What can a showreel actually show you?

Hope you like the new reels. It was tricky process deciding what to include.

When selecting clips, I wanted to ensure my reels showcase the variety of projects I cast, from commercials to short films, features, and video games.  It was important to the highlight the exceptional, skilled, and diverse talent available when productions choose to cast out of the UK.

However, what a showreel cannot show are all the ‘unseen’ elements of my skills-set as a casting director: the budget-juggling, the contract negotiations, the diplomacy, the planning, the co-ordinating and liaising, the listening, the advising, the instinct, and the 30 plus years of experience.

It’s the ‘behind the scenes’ stories of these clips that are the true indication of the challenges and joys of finding the perfect cast.

The projects that had to be exclusively cast with local-hire actors. Budgets that had to be reallocated and stretched. Actors cast, hired, and on-set in less than 24 hours. Last minute night-shoots negotiated. Roles reimagined, with ages, genders, ethnicities changed. Visa, passport, and Covid restrictions navigated.

The actor you cast winning a best actor award. Receiving thank you emails from happy directors. Watching TV on holiday and an advert I cast unexpectedly pops up!  Giving a child actor their first role. Hearing from actors about the fun they had on set. Securing an actor the production team thought was ‘out of reach’. Helping ensure the world we see on our screens accurate reflects the diverse world we live in. And, above all, being part of the wonderful creative process.