Acting : Monologue for Demo reel? by Nitten Rajput

Hi Brandon, Serio-comic will be good choice. Can you recommend any script, so I could go through it. Thanks for advice

I’m starting to produce more of these for local actors. The one thing that I recommend for sure is that you select an age appropriate monologue and bring multiple characters to the table to perform it. Depending on your age/character type, you may want to use an aria from an existing film.

I agree with Doug and Brandon. When I was taking part in Monologue Festivals in Los Angeles, I wrote all of my monologues. Don't know if you are a writer, but if you are, consider writing your own. Make them original and use Doug's and Brandon's suggestions. Best wishes.

This is just my opinion, but most of the casting directors and other industry I know, don't really think that a monologue belongs on a Film/TV reel. Due to the availability of a smartphone and free sites like YouTube and Vimeo, what you may want to think about doing, is find a scene from a TV show/Film (or write one yourself!). Make sure it's a scene that takes place in a location you easily have access to - like a room in a home, an office, the park, etc. Find someone else to do the scene with. If you don't have other actors who are willing to be on camera, then get someone who will read the other lines off-camera. Make sure the scene is not too technically complex - keep it to one scene, in one location where there is little movement, unless you want to do a "walk and talk" with another person. You can shoot it on your iPhone/ smartphone, edit it, and add it to your reel. This way, an industry person has a better "picture" of how you look and perform in the actual situation they would be working with you in.

When I’m running auditions for a project, I ask for a head shot & bio. I generally don’t ask to see a demo reel based on a monologue but I always ask for prior audition clips if they have any. The reason is simple – your monologue is a polished reading in a controlled environment and has been edited to present you in the best light possible. Audition clips show more of how you respond in a more free-flowing environment interacting with other characters/actors and Producer/Directors where you may be ask to read the same part differently. Not only does it showoff your skills better; it shows how you work/mix with others on the project. I always provide the actor with a full, unedited copy of the session if they get the part or not. .

I recommend not selecting one from a monologue book (because everyone does). I read plays and I mark scenes that I like so when I need one, I can find one. A good serio-comic writer I suggest is Christopher Durang.