The demo reel is the single most important tool for an actor’s career. Because of this, some actors will go to great lengths to get something on their reel, like using a scene they like from a self-tape they submitted, for instance.
But audition tapes are just that: they’re shot specifically to be submitted as an audition, not to use for reel footage. This makes you appear amateur for many reasons:
The reader may not be an actor, potentially weakening the scene.
The reader isn’t mic’d so you can’t hear their lines very well and the poor sound will likely be distracting to the viewer.
The lighting and set are normally really basic and the overall production value is sub-par compared to a fully produced reel scene.
You’re probably holding a script and referring to it throughout the scene, something you wouldn’t do for an actual TV or film performance.
With all of that said, how can you make that audition scene work for you?
READ: How do I Create a Demo Reel?
If you have access to friends with professional equipment, you may consider getting them to help you self-produce that scene or something similar. If you’re using the script verbatim, you may risk
The demo reel is the single most important tool for an actor’s career. Because of this, some actors will go to great lengths to get something on their reel, like using a scene they like from a self-tape they submitted, for instance.
But audition tapes are just that: they’re shot specifically to be submitted as an audition, not to use for reel footage. This makes you appear amateur for many reasons:
The reader may not be an actor, potentially weakening the scene.
The reader isn’t mic’d so you can’t hear their lines very well and the poor sound will likely be distracting to the viewer.
The lighting and set are normally really basic and the overall production value is sub-par compared to a fully produced reel scene.
You’re probably holding a script and referring to it throughout the scene, something you wouldn’t do for an actual TV or film performance.
With all of that said, how can you make that audition scene work for you?
READ: How do I Create a Demo Reel?
If you have access to friends with professional equipment, you may consider getting them to help you self-produce that scene or something similar. If you’re using the script verbatim, you may risk
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