Building a showreel that gets watched

A recruiter decides whether to keep watching your showreel in the first ten to fifteen seconds. Build it for that moment.

For actors

• —Keep it to 60–120 seconds. Shorter is better than padded.
• —Open with your strongest scene where your face is clearly visible — no logos, no long title cards.
• —Show range in contrast: a dramatic beat, then something lighter, then a different language or register if you have it.
• —Use scenes where you speak. Montages set to music show how you look, not how you act.
• —No footage yet? Shoot two short, well-lit monologue scenes. That is better than nothing.

For crew

• —Cinematographers and editors can go up to two minutes. Lead with the shot or cut you are proudest of.
• —Add a short credit card at the end with your name, role, phone or email.
• —Sound designers and composers: a reel with clear before/after or a scene with picture works far better than audio alone.

Hosting

Upload to YouTube (unlisted is fine) or Vimeo and paste the link in your ClapGig profile. Make sure it plays without a password and works on mobile data.

Keep it fresh

Update your reel every six months or after every major project. Remove older work as better work comes in.