Your Stage : My latest showreel, please give me some tips and tricks! :) by Marleen Mathews

Hi Sean! Thank you for the pointers, great! I can work with that on my next version of my reel! So overall my reel should be shorter? Should I try and put more different scenes in there, but just shorter snippets of different scenes?

Marleen: I agree with Sean about the title card / contact info. I've seen actors reels with a feature that allows a viewer to click & respond. (Find out how to do this.) Now to the reel!! Think about changing the order and perhaps putting the monologue at the END. In the scene where you're asking an older female "What's it like with another woman?" your hair color matched the garment color too closely, making your complexion look "washed out." A person who knows about color can adjust this and "bring you up" a bit. The shift into a foreign language threw a curve. I think a title card announcing the foreign language sequence could be a benefit to the viewer. I hope others will post, too, and offer free advice from another viewpoint. Good luck.

Hi Marlene. I'm new to Stage 32 and what a great use of these connections to put your reel out there for critique and how cool to see all the comments! I'm also a writer/editor and I saw an error in your subtitles -- at 2:32 -- "if" should be "is." I agree that you're talented...great stuff. I thought your name disappeared too quickly initially - I've seen reels where the name remains throughout the reel. And if that was your contact info at the end I couldn't read it - was too small on my laptop. I liked the monologue to camera -- but was distracted by the shadows on your face. Best of luck to you!

People crying! Is normal, is easy... Make laugh is difficult. Living is a Drama. I think that's why people who does stand-up comedy has more chance to advancing their careers.

Alle someone pay u for that ?????and Marco u right drama is easy,

Good job @Marlene Mathews! It's far better than mine! Well done! I agree w/a title card or something- the last card is too little to see..

You only need to prove to me that you can stand still while nothing is said once. Cut all that dead time out of scene 1. Subtitles take my constantly off of the acting. Do it during the monologue instead. The cafe table is an even, smooth and slightly dark conversation. Make it a tight and single 2 character shot. No cut-aways. See if you can make these 30-90 sec. stories have a beginning and end unless it comes from a story or movie we already know. Lighting and cinematography is good.

Personally, I disagree w/Sam, unless you're targeting theatre. Keep the subtitles, so we're engaged... cutting the fade outs might help.. don't make stories.. in Hollywood- EVERY CD/ CSA/ CS Assoc. workshop (commercial or theatrical) says the same thing- grab em' in 20 secs or you've lost them b'cuz' of their volume... they've gotten jaded. They're looking for a saleable product... show yer' best- just show it quick!

I didn't mean to kill the subtitles, I meant kill that scene and speak another language during the monologue. I and most others of a different language cannot appreciate the acting if we keep having to look down reading one comment while the next actor has already begun

One of the reasons Frank Sinatra and James Earl Jones were classics, and loved by the world, was their profound enunciation in their speech patterns . You clearly could hear every syllable and nuance in their voices. I lost a lot of you in your reel because you faded out. You needed the words to promote your face and the movements of your body. A good practical exercise is to turn away from your practice reader and say your lines. Ask them if they understood them clearly, adjust accordingly, and then apply the kinetics to your scene. I feel you have some good techniques, but without strong enunciation, the details of your narrative is hurting. Hope this helps. Did I mention that you are a true beauty? FYI

There are lots of good comments. Generally, the reel should, I think, be a bit shorter. Decide what scenes you could either cut entirely or shorten (but I think you've already done the shortening). First scene in ?Dutch? yes? put a note on that first scene in whatever language it is, then if you do more in that language (I think you only need one 'foreign language' scene) you don't have to repeat the note. You don't need more than one 'Dutch' scene because you're not looking for work or representation in the Netherlands. Hey, all this is OPINION. Basically, shorter and keep the variety. In the U.S. the trend is to have ONE SCENE reels, categorizing type of character, rather than one reel with variations like you have here. (For Agents okay with variety). But for your Agent to submit, here anyway, you'll have to have separate single character demos to cover the types you can/are playing. For example, if they are looking for a "victim" or say a sly coquettish type, they don't want to see all your 'types.' They want to see that. In television, they don't have time - or won't take the time to watch a lot of scenes that don't apply to what they are trying to cast. This isn't "right" or "wrong" it's just the way it goes (here in the U.S.) anyway. Film is different. Sorry to take up so much space. Tough to evaluate all the feedback you're getting because what are the credentials of those offering feedback? Just so you know, I'm a lifetime performer, starting at age 4. I've done theatre, I've been in the Acting Guilds for 60 years and I vote for the Oscars and sill work at my craft. Hope the comments help. You are a gifted actress. Tough starting in a new country but you're obviously doing it. Hals und Beinbruch. Patrick Gorman www.patrickgormanonline.com

Very good stuff. I totally agree about the contact info on a title card. But the range is good. I wish there was some comedy and maybe some action but if that's not your thing, then so be it. The second scene was the best for me because nothing annoys me more than someone who pretends to cry but can't. I just never buy that. I would like to have seen it develop more from earlier on in that scene. But over all, good stuff.

Thank you all for these great comments and feedback. There are some really good pointers that I can work on, and most definitely will! I would love to do some comedy parts, but I haven't had the opportunity yet to play one! It's not what I normally get asked for, haha!

I think you are a fantastic actor Marleen, very good stuff.

Nice, but I would edit this down to 2 minutes.

All reels are 2:00 ▬ your looks with full makeup & hair are very marketable at 2:00 it is too tight on the face from 0:35 to 1:12 that is what I want to see but I am not a working professional at major so seems the rest of the reel may be better ~ need several working folks to provide what they think ▬ your acting is remarkable and with the strong appearance seems to me you will be on a bunch of major-features All reels are 2:00 ▬ Neil Stone told me that. He is a major; I had part of an hour face-2-face and he is cool to work with ~ so if he told me All reels are 2:00 ▬ then All reels are 2:00