Today we’d like to introduce you to Steve Whelan.
Steve, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My business partner, Troy Price, and I started out as a duo with the intention of creating original content. As an actor, I was frustrated with the classic Catch-22 of not having good enough footage to get into big rooms for auditions. Troy was a former model turned director/director of photography, and we set out to create projects with our friends… Word got out in my acting class that I had a “friend” with a camera, and one of my classmates asked us to shoot a monologue she had performed in class. We did just that, and it turned out great! It was after that little project that gave us the idea that there was a void out there for actors that we could fill. We started out shooting in my partners’ house, using a garage and a dolly made out of a skateboard. That was ten years ago, and we have created thousands of reels for actors from all over the world.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
We certainly had our struggles along the way, the main one being naysayers and critics from the establishment that put an instant taboo on a manufactured reel for an actor. “That’s not how it’s done” was a phrase we heard frequently. We started in 2007, which coincided with the digital revolution. The old school thinking was now anyone with a camera can create content, and therefore the quality will be diluted. We found that our clients were consistently benefitting from their reels, and we knew that the industry would catch up, which it did. Now, casting directors and producers don’t care where the footage came from, as long as it is good. And that is the caveat, the production value must be at a high level.
Please tell us about Relentless Filmworks.
We are a boutique production company specializing in creating original demo reels for actors. We create scenes tailored to each actor, guiding them along the way, from the content creation to the shoot itself, onto the editing process. We are known for our high production value. If someone says to us “what show is this from?” then we know we have done our job. I am the most proud of the fact that we have created service that puts the all the power on the actor. No longer is an audition or an on-going production in play, where the production decides everything. With us, the actor creates scenes that play to their own brand which they create themselves. They get to decide how the industry sees them, not the other way around. I did not have that opportunity when I first arrived to LA back in 1996. I love the fact that our actors are taking control of their career. It’s very empowering, and it’s a joy to see that process unfold. I feel the one aspect of our company that separates us from the others, is the fact that we know how to direct actors.
It’s great to have all the toys and gadgets, but at the end of the day, every actor wants and needs to be directed. It’s essential to the process.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I wouldn’t change a thing. Everything has happened as it should, and still is.
Pricing:
- Big Kahuna: Three one minute scenes (plus a sizzle reel) $1,975
- Sizzle Reel: Three thiry second scenes. $1,175
- One page scene: $675
Contact Info:
- Address: Relentless Filmworks
12023 1/2 Ventura Blvd.,
Studio City, CA 91604 - Website: www.relentlessfilmworks.com
- Phone: 8189673800
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/relentlessfilmworks/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RelentlessFilmworks/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/relentlessfmwrx
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/relentless-filmworks-los-angeles
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