"I need an agent, but agents want to see footage, but I don't have any footage, so I need an agent..."
August 11, 2016
It can leave you feeling helpless: you're taking acting classes, you audition for plays whenever possible, yet you can't seem to get your foot in the door with any of the film/television casting offices. I need an agent, you think. But most agents want to see some of your work - ideally your on-camera experience - before they decide to take you on as a client. That can be difficult, since the way to get on-camera auditions is typically, well, through an agent.
In your ideal world, you have multiple clips in varying genres that you can compile into a reel. In reality, you have a blurry iPhone video of you dancing at Lollapalooza that doesn't exactly scream "Oscar."
"So how do I get footage if I don't have a reel?"
Back in the olden days (aka 2006), submitting a reel required you to download your footage to a disc, which you then mailed out to a list of agents in the hopes that a) the disc didn't break in the mail and b) the agent actually opened it. Times have changed. Now a reel can be emailed in seconds via a link, and agents can view it with a simple click of the mouse.
Guess what? Audition footage is viewed the exact same way. Preparing a few quick scenes to tape as you would a self-taped audition gives you footage. And that's all the agents really need to see - footage. So why not try taping a few scenes and commercials to compile into an "audition reel," so that if an agent asks, "Do you have anything on tape?" you can answer, "Yes."
I'm not talking about audition footage you shoot at home on your phone (reread the Lollapalooza comment above). I'm talking about professionally-shot footage you tape at a studio, with a reader and proper lighting.
Another incentive to having professionally-shot audition footage is that agents get an idea of what to expect from you when they send you to the casting office. They can see and hear you slate, notice how you dress and present yourself, and assess your on-camera technique through your read.
So why not try it? If you're interested, click here for more information - I'm happy to help!