Professionally Scripted Directed & Edited
Showreel Service
"I have recently been casting for a film and in that process I had over 500 applications from actors all over the UK. It is hard for actors to break into the film industry but what shocked me the most is the amount of applicants who did not have a show reel or had just one self-tape."
Director Ian Pirrie
Showcase your talent
A professional show reel is the shop window for your talent as a performer. Casting directors and filmmakers need to know you can perform in front of the camera.
We produce with you a series of four film pieces to include Drama, Comedy, Presenting and Self Tape.
To book a show reel consultation contact Ian: ianpirrie@gmail.com
Here is our free advice for performing in front of camera
Drama
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You need to open with a drama reading or acting scene preferably with another actor. Something dynamic not a heartfelt misery piece, period drama or broken hearted monologue.
Think outside the box, often the best kind of drama is either, Time Lock is for example when the bomb is ticking and you have to cut the red wire of the blue wire, you only have a minute to decide and then your partner calls to break up with you. You now have less than sixty seconds to save your relationship and save the world!
Or Option Lock‘, your screwed if you do and your screwed if you don’t. There is no good option here, so you have to decide and either way it will have a bad outcome.
These two classic option restrictions add more drama to your piece. Any dialogue from a great movie would be ideal but choose a point when the drama is at its peak.
Comedy
The toughest genre for any actor is comedy, can you be funny on camera? It is different than on stage because the moment is frozen, it has to stand up to repeat viewings and still be funny. The key to good comedy acting is less is more, I recommend one out of two options here, good dialogue comedy is better than physical comedy on camera. Unless you have a real talent for physical comedy lean on great comedy dialogue instead. The most important thing here is timing. Most amateur actors leave small gaps in the dialogue for another actor to deliver their line (I always look out for this). This can work on stage but is terrible on camera unless you have an editor to cut the gaps. Deliver the lines naturally as if you would when having a conversation with a friend. It should be quick and responsive and not come across as scripted. Listen to people in conversation, they often predict what each other are going to say, and interrupt, there is cross talk and no unnatural gaps in dialogue.
With good comedy you should have no fear of looking stupid, self-parody is great when done well. Perform like your character has no idea they look like a complete idiot.
Presenting.
A presentation piece can give a casting director an indication of how confident you are. You can make something up and go out on the streets and interview strangers of friends on any topic. It could be a funny skit or a news report but please keep it light-hearted. If you use a microphone remember to point it towards the mouth of your interviewee and then back at your mouth for your dialogue. The best tip here is to use a boom mic and pretend to use a handheld microphone. Your own personality is key here, clear diction and precise delivery are essential, my best advice is to script it before hand.
Self-Tape.
Please do not stand in front of a white wall and deliver lines, you may have been told at drama school that this is a good way to present yourself but it is boring to watch.
A great tip I picked up from a recent show reel came from one of our applicants. She delivered a monologue piece but she moved all over the house and performed as if she was sharing a secret story to a close friend, she engaged us and changed the setting throughout. I shortlisted her because of this great self-tape.
Accents.
If you are good at accents then use them, it helps to see you can do a range, East London, Bristolian and Middle English accent as well as American if you can do it convincingly. Languages are not so important so just list them in your profile.