We create reels that help actors expand their range.
Actor Demo Reel Editing Since 2011
Don't Get Pigeonholed.
Too many actors feel like the industry boxes them into playing characters they don't enjoy.
That's why we've figured out how to use creative editing techniques to take footage you already have and edit it into a reel that says what YOU want it to say.
We'll minimize your weaknesses and highlight your strengths with a reel that gets casting directors to see you how YOU want to be seen.
Don't have any footage yet? We also shoot scenes for reels – Actor Screener Shoot
That's why we've figured out how to use creative editing techniques to take footage you already have and edit it into a reel that says what YOU want it to say.
We'll minimize your weaknesses and highlight your strengths with a reel that gets casting directors to see you how YOU want to be seen.
Don't have any footage yet? We also shoot scenes for reels – Actor Screener Shoot
(video may take a moment to load, depending on internet speed)
*The reel above was edited together purely with footage supplied to us by the actress.
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"And even if some footage is poorly shot and unprofessional, we'll still ensure your final reel looks great."
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How? By using special editing tricks to fix color, sound, and even re-edit the way a scene has been shot.
Our goal is to take whatever footage you send to us and create an engaging reel that keeps casting directors watching all the way to the end.
What Will You Get?
Although we can't work miracles and actually re-light and re-shoot your footage (unless you shoot a scene), we can do a lot to make you look great on camera:
Find and access your hard-to-get footage - We use special software to pull clips from footage that is hard to get. Even if it's blocked from downloading, we can almost always access it and include it in your reel (in a completely legal way).
Expand your range and change your typecast - If you consistently get called in for roles you don't enjoy, we can manipulate where and how certain scenes are used in your reel to get casting directors to see you as a different type (and open up more audition opportunities).
Ensure your acting technique is fantastic - As film directors, we know what looks great and what doesn't. We'll be 100% honest and tell you exactly what parts of your performance might be making your reel weaker (along with actually fixing it during the edit).
Make YOU the focus of the scene - By cutting down on other actor's lines but still incorporating their reaction shots as you speak (so there are no jarring cuts), we can make your part look bigger in the scene.
Make your footage look and sound better than it did before - If you're dealing with footage that was shot too dark or washed out, we can fix it by applying color correction and color grading. We can even reduce background sounds to ensure that your voice is easy to hear.
Expand your range and change your typecast - If you consistently get called in for roles you don't enjoy, we can manipulate where and how certain scenes are used in your reel to get casting directors to see you as a different type (and open up more audition opportunities).
Ensure your acting technique is fantastic - As film directors, we know what looks great and what doesn't. We'll be 100% honest and tell you exactly what parts of your performance might be making your reel weaker (along with actually fixing it during the edit).
Make YOU the focus of the scene - By cutting down on other actor's lines but still incorporating their reaction shots as you speak (so there are no jarring cuts), we can make your part look bigger in the scene.
Make your footage look and sound better than it did before - If you're dealing with footage that was shot too dark or washed out, we can fix it by applying color correction and color grading. We can even reduce background sounds to ensure that your voice is easy to hear.
If you're interested, watch the video below. In it, I go over what makes a great reel and tips on how to edit an actor reel:
The Process
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Step 1. When you reach out to us, we’ll first respond to confirm that we can access all your footage. Don't worry – if your footage is blocked by certain companies like Amazon or Netflix and you can't access it, all you have to do is let us know where we can find it and we'll take care of the complex downloading, converting, etc. Step 2. Once we've confirmed we can access and edit everything, we’ll email you a link to place your payment so we can get started. Step 3. Once payment has been placed, we'll schedule a date for your consultation ("Expert Guidance" Package) or you'll send us your edit notes via email. Step 4. At that point, we’ll take care of everything - downloading and converting your files, editing them together, adjusting color balance and sound on the clips to make them look even better than the original footage, and finally sending you back a private link to see the cut. The editing process usually takes less than a week. Step 5. At that point, if you’re happy with the reel, you’re done! And if you still have further adjustments you want, you can email us with any change requests and we’ll take care of them within a few business days. |
Want Your Footage Back?
These 4 Email Templates Will Help You
Get your footage back from deadbeat directors who take forever! In this short guide, we reveal a special loophole from Sundance Film Festival that proves directors must give you access to your footage – even if their film hasn't screened anywhere yet:
Here is what you'll get:
Here is what you'll get:
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Martin Bentsen is an actor marketing coach who uses “outside the industry” thinking to help actors book more work. He’s helped over 6,000 actors with their careers and actor headshots since 2009 and his photography studio City Headshots is ranked #1 on Yelp. He’s spoken at NYU, The New England Theater Conference, The Actor’s Green Room, and is a monthly contributing writer at Casting Networks. Learn more about his work at www.martinbentsen.com.
Acting Reel Prices
"You Direct" Reel Edit
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"Expert Guidance" Reel Edit
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Shoot a Scene
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About
We want you to look your absolute best, and for your footage to get casting directors to see you how YOU want to be seen.
We want casting directors thinking, "Wow, this actor offers exactly what I'm looking for."
We want casting directors thinking, "Wow, this actor offers exactly what I'm looking for."
Martin Bentsen (founder)
Branding Consultant
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Hey I'm Martin, and I appreciate that you've taken the time to check out Demo Reels NYC!
At least a few times a month an actor we've worked with tells us their new reel footage helped them land a dream role or secured them an agent or manager. It's amazing to hear about everyone's success, and I hope it continues for each of our clients. A little about me – I've helped actors land on Broadway & get recurring television roles through my actor consulting work, I've interviewed successful actors, agents, and casting directors, and my headshot work has been featured on billboards in Times Square, in The New York Times, and in The Wall Street Journal. I graduated from NYU in 2011 with an honors degree in film production, and am currently in post-production on my second feature-length film called Dakota: Dedicated to My Best Friend. In 2009 I founded City Headshots, which, according to Yelp and Google, is ranked the #1 headshot studio in New York. |
J Warner
Professional Film Editor
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J Warner is a filmmaker and editor, originally from Los Angeles. He began his career in 2001 as an Apprentice Film Editor at Paramount Pictures, and as such was the last person trained on film in the studio system before digital took hold.
Since then, he has worked on a wide array of digital shorts, concert films, music videos, trailers and promotional spots. He also worked as assistant editor on the 2013 indie feature Deadly Revisions , as well as serving as production coordinator on The Simpsons: The Longest Daycare , which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short. After that, J shot and edited many projects for Cesar Millan (The Dog Whisperer), including a feature-length training DVD, "Essentials of Dog Behavior: Socialization." Most recently, J spent three years doing digital restoration and as Assistant Editor for a soon-to-be-released documentary about Frank Zappa, as well as editing video montage pieces for the "Bizarre World of Frank Zappa" hologram show. He's currently editing a narrative feature called Dakota, directed by Martin Bentsen. |
Get in Touch
We'd love the opportunity to work with you! Feel free to reach out with any questions you have, and we'll get back to you within 24 hours.
(212) 706-1902
reels@cityheadshots.com
reels@cityheadshots.com
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