self-taping
taking the hassle out of shooting yourself
showreel
editing
creating a reel that shows off the wonder that is you
initial consultation
First and foremost, I want you to have a showreel you are proud of. So once you have transferred your footage and any additional material (usually via WeTransfer) the first step will be to discuss your material and come up with a plan for how your showreel will look. We will discuss the order and running time, and come up with a plan that maximises your footage and shows you at your very best.
what i'll do
Once a rough plan is agreed I'll get to work coming up with a draft based on your requirements. I will edit together your choice of scenes in the order you have chosen, normalise the sound levels and correct colour and sound quality where required. I will upload the draft privately to Vimeo, where you'll be able to offer feedback and suggest edits. This process will be repeated until you are happy your reel is ready. Once the agreed fee has been paid I'll send you copies of your reel via WeTransfer in both high quality/bitrate and web/twitter formats. I can also upload your reel to Spotlight, Mandy.com etc if you are happy to provide your login details.
what i need from you
I will need footage of the scenes you'd like to incorporate into your reel, along with a headshot (ideally a landscape crop - your photographer should be able to send one) to create the end title card.
showreel
editing
faq's
how long does it take?
Depending on the complexity of the project, I aim to have showreels fully edited and uploaded to the platforms of your choice within 3 working days. However if your deadline is urgent we can discuss whether I'll be able to get your reel completed to the standard required within your timeframe; if I cant I'm happy to provide details of companies who may be able to.
how much does it cost?
There is a flat fee of £80, which covers the entire process from start to finish. If you only require a small edit we can discuss and agree a reduced price during the consultation. I keep all showreels on a secure backup drive for 2 years so we can always go back and add a scene or change the order down the line. There is a 15% reduction on the fee for all repeat custom, whether a new reel or a smaller edit.
can you film showreel scenes?
Unfortunately not. I work with footage that you provide, so if you don't feel you have enough material for your reel, it would be worthwhile researching companies who specialise in filming showreel scenes. I can highly recommend Crucible Films, who provide excellent quality bespoke scenes or entire showreel scene packages at very competitive prices. Further information is available on the Crucible Films website.
can you source footage from tv/film?
Companies sometimes offer to source your footage from television, but the sound and picture quality is often poor, and makes a showreel feel more amateur. There can also be legal issues when sourcing footage, so I only work with footage that you provide.
how long should my showreel be?
Ideally between 2 and 3 minutes. Casting Directors will often watch the first 5-10 seconds of your reel and from that decide whether to carry on, skip forward and watch a couple more scenes or move on to the next reel. If you want to keep your reel to 2mins 20secs to autoplay on Twitter, allowing you to take advantage of events such as #showreelshareday, we can edit accordingly.
what should i have in my showreel?
From discussions with several Casting Directors and industry professionals, the most common responses are that they want to see you talking to, and reacting to, other people in a range of believable circumstances, whether dramatic or comedic. When you think of the naturalistic nature of most contemporary drama, especially television, your showreel will benefit from scenes where you are simply talking to someone. Not to say there shouldn't be action scenes, but the most important thing is that your reel shows you interacting believably with others on screen, ideally in a range of circumstances that highlight your casting bracket.
should i have a montage in my showreel?
In a word, no! Casting Directors often have differing views in what they want to see in a reel, but one thing the vast majority agree on is that a montage is useless. They don't want to see lots of shots of you reacting to bombs going off or running in slow motion, they want to hear your voice, see how you look, and watch how you react to other people.
where can i find advice on showreels?
There's a wealth of fantastic advice on Spotlight about showreels. I follow all the technical advice when creating your reel, but there are some great tips for performers too. Be sure to check it out so you know what Casting Directors are looking for, and what you should expect from me.