A showreel can be an excellent way of showing prospective employees just what you are capable of – and from Models Direct’s point of view helps us to promote you to our clients.

Once you have made your showreel it can be uploaded to your e-portfolio, giving us and those we find models and actors for, another window to your skills and capabilities.

Not only could a showreel take you one step closer to your dream of appearing in advertisements, but it could also eventually lead to television programmes and even movies.

Models Direct has a broad spectrum of clients on its books who make requests for male, female, child and other types of model.

Having a showreel can set you apart from everyone else and almost act as an audition for a role – without you having to do anything else once it has been created and uploaded.

So where do you start?

As with anything creative, it is always a good idea to seek inspiration from what other people have done.

We are not suggesting you copy the showreels of other models and actors, but by watching their videos you can see what works and what doesn’t.

Jot down a few notes as you go when something strikes you as working especially well.

Then look at what footage you already have that could be included…

Have you appeared in video material before, whether on an assignment you have completed for Models Direct or others?

Take your time going through this film and choosing only the sections that you feel show you at your very best.

Resist the temptation to include everything – your showreel has to be short and punchy to hold the attention.

If you don’t have any existing video then make some.

Let’s see you introducing yourself, modelling different outfits and interacting with others in an interesting and engaging manner.

Again, keep it tight, bright and interesting.

Ensure your very best material comes at the beginning and end of the showreel so you grab the attention of the viewer from the start and leave them with a good impression at the end.

You may well have editing software on your laptop, tablet or phone already.

If not, you should be able to download some from a reputable and trustworthy website. This is usually fairly straightforward to use.

Once you have made your showreel, show it to friends and family members and ask them for their honest opinion.

Take their criticisms on board – all of us get too close to whatever it is we are creating and need to hear the truth from others about it.

Then, make the changes, check it again and when you are ready upload it to your e-portfolio.

Now you are ready to go!

Reels are short film clips. They are usually entertaining, but can be equally educational, depending on what tickle’s the creator’s fancy. Models should consider reels as a vital tool in self-marketing. They can be used in conjunction with our new ePortfolios, so the scope for promoting yourself to wider audiences really is limitless. As long as models know that reels are beneficial to their own careers (and can be a hoot to star in and create), then it’s all good!

They are often considered a clone or spin-off from TikTok. The company Meta hit the headlines in 2021, when it changed its name from Facebook and acquired Instagram. So, for the purpose of this blog, we’ll show you how to create reels using Instagram as outlined by Meta’s official guidance.

We’re sure most of you are familiar with Instagram. However, it’s worth noting that Instagram Reels can only be done on certain phones (they should be easy to create on most of the up-to-date models of iPhone and Androids, although it may be impossible to get started on older models of phone). Such is life!

To get started

First off – what exactly can you expect from Instagram Reels on the Instagram app?

In short, Reels is a new video feature available on Instagram (hence the capital “R”). It allows users to record and edit short videos up to 60 seconds in the Instagram Camera (though as Reels will be continuingly developing, the duration will probably increase, and some users benefit from 90 second clips). Users can either add effects and music to their  reels, or use their own original audio.

Below are the easiest steps to follow to record a reel from the app, although sometimes the best form of attack is to experiment. Everyone’s different!

Note: Reels can be created directly from the Instagram Stories menu – positioned either between the default “Normal” mode and “Create” mode, or on the bottom menu next to “Story”. It might depend on your phone or app, but we’re sure you’ll get there without any trouble.

To proceed

Step 1. Tap the “plus sign” icon at the top. Alternatively, swipe right anywhere in the feed.

Step 2. Scroll to “Reels” at the bottom.

Step 3. Tap and hold the “Play” button (it’s the one with a right arrow). This allows you to record a clip. You can also tap it once to start, and again to finish recording. Top tip: you can also tap your camera roll in the bottom left to add a video from your camera roll.

Step 4. Tap the “watch” button (this is a black and white icon with a left arrow). If you’re happy with your recording, click on “Done” in the bottom right.

Step 5. If you have an Android phone, tap the black and white icon with a right arrow to add stickers, drawings or text to your recorded reel. Use the slider at the bottom. If you have an iPhone, click on “Preview”. See, it really does depend on the make of your phone!

Step 6. Tap “Share to”. Then tap “Cover” to change your cover photo and caption.

Step 7. If you want to share your reel to your story, tap “Stories”.

Step 8. Tap “Next”. Then tap “Share”.

The progress bar at the top shows how long you’ve recorded for.

It’ll probably be a little bit of trial-and-error for some of you, but with a little patience, it’ll be a piece of cake for most!

Reels should be the way forward for a lot of models. In no time at all, you’ll be reeling off clip after clip, promoting yourself even more to a wider audience!