Firstly, I’m by no means a huge authority figure on the subject on showreels. If I was, I certainly wouldn’t be blogging about it. I’d be charging you suckers a couple of hundred quid to just give me your footage and I’d throw something together for you. However, I am an actor and have been for a few years and having a previous showreel I know what the mistakes are and how I’ve rectified them in my showreel. First, might as well show you the new one:
Seen it? Ignored it? I’ll press on anyway…so in my experience here are the vitals for a good and effective showreel. My old showreel link is at the bottom of this post if you want a comparison.
Length – less is more
When I was a recruitment consultant – bare with me – when I was a recruitment consultant I read A LOT of CVs. If I saw a CV more than two sides of A4 I would probably not consider the client. Harsh, I know! I might be missing out on a perfectly good client…however it showed me someone didn’t know how to present themselves. The same goes for casting directors viewing showreels.
If they see a showreel is overly long by the time signature even before they’ve seen the content it is more likely to turn them off. Whilst researching other actors reels I noticed most are between 4 and 5 minutes…sometimes longer! I would say 3 and a half minutes is the maximum length your showreel should be. If the casting director likes you it’ll keep them wanting more.
Montage – don’t do it!!!
I had a montage in my previous showreel and the majority of showreels have them. But the opinion inside the industry – where it counts – is just don’t bother! I completely understand why you want to put it in. You’ve done a lot of work on a lot of films, and you’re proud of what you’ve done. Why not show off several looks to some cool music, right?
Well, you’d be wrong in my opinion. Just think how casting directors feel. They want to see you in a role, not how you look. They have headshots for that. Show them what they want – your performance. It also seems a little self-indulgent – I know we’re actors and should be proud of the work we’ve done – but try to see it from an outsiders point of view. It bores me when I see a montage on anyone elses reel. It’s common sense to not include one on my own.
Variety
It depends what type of actor you are but the bigger the variety you can show the better. It indicates that not only are you talented but you are likely very directable if you’ve shown a range of emotions, looks and perhaps accents.
Do not DIY
Again, I put my first showreel together. It’s okay but there was no-one to give feedback until it was done and the chances are people are just gonna tell you how great it is. Let a pro do it and have someone there that will give you honest feedback…not your mum though. If you’ve been working for a few years chances are you know a fair few film-makers and editors
My showreel was done by a very good collaborator friend of mine who happens to edit for a living. Perfect! Offer to be in a short film for free if it means someone can spend a few hours with you editing footage. You gotta help each other out when you’re starting out.
SO, those are my main key points about a showreel. Give me a shout if you’ve got any questions or comments. And if you want to see my previous effort, here you go. Hopefully you’ll see how superior the new one is…
Notes from Ambigo Rock 