Hey any advice for creating a writer portfolio for folks who want to write for both tv, and film, as well as direct? Advice pertaining to what should go into a writers portfolio, where to start etc?
Hey Anon,
I’ve answered a few portfolio questions before that you can check out. For directing, you should have a reel instead of a portfolio. A reel is a montage of assorted works that showcase your talent. This channel has great demo reels and I suggest you watch a few to get a feel for how to put together your own.
As for screenwriting, your portfolio should be a body of scripts that represent what you want to write for your career. It’s good to showcase your range, but often when you start, people will hire you for one thing then you will be known for that thing for a while. So if, for example, you want to write 1 hour dramas, don’t spend your time and energy writing sitcoms.
If you want to write for television, I recommend having a spec script of an existing show and an original pilot in your portfolio. The first shows you can handle other people’s characters and the latter shows your personal style/creativity. Both could land you a position as a staff writer and your original can potentially be sold/picked up as a series.
For film, I recommend having at least one feature in a genre you are interested in. I wouldn’t write short films unless you plan on producing them yourself. (In that case, you can add your short films to your reel!) The reason for this is companies aren’t interested in buying short films and they only really invest time in reading features, tv scripts, or treatments.
Overall, the more scripts you have in your portfolio, the better, regardless of if they are produced or not. More scripts means higher chances of people finding something of yours they like/are willing to invest in.
Best,
Jules
