Showreels
'Get a showreel’ they say ‘then we’ll see you for castings’ - A sentence that every actor knows and hates. Today, Casting Directors will not see you without one but, how do you go about getting a showreel without the footage?! You can't get the footage without the work but CD's won't see you.....a vicious circle!
So, you have to bow to one of the many companies out there offering professional showreels. This is all very well if you can find the hundreds of pounds to have it made.
At MAP we offer Showreels at affordable prices with professional results. All of our clients are given the time they need to shoot one/several two minute scripts and are offered some guidance on the shoot day, whilst working under full 'on-set' conditions. Looking to gain some 'on-set' experience?Getting a Showreel with us is not the one. We have a limited time per scene so make sure you're good to go when you arrive! Watch our work here.
Option 1
Solo Reel
To film a reel on your own, find the actors you want to work with and shoot three scenes in a day working solo. You'll get a three scene reel!
Cost:
£240
Option 2
Duo Reel
Shooting with another actor who wants to get a reel from it is a similar deal;3 scenes, but bear in mind you'll have the
same actor in all your reel!
Cost:
£180pp
Option 3
Trio Reel
The best option is to find 2 other actors who want reels, shoot 3 scenes in a day and each actor takes away a 2 scene
reel with 2 different actors.
Cost:
£140pp
SINGLE SCENES:
Single, 2 minute scenes can be booked for £175 by emailing us. Bespoke packages are also available should you require something other than the options on this page.
NB: When booking the packages above, you will not receive completed scenes, only edited showreels of circa 2:20, containing the shot scenes. For this reason, we advise you keep the scenes short. The full scenes can be purchased for £50 each.
Frequently Asked Questions!
Please read the following very closely before dropping us an email as your questions can often be answered below...If not, fill in the box and get in touch!
Do we find our own scenes?
Actors must source their own scenes that they have written
themselves or that they have previously seen/read. MAP are unable
to write scenes for you. There are several companies out there
that can write scenes for you!
What if I want extra footage adding?
Got some footage you want adding in? Just £15 extra will see all
your work tied up in one neat package!
Will we have chance to rehearse on the day?
On the day, we'll work pretty much like a professional shoot. So, you will get some time with your scene partner to go over it and with the crew, we'll do a couple of rehearsals to lock in the blocking etc, however, this is the extent of the rehearsal time available. Rehearsals can be arranged at a rate of £30/hour per scene prior to the shoot day.
Can you help me find actors?
MAP cannot provide actors to work in scenes and your scene partners must be found by yourselves. If you tweet about needing scene partners and tag us, we will happily retweet that!
How do I find a suitable location?
MAP will try to help source your locations. Certain scenes that require very specific locations might need to be adapted to fit or you may be asked to search for locations yourself. if a location can't be found then we'll work together to find a solution. All locs should be a short walk from each other when on a full shoot day.
I already have footage but want it cutting together.
If you have existing footage and simply want a reel creating from that, the cost is just £50. If you wish us to source the material for you, this is charged at £20/hour. It can sometimes be a long and slightly tricky job so where possible, we'd advise that you do this to keep costs down. Your footage should be as Hi-Res as possible. If the footage is too low, we will tell you we can't edit it.
How can I share my reel when it's finished?
Your completed Showreel is yours to share as you see fit - we will send you 'hard' copy and we will upload it to our MAP YouTube Channel and provide you with a link. MAP, however, will own the rights to the footage and are free to use it as promotional, presentation or other material in the future.
I like my reel but want the full scenes to share - is this possible?
You will be given an edited Showreel with your contact details on, ready to share to CD's. Full scenes, however, can be purchased in full for £50 ea.
How does the shoot day work?
Once you've signed up, we'll ask you to send your scripts over so we can see what we're working with. We might suggest some edits to ensure that you're getting the best for your reel. We will then email you call times so you can let your other actors know. These are sometimes weather dependent, if shooting outside, so we leave it until the day before - don't panic, we haven't forgotten about you. Ordinarily we will shoot between 10:30 and 4:30.
What scenes should I pick?
Try to pick scenes that are more simple than complex.
Dragons, CGI, battle scenes and blood are all advised against
for obvious reasons! People often think that more dramatic
scenes with extremely high emotion, tears and shouting
are powerful - more often than not, a nice scene between
two people talking will show you off more. Also, try to avoid
scenes that have a lot of movement; this is because we
want to concentrate on your face. Sweeping shots of the
countryside or spooky shots of your legs walking down a
dark corridor are lovely - but the Casting Directors do not
care about them!
What if I want another option?
We do of course have the option to shoot exactly what
you need. We can shoot using hourly rates and therefore
work with you to ensure we shoot the perfect package to
meet your needs.
What if I haven't done TV work before?
Stop! Do not attempt to shoot your showreel! Actors are in
a huge rush to get a showreel because they think it will get
them TV work, but, a bad showreel is often worse than no
showreel at all. It is essential that you don't waste your time
and money. Get the necessary training!! As a quick test, you should be able to identify, execute perfectly and talk about why the following are important - if not, you're probably not ready to shoot:
- Hitting your marks
- Movement continuity
- Executing a 'banana'
- Script continuity
- Appropriate vocal technique...
Will you direct us?
On the day we will be able to provide you with a little direction and we'll block the scenes. We'll throw some pointers in and keep the scene interesting etc but it's best to work on the scenes heavily before you arrive to shoot and also have the necessaey on set experience.
All prices inclusive of VAT.
Visit MAP's YouTube channel here for all the videos.