I really enjoy crafting showreels for actors, but have also found myself passing clients on to different services in recent months if I feel it is good for them.
My skills are very specific – I am good at creating specific scenes and reels for actors that showcase their strengths. I write all of my own material, and I pride myself in developing fresh scripts for each and every actor.
The first, I am not sure they are the best way to showcase an actor. On screen, you want to see a unique and original performance. In the theatre, writing is often rehashed and reimagined, but on screen; in my opinion, it doesn’t work! I’d rather see you grapple with new material than see you trying to reimagine what Morgan Freeman did in ‘Shawshank Redemption’
And secondly; directing other people’s material is outside of my skillset. I am an experienced writer/director; I’m at my best when shooting material that I have penned myself.
Similarly, actors often come to me with scenes that they have written themselves, wanting me to shoot them. This is work that I don’t take on because I don’t feel I can do them justice. Not just do the scripts justice, but the actors! What I am most proud of with my showreels is that the material is of the level I would write for a film or web-series or screenwriting job. I have dedicated all of my adult life to writing screenplays and it is this level of skill and commitment that I bring to my showreels.
I advise actors, if they are first-time-writers, to go make a short film or do a reading with some friends. But for a showreel package with me, I want to write scripts to the high standard I set for myself, and I want them to help actors get cast, get agents, get put up for the things they truly want.
There are many showreel companies out there, and many I am happy to recommend, who shoot high-quality video and are happy to paint by numbers, filming whatever you put in front of them.
For me, I like to use my specific abilities; writing; and directing my writing. I think that makes me a niche filmmaker within the showreel community, I don’t suit everyone – but if you go with me, I will passionately go about creating precisely what it is you need to go to that next level.
You can view my Showreels From Scratch information page HERE.
You can see recommendations for my service on Casting Call Pro.
Email Me: dj@danieljohnsonfilms.co.uk.
Tweet Me: @danieljohnsonuk
