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 work on the script and are offered professional coaching on the shoot day, whilst experiencing full 'on-set' conditions. Watch our work here.
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 rehearsal 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!
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.
​
All prices inclusive of VAT.
​
Visit MAP's YouTube channel here for all the videos.