It might surprise you to learn that Snowreels was never part of some grand plan. What’s now a growing company helping actors build cinematic showreels together started out as a bit of a personal project. Anna needed a new reel, something current, affordable, and true to who they were as an actor, and that led to our very first session back in 2023.

At Snowreels, we understand the pressure actors face when it comes to showreels. You want something that feels like a scene lifted straight from a Netflix drama—but without spending your entire Spotlight subscription fund to get there.

As part of our new lighting breakdown series, I’m going behind the scenes on how I light cinematic, performance-first showreels for actors—using real setups from Snowreels shoots. This first post is all about intentional restraint.