Monday Myth Debunkers: Self Tapes Don’t Belong in Your Reel.

Buckle up for this one folks… because we feel strongly that this is nothing but a grade-A #myth.

First of all, regardless of what anyone tells you, there are no rules when it comes to your demo reel.

CSA and SAG-AFTRA do NOT have a set rules as to what can and cannot be in your demo reel. ๐˜—๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ฌ๐˜บ ๐˜ฑ๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ช๐˜ด๐˜ฆ.

There is no โ€œlistโ€ that CDs have come up with that they adhere to when watching your reel.

Anyone who says you cannot put a self tape in your reel is speaking from their own opinionโ€”not from a rule book.

Nowโ€”letโ€™s break down the if/when scenario for when a self tape addition might be the right choice for you.

But first, consider this:

CDs have a boatload of submissions and pitches to get through. A really big boatload.

We need to be efficient with our time.

If you have a demo reel on your AA profile + some other self tapes as supplemental material, thatโ€™s fine.

But whatโ€™s the likelihood those self tapes will get clicked on if they are not in your reel?

About as likely as Ikea having everything in stock that youโ€™re looking for.

AKA: slim to none.

So if your reel is lacking and not showing us what youโ€™re capable of, donโ€™t expect us to then look at your other clips for back-up material.

If itโ€™s not in your reel, ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐˜„๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜๐—ต๐˜† ๐˜๐—ฎ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—น๐—ฑ ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ ๐—ด๐—ฒ๐˜๐˜๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—บ๐—ถ๐˜€๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฑ.

This is not to say everyone needs to supplement their reel with a well-done self tape.

But if the footage you’ve booked isnโ€™t serving you, youโ€™re going to feel all sorts of stuck.

The only actual rules that you need to abide by are:

1. You cannot use a recent audition or a self tape where you cannot confirm whether the project has aired and/or premiered (unless you get written director/producer permission)

2. Not necessarily a ruleโ€ฆ but when choosing material, best to not choose anything thatโ€™s too iconic or overly recognizable. Please donโ€™t do the Leo D monologue from Wolf of Wall Street, for example ๐Ÿ˜‰

This industry is tough as it is. Donโ€™t let the endless supply of circulating โ€œrulesโ€ dim your light.

๐•๐•ฆ๐•ค๐•ฅ ๐•๐•–๐•ฅ ๐•ฆ๐•ค ๐•ค๐•–๐•– ๐•ช๐• ๐•ฆ๐•ฃ ๐•˜๐•ฃ๐•–๐•’๐•ฅ๐•Ÿ๐•–๐•ค๐•ค.

#themoreyouknow #thecastingdirectorscut #mondaymythdebunker #actorslife

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