Showreel with no footage: what to do when you're starting from zero

You finished training. You have a headshot, a CV of stage credits nobody outside the building saw, and an empty video slot on your profile.

Every submission asks for a reel. Every reel guide assumes you already have footage.

So let me be plain about it: you do not need footage to get a reel. You need a session.

Why the usual advice fails

Most showreel advice is written for actors who already have broadcast clips and just need them cut together. That is a real problem, and it is not your problem.

Your problem is that the industry wants evidence you can act on camera, and nobody will give you the on-camera job that produces the evidence.

A monologue showreel steps around it entirely. You perform prepared speeches, we shoot them like drama, and the result does the same job a clip reel does.

What to prepare

Two contrasting pieces. Learned properly, not half-remembered.

Choose material inside the casting bracket you would realistically be submitted for tomorrow — not the range you would like eventually. A focused reel gets more auditions than a broad one, every time.

Bring two or three wardrobe options in plain mid-tones. No logos, no tight patterns, no pure white. There is a fuller list on the FAQ page.

If you have nothing ready, that is fine. We keep a monologue library across genres and casting types and will shortlist with you before the day.

What the day looks like

Arrive fifteen minutes early. Change, settle, warm up.

Then you perform, and someone directs you — adjustments, alternative approaches, as many takes as the slot allows. Nobody leaves on take one because the clock ran out.

The lighting is rebuilt between pieces. A comic speech and a grief speech do not want the same light, and shooting both on one flat setup is the most common tell of a cheap reel.

What it costs

£195 for a 30-minute session with one monologue. £295 for an hour with up to three.

If you are a current drama student or a recent graduate, take 15% off — £165.75 and £250.75. Details on the drama students page, and the full inclusion list on sessions and pricing.

Here's the thing about the hour versus the half hour. If you are travelling any real distance, the travel is identical either way and £100 more turns one piece into three. From Newcastle or Hull we would steer you to the hour every time.

Timing it right

The useful window is the few months either side of your showcase.

Your pieces are still rehearsed. Agents are still deciding. And the auditions you want are being cast now, not in October.

A reel in April genuinely is worth more than a better reel in October.

What not to do

Do not film four pieces to cover every possibility. The weakest one is the one that gets remembered.

Do not use a self-tape as a reel. They do different jobs — there is a full comparison on self-tape and promo.

And do not spend money you do not have on something you would apologise for. A weak reel is worse than none. If the budget is not there yet, wait.

Where actors travel from

We film in central Manchester, and most of the actors we shoot travel in for the day — from Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield, Birmingham and further. Journey times for 43 cities are on where we film.

You can watch reels shot on ordinary sessions in the gallery. If you want to talk through whether this is the right first move, call 0161 706 3220.