Do I need an acting showreel? Everything you need to know.
- leeknight3
- May 13, 2023
- 6 min read
The simple answer is no. But there is more to it, and in this article I will explain it in detail.
Whether you are an actor just starting out with no experience at all, an actor in training or even are an actor well into your career, I will help you understand what the best next step is for you in terms of an acting reel.
I'll start here, to give you context of my experience:
Early on in my career as an actor, I had been out of drama school for a few years but had mainly done theatre work. I had worked pretty consistently and had built a solid CV but I was yet to build any kind of screen credentials. I was looking for a new agent at the time so a casting director I knew agreed to meet me for a chat to see if they could help me get the right new representation. She was very honest and said 'listen, I have told some agents about you and they are very excited about your photo and CV but the first thing they asked was does he have any footage of him on screen?' Now this was a different time. Self tapes did not exist at this point. There was no home shot audition tapes and the only way of getting any footage was to actually be in something - get cast in something - but of course to get cast in something on screen, you were expected to have proof of your work on screen before anyone would even see you. Tricky I right? Almost impossible in fact. A complete catch 22.
But this casting director was right and it makes complete sense - if I wanted to work on screen, I needed to show my acting on camera otherwise why would anyone take the time to meet with me before seeing my work? Unless they had seen me on stage which was a possibility but in this business we need casting directors to have easy instant access to us - ideally at the click of a button. When they have hundreds of actors to sift through we need to make ourselves very very easily accessible - and memorable - and casting directors are always seeing hundreds of actors on stage or on screen as part of their job so they need something short, quick and simple at their finger tips.
So I decided to write a scene and pay a crew to shoot it. I spent a small fortune. My friend was starting out directing so he directed it (bad idea). It was shot ok. It looked ok. It was...ok. Is ok enough? When it is hard enough to break down doors in this business, is ok enough? In truth, it was enough to get me a meeting with a new agent but the new agent didn't think much of the 'reel'. So, It wasn't really worth it and here's why...
The point of a reel is to see an actor's on screen ability. That's it. Think about it. We don't need to go out of our way to film-make and create something beautiful. Casting directors could not care less about that. Save that for when you get a proper telly job and everything is in place and you have a professional crew. When you have built a nice body of film work then create a really nice edited reel showing all that professional work. The industry understands that everyone starts somewhere. After all, many of the agents and casting directors were once actors. They get it, they really do.
Now you may have done a student film (a great learning experience) which you think is really well done but unless you think it shows you in your absolutely best, most truthful, connected light, and the script is dynamite, then I personally wouldn't use it.
After all, why, when there are thousands of other actors also desperate to get their foot in the door of this industry, would you want to show anything to a prospective employer is you weren't 100% happy? The work we send out as artists has to be our strongest, most proudest work, because often we only get that one chance to be seen for a specific role and the material you send out can make the difference between the casting director deciding to send your tape to the producer or not. You do not want to miss those rare chances especially now when casting directors are seeing on average sixty actors for any role via self tape - yes sixty!
The same applies to short films or low budget films. I have done a few and there were some decent scenes that were beautifully shot but I didn't use most of them because I wasn't entirely happy. If I don't think it is particularly well written or my strongest work, I will not use it. Your performance must be the complete focus of any reel or tape, any bad lighting, writing, directing, camera work, only distracts attention from you. We need to keep it simple and remember the purpose of what we're doing.
So when it comes to a 'reel' what should we be using?
The answer quite frankly is, a very strong self tape.
I have spoken to many leading casting directors who are working on the industry's biggest most prestigious productions and they have all said the same thing: 'we just want to see you on screen'. No frills, no fancy editing, just a clear, strong portrayal of a character in a scene. That's it. This way, you can't hide. Just you, some light, an iPhone, and a great piece of material is all you need to show your true ability. Because that is what is is all about - you and your artistry as an actor.
Of course, everything has to be at it's strongest regarding your artistry and ability. The connection to the piece, your interpretation of the character, all the tools we learn and apply as actors of course need to be completely in place so you show your true ability as an actor.
Self tapes have become the industry norm now for auditions. I myself have been cast in wonderful roles from self tapes alone and often not even meeting the director beforehand. If a tape is strong and you are right fit, it's enough. Our job is not to figure out what a casting director or director wants, but to show them what our interpretation is. Show them who the character is to you. Show them your version. Whether that interpretation is what they want, is not in your control but at least you would have followed your instincts.
With time now more precious than ever and productions cutting budgets wherever they can, it is pretty much a given that you will be sending a tape initially for any role to save time and money.
SO if you do not have a 'reel' for whatever reason and you are wondering where to start, get yourself a self tape - showing your best work.
My advice is find a scene that you want to work on, from a series you have seen, something that really excites you, that hasn't been on too recently, in your own accent, something you would see yourself being cast as. There is an abundance of scripts online. Go on BBC Writer's Room Script Library and you will find tons of incredible TV and film scripts. Edit the scene yourself to around two minutes - absolutely no more, find yourself a reader, and the shoot it.
As a coach and mentor to actors at all points in their career, I have helped many people create reel tapes and offer a package where I will work with a client on a specific chosen scene/s over a couple of private sessions and then shoot it in person over a two hour period so we get the best, most connected work we can. Within this, we work on one scene from a TV or film script and one monologue from a play. If you are interested in this, click the link below for more info.
For any private coaching with me, check out my services page for more details or click the link below to book a session.
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