Graduating from drama school? Your showreel checklist
Graduating from drama school? Your showreel checklist
Film in the months either side of your showcase, while your pieces are still rehearsed and agents are still deciding. Two contrasting monologues inside your real casting bracket, a current headshot, and complete platform profiles. With the 15% student discount that is £250.75.
You finish with a showcase, a headshot and a CV of productions nobody outside the building saw.
Then the submissions start asking for footage. Here is the checklist, in order.
1. Get the timing right
The useful window is the term either side of your showcase.
Your pieces are match-fit. Agents are actively deciding who to take on. The auditions you want are being cast now, not in October.
That is the whole argument, and it is why a reel in April genuinely beats a better reel in the autumn. Momentum is a real asset and it decays fast.
2. Choose two pieces, not four
Two contrasting monologues inside the bracket you would realistically be submitted for tomorrow.
Not the range you hope to grow into. A focused reel books more auditions than a broad one — the reasoning is in choosing a monologue and how many to film.
Showcase material is usually the strongest choice. You have already performed it under pressure.
3. Sort the wardrobe
Plain mid-tones, no logos, no tight patterns, nothing pure white. Two or three options so the pieces do not all look identical.
Full list in what to wear.
4. Book the session
| Session | Standard | With student discount |
|---|---|---|
| 30 min, one monologue | £195 | £165.75 |
| 1 hour, up to three | £295 | £250.75 |
The discount applies to current students and recent graduates — details on the drama students page, full inclusions on sessions and pricing.
Book with coursemates if you can. Consecutive slots make the travel and the scheduling both easier, and it is a considerably less lonely day.
5. Prepare properly
Off book completely, then spend the last few days playing rather than learning. There is a day-by-day plan in how to prepare for a shoot.
Arrive fifteen minutes early. From out of town, journey times are on where we film — most northern cities are inside an hour or two.
6. Get it onto the platforms
Spotlight, Mandy, Casting Networks. We deliver files already sized for all of them, so there is nothing to convert.
How each handles video is covered in the Spotlight guide.
Once the reel is live: a profile check
A reel does its work inside a profile. If the rest of that profile is out of date, the reel is propping up a weak page.
Before you start submitting, go through this list:
- A headshot that still looks like the person on the reel
- A playing age you could honestly be cast at tomorrow
- Showcase and final-year productions listed with the roles you played
- Only the accents and skills you could deliver on the day
- The reel uploaded where the platform shows video, not only linked in a biography
- Contact details and representation status up to date
- The reel watched through once on a phone and once on a laptop
The headshot is the item graduates most often miss. Casting reads it and the reel together, and an old drama school portrait next to fresh footage can look like two different people — more in shooting them together.
If your headshot is still accurate, keep it. If it is not, the headshots and showreel package covers both on one trip, and £14.99 studio stills from the session can tide you over between headshot rounds.
It also helps to know how that profile gets read on the other side, which is covered in how casting directors shortlist.
What to skip
Do not film four pieces. Do not use a self-tape as a reel — see the comparison. Do not wait for an agent before making the thing agents ask for.
And do not spend money you do not have on something you would apologise for. A weak reel is worse than none.
If you have already drifted past the window
It is not a disaster. It is just a slightly colder start, and the fix is the same — see starting from zero.
What matters more than perfect timing is having something watchable at all. Watch the standard on the gallery, then call 0161 706 3220 or use the contact form.
The short version
- The window is the term either side of your showcase. Do not drift past it.
- Two contrasting pieces beats four that show range you will not be seen for.
- Use showcase material — it is already rehearsed to performance standard.
- 15% off for current students and recent graduates. Bring any course proof.
- Book with coursemates on the same day; the travel and the scheduling both get easier.
Frequently asked questions
When should a drama graduate film a showreel?
The months either side of your showcase. Your pieces are match-fit, agents are actively deciding, and the auditions you want are being cast now. A reel in spring is worth more than a better reel in autumn.
How do I prove I qualify for the student discount?
A student card, an offer letter or an email from your course. Recent graduates count too — we are not going to quibble over a few months, and nobody has ever been asked for documentation twice.
Can I use my showcase speech?
Usually the best option available. You have performed it to an audience, so it is rehearsed to a standard you cannot fake in a week. Just check the rights if the text is contemporary and published.
Should I wait until I have an agent?
No, that is backwards. The reel is frequently what gets the agent to reply. Waiting for representation before making the thing representation asks for is the most common way graduates lose their first year.
Can several of us book together?
Yes, and it is the sensible way to do it. Consecutive slots on one day are easier for us to schedule and much cheaper for you to travel to. Tell us numbers when you enquire.
Do I need a new headshot as well as a reel?
Only if your current one no longer looks like you. Casting reads the headshot and the reel together, so a mismatch costs you. If your drama school headshot is recent and accurate, keep it. If not, the headshots and showreel package covers both on one trip.