Hello Stage 32 Creative Crew! It is always a pleasure to address the largest and most diverse creative community on the planet. And today I come with some very exciting news.

At Stage 32 we’re always working to provide opportunities for creatives around the world to advance their careers through education and access directly from industry professionals. My goal has always been to shorten your path to success - no matter your discipline, goals, or experience level.

Stage 32 is a community dedicated to the idea that a clear set of goals, collaboration, and commitment will lead to you finding success in the entertainment industry. Which is why we are making great strides to bring you only the best instructors and mentors from companies like Netflix, Amazon Studios, Paramount, MGM, NBCUniversal, Management 360, CAA and many more, all of whom are invested in your success.

To date, we have primarily focused our mentoring and access efforts to those folks behind the camera - screenwriters, directors, and producers. Now, I am excited to announce that we are broadening our scope and offering our first ever Development Services especially for Actors.

Starting now Actors will have the exclusive opportunity to send their reel, short film, or self tape directly to Casting Directors, Filmmakers, Producers, and Talent Managers for feedback. These industry professionals will watch the material and then speak directly with that Actor for 30-minutes about their reel and their career. These pros will offer thoughts, advice, and insights in a private one-on-one setting. It is a direct connection that is unprecedented and essential for success.

What do actors submit? Simply a short letter of introduction, previous credits, and a clickable link to the reel, self-tape, or short film (up to 30-minutes). The industry pro of their choice will review the video material and speak with the actor privately for 30-minutes.

Click here to learn more about a Stage 32 Reel Review & 30-Minute Call with a Casting Director.

Click here to learn more about a Stage 32 Reel Review & 30-Minute Call with a Filmmaker.

Click here to learn more about a Stage 32 Reel Review & 30-Minute Call with a Manager.

If you are an Actor who is serious about a career in the entertainment industry, a strong reel is essential. Your reel shows the viewer who you are and what you're capable of. If your reel just has multiple clips of you playing essentially the same character over and over again, then all that will tell a Casting Director, potential Agent, Manager, or Filmmaker is that’s the extent of your ability.

Casting Director Alexis Allen of AW Casting has cast A-List stars in projects including Alexandra Daddario, Travis Fimmel, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Billy Crudup, and LORELEI with Jena Malone, as well as television series "LUKE CAGE", IRON FIST", "LEGION", and "FABLED".

Casting Director Alexis Allen Winter has cast stars Alexandra Daddario, Travis Fimmel, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Billy Crudup and more!

Alexis explains, "...before 2020 self tapes and reels have always been a very valuable tool. I actually personally prefer self tapes over in person auditions and have been utilizing the self tape format for pre-reads since about 2015...Along with that reels have been a lot more common thing we ask for...More and more we're asking to see reels with pre-reads or callbacks..." Learn more about Alexis here.

It is important that you have a strong idea of who you are as an Actor and what you represent on screen as you're piecing your reel together. Even if your reel doesn't represent all that you can do and could be castable as, it needs to give your audience the clearest possible idea of who you are - and most importantly - what makes you stand out.

Actor & Director Taylor Nichols explains the importance of a strong Demo Reel

As Actor, Director, and Instructor Taylor Nichols says, "a video demo reel in today's world is not a one-size-fits-all issue. There are Comedy reels, Drama reels, there are demo reels, there are clip reels...and you need to figure out the best way to sell you, where you are in your career." Learn more about Taylor here.

When it comes to short films (especially actors writing their own as footage for their reel) the importance of collaboration and finding amazing people to work with and elevating the look and sound of your material. So many first time short filmmakers get so obsessed with the cinematography and cut costs on sound - which as an actor is pretty important if you are trying to showcase your craft.

Your reel is incredibly important to your success. This is the chance for Casting Directors to see you act for the first time, if they don't know you. Your reel represents your skills and your talent. There is so much that goes into making an effective demo reel to- which scenes to use, the order of the scenes, the length of the clips, the transitions, etc. Casting Directors are the most important people to ask for this advice, because they are the ones that use the tools to decide if they are going to call you in or not.

And there are also so many different opinions about what is wrong/right when it comes to reels; “Keep it to one minute”; “Have a reel that is five minutes”; “Have a reel that is one great scene that shows range”; “Have a one minute reel that showcases different characters”; etc.

Ultimately, there are some industry standards, but every Casting Director, Filmmaker, Producer, Agent is going to have their own personal preferences and opinions. To get direct feedback from industry execs with this service in invaluable.

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Taylor at taylor@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

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