for $12.
Is Sides Super Pro really unlimited?
We don't count your takes on Sides Super Pro. There is a fair use allowance for analysis each billing period, set well above a heavy audition season, so a normal actor never meets it. If an account does, new takes pause until the next period (a purchased single analysis still goes through), and everything already recorded stays available.
What video formats can I upload?
MP4, MOV, MKV and WebM up to 2 GB, and AVI up to 150 MB. Anything a phone or camera produces works, or you can record in the app.

See it working

Still have a question?

Try it on your next audition. Or write to hello@offbend.com and a person will answer.

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