Straight answers, no runaround.

Sixty to ninety seconds per piece, and under three minutes in total. Casting directors watch dozens of reels a day and rarely reach the end of any of them. A short reel that ends while they are still interested does more for you than a long one that proves everything.

Two or three contrasting pieces. One is enough if it is genuinely strong and you need footage this week. Past three, a reel stops being a showcase and starts being an archive — and the weakest piece is the one that gets remembered.

No. Solo monologue reels are completely standard and casting teams watch them daily. A monologue puts the camera on you alone, which is exactly what is being assessed, and it removes the problem of coordinating a second actor's diary.

Not at all. We have a library of monologues across genres and casting types, and we will help you choose pieces that show you at your best. If you already have something you love, bring it — prepared material almost always plays better.

Plain mid-tones that sit inside the character's world. Avoid stripes, checks and busy patterns, avoid pure white and anything with a logo, and avoid colours that wash out your skin tone. Nothing on you should be more attention-grabbing than your acting. Bring two or three options.

At Actors Reels a 30-minute session with one monologue is £195 and a one-hour session with up to three is £295. Both include direction, cinematic colour grade, sound, edit and delivery. Comparable director-led sessions in London typically start around £450.

Yes — 15% off any session for acting students and recent graduates. Send your course details when you enquire and we will apply it to your booking. That makes a single-monologue session £165.75 and a three-monologue session £250.75.

Studio, director, camera package, lighting, sound, the edit, the colour grade, one round of revisions, and delivery files sized for Spotlight, Mandy, Casting Networks, your own site and social. Add-ons are optional and priced openly — nothing is hidden until invoice day.

Enquire by phone or through the contact form, we will offer you studio dates, and a deposit holds the slot with the balance settled on the day. If you need to move, tell us as early as you can and we will rebook rather than cancel wherever the diary allows.

Thirty minutes for a single monologue, an hour for up to three. Arrive about fifteen minutes early so you can change, settle and warm up rather than walking straight from the tram into a performance.

We film at KORD.Media, inside the Bonded Warehouse at 18 Lower Byrom Street, Manchester M3 4AP. It is a five-minute walk from Deansgate, about fifteen minutes from Piccadilly by tram, with direct trains from Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham and Newcastle.

Yes — that is the point of the session. You get adjustments, alternative approaches and as many takes as the slot allows. Nobody leaves on take one because the clock ran out, and nobody is left performing into silence.

Yes, one person is fine and often helps. Tell us in advance if you would rather film with nobody else in the room at all — a closed set is easy to arrange and sometimes produces the better take.

Spotlight does not force you to upload one, but a profile without a reel is at a real disadvantage. Casting professionals filter and shortlist inside Spotlight, and a profile with video gets opened far more often than one with stills and credits alone.

Upload the file through the video section of your Spotlight profile; it accepts standard MP4. We deliver a version already sized for it, so there is nothing to convert. The same file works for Mandy and Casting Networks.

On the casting platforms you actually submit through - Spotlight, Mandy, Casting Networks - plus an unlisted Vimeo or YouTube link for emails. Do not make a casting director create an account or download anything to watch you.

Yes, but briefly. Most watch the first ten to twenty seconds and move on unless something holds them. That is why the reel opens on your strongest moment rather than building to it.

Film one. That is the entire reason monologue reels exist - you perform prepared pieces to camera and we shoot, grade and cut them as if they were drama. No credits and no old clips required.

It is usually the thing that decides whether an agent replies. Agents receive far more approaches than they can watch, and a CV without video is the easiest one to skip. A reel does not guarantee representation, but its absence guarantees being passed over.

Be findable and be easy to say yes to: a complete profile on the platforms casting uses, a current headshot, and a reel that answers what you play inside twenty seconds. Most missed auditions are lost at the shortlist, not the audition.

Five to ten working days from your session. That covers the edit, the colour grade, sound and one round of revisions. If you are working to a submission deadline, tell us when you book and we will be honest about whether it is achievable.

A master file plus versions sized for Spotlight, Mandy and Casting Networks, and a social cut if you have taken the promo add-on. Everything is delivered digitally — there is nothing to collect.

One round of revisions is included. Send your notes in a single list rather than in pieces and we will work through them together. Beyond that we will quote openly rather than quietly billing you.

Yes. Send us what you have and we will cut, grade and sequence the usable material. Where the footage does not cover part of your casting, we can film a monologue to fill the gap and cut it in so the whole reel reads as one piece.

The 30-minute session films one monologue for £195; the hour films up to three for £295. Both are directed, colour graded, edited and delivered in 5-10 working days. Choose the hour if your reel needs to cover more than one casting type. Everything included is listed on sessions & pricing.

Yes. Film one piece for the submission you need now and come back for more when they are prepared. New footage can be cut into the same reel so it still reads as one piece. Most actors still book the hour in one go, because it is simpler.

No. Plenty of first sessions are exactly that. You are directed throughout and get as many takes as the slot allows, so the session is where you find out how your acting reads on camera. See monologue showreels for how a session runs.

Yes, both are optional add-ons. Studio stills are £14.99 and a social promo edit is £49.99. Nothing is added to your booking unless you ask for it.

Yes. Self-tapes are recorded in the same studio, lit, framed, read in with and with clean sound, so the tape looks as considered as your reading. Send the sides and your deadline when you enquire. Details are on self-tape & promo.

Yes, through the combined headshots and showreel package with a partner photographer, so your photos and your reel present the same actor. Ask about it when you enquire; the details are on the headshots & reel package page.

Often, yes. A comparable director-led session in London typically starts around £450, against £195 or £295 here, and the train from London is around two hours. Whether it pays off depends on your fare, so compare both before you book. Manchester vs London sets out the numbers.