A showreel that gets watched: making the footage when you have none

For most actors, the hard part of a showreel is having nothing to edit. Waiting for “one more scene” can take a year, and meanwhile casting directors have nothing to watch.

Part 2 of our acting showreel series covers how to make a showreel scene when you have no usable footage. Part 1 covered what to put in a reel.

Three ways to make a showreel

• A showreel company. The most polished route and the most expensive. Watch their past work before you pay.
• A shoot with filmmaker friends. You control the scene, date and budget, but someone needs the equipment and you must drive the project.
• A self-tape. The cheapest and quickest option. Choose a short scene with little movement, because you are alone in front of the camera.

You can combine them. StageMilk, an acting resource, recommends self-tape for anyone starting out or short of money. If you need a camera operator or sound recordist, browse the crew profiles on reCREWt.

Choosing a scene

A scene with another character is a safer choice than a monologue, because it shows you listening and reacting. Look for good dialogue, a clear relationship and a small change in your character, in about a minute to a minute and a half.

Pick a character you could be cast as now, close to your age and type. Avoid heavy action, accents you do not have and lines that only make sense with the rest of the film. You may trim the dialogue so that the scene stands on its own.

Your scene partner and preparation

Cast your scene partner as carefully as yourself: a strong actor of the right age and type who pushes you. For a self-tape, the reader sits next to the camera and, as casting director Caroline Liem advises, speaks more quietly than you, because they are closer to the microphone.

Prepare as you would for a booked role. Know what your character wants, what is at stake and what happened before the scene. Rehearse the blocking, and do accent and voice work before the shoot day.

Shooting basics

• A phone is enough for a self-tape, held steady at eye level and turned sideways.
• Light from the front. Face a window or a soft lamp, because a window behind you puts your face in shadow.
• Frame from chest to head against a plain wall.
• Protect the sound. Stay close to the phone, switch off fans and fridges, and use a microphone if you move further away.

Permission to use what you film

A published script belongs to its writer. Use a script written for showreels, or ask the writer, who may agree in return for a credit. Footage from a production you worked on also needs the producer’s permission, even though you are the one on screen, as Spotlight explains. Finally, ask your scene partner to confirm in writing that you may use the scene.

Part 3 covers editing your scenes into a reel and sharing it.