There’s a side of acting that will make you cry faster than that Lee Strasberg teacher. It’s the business side of acting. Part of being in this world is walking that thin line of being the CEO of yourself, tapping into your creative self at any given moment, but also being pragmatic. To that end here’s some practical and wise advice on what every actor will eventually need – A REEL.
REEL DO’S and DON’TS by Helen Abell
The basic purpose of a reel is to grab the attention of the agent or casting director by putting selections of your highest quality material together to put your best face forward and then leave them wanting more.
Important DO’s to remember:
*It must be focused on YOU! The first face they see should be yours.
*Know your type and focus your material in a way that highlights your type. As your reel continues on you can diversify away from your type and show them how you can stretch, but you want to begin with how you are most easily cast. You want the casting director or agent’s first thought to be, “Yes. I can see that. I know how to cast this person.”
*Always choose Quality over Quantity. One clip of strong professional work is worth a lot more than 5 badly edited, badly lit scenes.
*Make sure your finished reel is posted on the casting sites! It gives you a leg up. Your submission is more likely to be seen if it has a video attached.
Most importantly, the first 30 seconds are the most crucial!
How long should it be?
*If you do not have a legitimate number of credits, it is a good idea to keep it between 1 minute and 30 seconds minimum and 3 minutes maximum.
*If you don’t have a lot of material the best thing to do is to create Speed Clips instead of a reel. 30 seconds to 1 minute of good quality material from one project is better than throwing a bunch of mixed quality things together. Break it up and showcase yourself with the little clips.
* Short and really good is better than long and pretty good.
Remember: The point of a reel is to:
- Show what you look like on camera
- Show your dominant type
- Demonstrate your acting ability
Our new class REEL WORK FOR ACTORS is specifically designed to help you get a reel tailored just to you.
Written by Helen Abell with interviews from Vince Pisani, A-List Atlanta Actor, & Vic DiMonda, Associate Producing Director of the John W. Engeman Theatre