Do I need a showreel?

The simple answer is yes. If you’re serious about getting cast in professional productions, and you aren’t already very well known to casting directors, directors and the world at large, a showreel is part of your first line of attack.

Do you need to use a showreel company like us? Absolutely not. If you already have good recent material that shows you at your best, you can and probably should use that. One, or ideally two or more good scenes from decent productions – including student productions or shorts – will make a great showreel.

If you don’t have recent material, if your appearances in big productions are all too fleeting, or if you just don’t think they show your range and abilities to their fullest, that’s where we can come in.

What are casting directors looking for in a showreel?

Hear it in their own words courtesy of Spotlight.

What is the process?

Initial consultation

It begins with a consultation over phone or Zoom with Dave, our director. During this you’ll discuss your casting (i.e. the kinds of roles you are going for), your ideas for your reel and what if any scenes you would like to have written for you. It’s quite common for this to be done in pairs or groups of three.

The consultation is free and there’s no commitment to proceed afterwards.

Writing scenes

Based on our discussion, and after paying a deposit, Dave will go away and write or adapt scenes for you to perform. We’ll send these to you for approval or revision. You can of course make further adjustments on the day of the shoot.

Most showreel scenes are duologues, with two actors only, although this is not necessarily the case.

We aim to produce two-minute scenes, though you may find you only use your best minute in the final reel.

Shooting

We shoot all your scenes on the same day. We will arrive and set up first thing in the morning. We allocate two hours to each scene: enough time to block and rehearse, and get enough coverage to make a tidy edit.

You can invite your own scene partner(s) or we can find them for you. You can spread the cost of the process by teaming up with another actor or group who also want showreel material. In a larger group, three people for example could do two duologue scenes each.

We can film up to four scenes in a day.

Editing and post-production

We’ll then edit the entire scenes, and send them to you to review. Your finished showreel only needs to be three minutes or so long, so you may want to select the most impactful parts of the scenes to include in your reel. You’ll be able to keep and share the whole scenes as well.

We’ll colour grade the selections for a cinematic look, and add an intro featuring a close-up of your face lasting only a few seconds (this helps viewers know which one is you) along with any diegetic music or sound effects.

Can I include existing material?

Of course. As long as the producers have given you permission, and you’re able to supply us with the files or a link, we can include this in your reel for a small charge alongside your new scenes.

Why don’t you charge for writing scenes?

We reserve the right to reuse or adapt your script for other clients, or for other purposes. The text remains our copyright, although we license it to you for use in your showreel. If we charged extra for writing new material it would get too complicated if we reused the script for someone else. Would we reimburse you? Charge for it twice? Ask your permission? Nah. The scriptwriting service is a free extra.

Can I film scenes from a play or film for my showreel?

We generally wouldn’t recommend re-enacting scenes from existing films or TV shows. Screen roles tend to be associated with specific actors, so you run the risk of doing an impression or inviting direct comparison. Theatre roles however are often played by many actors in different productions, so your interpretation can be seen as a welcome addition.

If a theatre text is out of copyright (if the author died 70 or more years ago – looking at you Shakespeare 😇), you can go ahead and use it, and you can edit or adapt it any way you like (we can help with this). If the text is in copyright it’s more tricky. In this case the best thing to do is ask the rights holder for permission, by writing to the publisher, the producers in the case of a film, or the author themselves. A showreel is not being presented commercially, and it is generally only going to be seen by a limited number of people within the industry. They will not usually ask for any money, but they also might not reply.

If you choose to use a scene that you haven’t cleared, the publisher would be within their rights to ask you to take it down. Although unlikely, if this happens we can’t take responsibility and won’t be able to offer any refunds.

Where will my showreel be filmed?

This is up to you, and depends on the scenes you select and your budget. In most cases we expect you will be able to source it yourself and it will be free.

We can film you in your own home, but some actors may find this distracting. A good option is to ask a friend if you can use their home or business while they’re out at work or closed to the public. The most important thing is that it’s quiet and doesn’t distract from the action. It can be indoors or out. (But have an indoor backup in case it rains.)

If you’d like to hire somewhere a bit more dramatic, or suitable for a period piece, this can be easily arranged. But remember, a showreel is about you and your performance. It doesn’t have to be set in glamorous surroundings.

How many people will be on set?

We film with a crew of two: nominally a director and a cinematographer. Compared to a full-scale film set, this means it’s a lot more all-hands-on-deck and we share the responsibility of setting up sound equipment and lighting.

Having a director however who is not also operating camera means you will have plenty of dedicated feedback on your performance.

You are welcome to have friends and fellow actors around for moral or practical support, as background artistes or bringers of tea.

Do you do voicereels?

No. We recommend finding a specialist for this who will be able to put you in a recording studio.

What additional costs might there be?

Locations

As above. You don’t need to pay anything for a location, but sometimes you might want to if you want to achieve a specific effect. Locations can typically be found from between £25 and £50 per hour, with each scene taking two hours to shoot.

If you would like us to research locations and make a booking, we will charge a small additional fee per scene for this.

Hair and makeup

If you’d like a hair and makeup artist we’re happy for you to provide that yourself, although it’s not something we arrange ourselves. We shoot mostly with available lighting – no bright lights that might cause reflections – so you only need natural everyday makeup. You might want SFX makeup if you want to simulate a wound or injury, or if you’re playing a creature from outer space, but as stated above – remember that it’s all about your performance, not fancy effects.

Costumes

You will probably be able to source costumes from your own wardrobe, but for a period, fantasy or sci-fi scene, costumes may need to be hired or purchased.

Travel expenses

If the filming location is more than one hour from central London we will charge additional travel expenses, agreed in advance.

Props

If you want a specific prop, like a gun for an action scene, that will need to be hired.

NB. Prop guns need to be registered with the police and kept in a locked box at all times when not in use. It’s a hassle, so ask yourself if you really need it.

Will I be able to post my showreel on YouTube?

Of course. You can post it anywhere you like. You will own the copyright on the video and the rights to use the script for the purposes of your showreel if we’ve written it for you. (We reserve the right to reuse or adapt the text for other showreels or purposes.) Any music used in your showreel will have been pre-cleared for use by the publisher, so your video can run safely without ads.

We will also post your showreel on our own YouTube channel unless you explicitly request otherwise.

How soon can I see the finished edit?

We will aim to have a first draft with you within one week of the shoot. The process from start to finish should be complete in a month.

Will I be able to give feedback and make revisions on the edit?

We will do one round of revisions as standard if you have anything you’d like to change. Within reason, we can make further additional changes. Only in extreme circumstances (e.g. a complete re-edit) would we then charge extra for further revisions.

How will I receive my showreel?

We will send you a download link to your finished showreel and all the individual scenes on payment of your final invoice. You can then upload this to your Mandy or Spotlight profiles, your YouTube channel and other social media and websites.

We’ll also give you individual files for each edited scene in full, to post online separately – particularly useful if you only use the best parts of each scene.

We can also give you the source files.

I speak multiple languages, can I film a showreel in those languages?

Our director Dave speaks English and French, and can direct and edit scenes comfortably in both. If you’d like to film in any other languages, we would first need to find an editor who speaks the language fluently. We can still film in other languages but will of course have trouble giving meaningful feedback.

The second question is, should you? And to that you have to ask whether you are actively looking for work in those languages, while in the UK, and whether it will be competitive in the same way. If a part is in English but they also need you to speak a little Cantonese, you don’t really need to have this in your showreel (just don’t lie about your fluency!). If the film is shooting in Hong Kong and is entirely in Cantonese, it would definitely help. If you have a base in another foreign city besides London (lucky you) and regularly seek work there, then you might want to have the local language on your reel, or perhaps on a completely separate showreel.

Should I do different accents in different scenes?

Casting directors will be most interested in accents that are native to you. That means the way you speak every day, but it also might be the accent where you grew up, or the way your parents spoke or speak English. If you have a regional or foreign accent, you might want to demonstrate that you can also do RP. If you are “native RP”, you might want to show something more colloquial.

You may also want to use an accent that is not native to you if it matches your looks and you want to aim for certain kinds of roles. You might look Italian even though you’re not at all Italian, or you may have grown up in the UK but have roots in Africa or Asia, and that might be something you want to capitalise on.