One of the keys to industry success comes down to your acting reel. Your reel, like your headshots, plays a role in your first impression with casting. That’s why actors need to do the work of having a great reel.
What is an acting reel?
Your acting reel will be your calling card, giving casting a snapshot of your skills in consideration of hiring you. Basically, it provides the CD and producers a chance to see your on-screen presence and acting chops beyond your audition tape. Acting reels are also known as a "demo reel,” "sizzle reel," or "showreel."
How do you put an acting reel together?
Your acting reel is a short compilation video (usually up to 1-2 minutes) that captures your best on-camera work. Demo reels should show you in various roles and scenes across action, comedy, and drama. Your reel should also showcase a range of skills and looks.
While you can have your reel edited together by a professional, you can also edit your reel together on your own.
When placing clips next to each other, remember the smooth factor. Use simple transitions like Cross Dissolve or Blur to move from scene to scene.
If you have a computer, you can install video editing software like iMovie, Movie Maker, or comparable to edit your compilation. With resources like Youtube, you can learn how to do a quick edit with your own video in under 20-minutes. The bonus? You’ll be ready to edit your own self-tapes too!
What if I don’t have Acting Work to Showcase?
If you are new to acting, chances are you don’t have clips for any tv show or film to use for your acting reel. No worries! You can also stitch together videos from your different auditions.
If you don't have any self-tapes to use, you can even find a scene to film or write your own short. Student films and short films are a great way to build get experience and content for your reel.
Tips to Remember
Your reel should include your name and the type of reel, i.e., comedic or dramatic. You should have your comedic reel separate from your dramatic reel to be submitted appropriately for the kind of projects they are a match for.
Avoid clips from acting class, outdated footage, adding music, or featuring another actor more than yourself.
You should never use a scene from an audition if the project has not yet debuted. If you know the show or film you auditioned for is already out, it’s ok to use for your reel. Doing so beforehand would essentially be leaking details of a project before the public knows, which is a major no!
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