You do.

There’s no one way to do a reel, and no one way to edit a great reel. Everything depends on you, your material, your goals and needs. An actor with very little material searching for an agent will need a completely different reel than the actor with 12 features and 2 pilots under their belt. That’s why I like to meet my clients, get a feel for their goals and the material they have, the way in which they would like to showcase themselves, and then get to work.

That said, here’re some thoughts.

1. Personality. That which makes you different and unique is a selling point. You can’t be all things to all casting directors, but you can polish what works for you, and make it easily apparent and accessible.

2. Tell a Story. Within all the characters and roles you’ve played, there is a story. Just because your reel is a compilation of clips, doesn’t mean it can’t have an emotional narrative of it’s own.

3. Not too long, not too short. This one depends on material. We’ve all seen short movies that feel long, and long movies that whiz by. Same goes for a reel. (Unless of course, there is a time constraint, like for LA Casting or something)

4. It gets you in the room. That’s why we have reels and resumes and headshots. To get you the audition. A good thought to keep in the back of your mind while selecting material and working on a reel. What rooms will this get me in?