There are always plenty of student productions to be involved in to get your showreel together. You won't get paid, but you will get a showreel.

www.meltheco.org.au

Hello Uma,

Nice to hear from someone who is doing a bit of research before diving in and spending money on something which may or may not be necessary.

Jeff has offered a good suggestion regarding getting involved in some student films if you are keen to get some footage of you in action on the screen. Watching yourself perform on screen can also be very illuminating and educational if you are just starting out.

I would possibly be fair to say that for experienced, trained and professional actors a showreel is an essential item to have. At that professional level clips from TV shows, advertising or stage work probably comprise a show reel.

It's worth thinking about what you are seeking to achieve with a showreel. Why a casting director would want to view one and what advantages there are to having one. A good quality, well edited showreel can show you to good advantage and offer a casting director a quick clip show of what you might be like in front of camera, which can be handy if they're pushed for time.

For some roles, some casting directors may enjoy viewing a showreel. However, although we, actors, always seek to present ourselves in the best possible light for casting, it is important to also present honestly. If you are a young performer just starting out with a ton of enthusiasm then I see no reason not to be upfront about that. If you are innexperienced then it's possible that it will show on film anyway and your attempts to come across as 'polished' in a showreel may be a little transparent to the experienced casting eye. Remember also that 'who you are' is often as interesting and important as 'who you could be' when considering actors for roles.

Give yourself time. Do little jobs, student films and whatever you can get involved in. Get comfortable in front of camera and flesh out your CV with interesting and varied credits. If you look right for a role and you have an interesting CV on the go it's possible that you can attract the same casting consideration as others with showreels. Chat to your agent if you have one and find out what they think.

I hope this helps.

Tulipa.