5 Things Only Successful Actors Understand About Their Showreel – Screenwise Tips

Alongside your headshot and acting-resume, a showreel is what brings you to life! Having a professionally-produced Showreel is an important way for you to showcase who you are, what you’re capable of, and whether you might be the right person for the job.
Yet far too often we see actors missing out on audition invites because their showreel isn’t to the quality standard that agents, producers and directors expect in the industry.
In the lead up to the next Showreel Course intake we wanted to share our five “Must Have” tips to get you started on making the most out of your showreel:

1. Understand the main objective behind your Showreel

It goes without saying that any aspiring actor requires a professional headshot and a well-crafted resume, but a showreel is what takes the words and images on a page and makes them real.
Your showreel isn’t about creating an asset for your friends and family to watch and congratulate you on, it’s about creating a tool that impresses agents, producers and casting directors to enable you to land auditions and progress your acting career.
Simply put your showreel is designed not only to land you an audition but also to spark the interest of producers, casting agents or directors. Producing a stand-out showreel can even have the potential of getting you hired prior to stepping foot in the audition room.

“My new agents were blown away by my showreel… they were so excited and throwing around potential roles I would fit so it was all really good” Showreel graduate Sam Webb (Neighbours)

2. Less is more with your scene selection

You work hard at your craft and are proud of what you produce, so it’s important to always put your best foot forward. Avoid adding too much into your showreel as it will get messy and dilute down how you present yourself to industry directors, producers and casting agents. You also need to understand that scene selection isn’t about showcasing your acting diversity across genres. Directors, producers and casting agents will see through the scene itself and critique you on your talent.
In the Showreel course, we have trained professionals that assist students in choosing scenes that most favorably represent their true self and their strengths as an actor. Scene selection is critical and needs to be timely to represent who you are “right now”.

3. Decisions are made in under 30 seconds

Remember, the main goal of your showreel is to gain the interest of a director, producer or casting agent. The casting process can leave industry stakeholders extremely pressed for time when sifting through casting applications. You want to make your best impression in the first 30 – 60 seconds as opposed to exhibiting a two minute rollercoaster montage of good, bad and mediocre scenes.
Hook the director in with your best work to make the most of your first impression.
At Screenwise it’s our job to understand what the industry wants to see and how they make decisions when it comes to casting. Within the Showreel course, we directly assist actors in professionally producing, shooting, editing and directing their scenes on location.

4. Look ‘Cinema/TV ready’ with a quality production

Looking to land a role in a large budget studio produced Film/TV show but you’re currently submitting a DIY showreel? If there’s one thing to take away from this article, let it be the word ‘perception’ because perception is everything.Highly sought after roles are reserved for only the best actors. Alongside your skills, the fastest way to heighten your perception as a quality actor is through a professionally shot and directed showreel.
In the Showreel Course, we work closely with leading industry professionals to professionally produce, shoot, edit and direct scenes for our actors. Not only will this provide you with an environment as close as possible to the real thing, but it portrays your skills in the most professional light possible.

5. 95% of your work happens off the screen.

During the Showreel Course, we have our actors talk, think, observe and critique each other in a safe working environment. Training is essential because not only do you need a top of the art showreel, you also have to be able to come up with the goods in the Audition room.
It wasn’t until Al Pacino’s 85^th performance of the court scene in Looking For Richard that he finally knew the court scene, “I understood it, I was there, I could play it.”
Within training and preparation comes true creation. Stepping in front of the camera when you’re on set is nothing more than just completing the job, you’ve already put in all the hard work behind the scenes. Now it’s time to unleash and reveal.

If you’re looking to launch your acting career and need a professional showreel to showcase who you are, what you’re capable of, and that you’re the right person for the job than click to learn more about our Showreel Course today.