One of the biggest goals for an actor looking to have a career in front of the camera is to have a great demo reel that showcases their work. A good demo reel can help define your type, demonstrate your range of talents and provide a vehicle for you to make your presence known in many markets and marketplaces. Additionally, a great reel can be used to augment your website, e-newsletter, marketing campaigns and send a message about your professionalism.
The Concept
Most actors have a vague notion of what a demo reel is but few understand the underlying ideas that are at play in creating one. Here are the core concepts that should be considered when putting your reel together.
- It’s a piece of advertising – More specifically, it’s an infomercial about you and what you can bring to a project. Remember, all advertising tells a story and your reel is no exception. If you’re trying to position yourself as the comedian, the leading lady or the character actor that should dictate what film segments go on your reel.
- You must always be the focus – It’s great to do a scene with Jodie Foster, but if you only have one line and we just see the back of your head, the scene is useless. A good editor will be able to trim your scenes so that you are always highlighted.
- It must identify you and your essence – Your “essence” is a combination of your physical characteristics, your personality and your vibe. Not only should this play a role in the selection of which pieces you choose, but also any additional material on or in the reel - your headshot, any music, your resume, the color scheme of the packaging, etc.
- Range – In general, showing range within your “type” is important. But if you know that you play one particular type better than any other, perhaps you should just focus on that. For example, if, because of your essence, you always get cast as the rough-looking villain, the ditsy best friend or the over-the-top, stressed out businessman, then maybe you should showcase your strong suit.
Content
So if that’s the function of the demo reel, how does that influence the form it takes when you create it? Let’s look at the basics.
- It’s a collection of your film, TV and video work – To put footage of your film auditions or acting class scenes on your reel is a big mistake. Your reel needs to be made up of your professional work, if for no other reason than having someone film you doing a monologue will come off as amateurish. Yes, it is a catch-22…sorry.
- Strongest scene first – A good piece of advertising grabs the viewers attention so your best piece must be the first one they see.
- Placement and pacing – The order in which you place the pieces will, by themselves, create a certain rhythm or pacing to the reel. this is important because they help create and sustain a mood throughout the reel. Here’s where the advice of a good editor is invaluable.
- The purpose of each scene is to elicit a single strong emotion – You may be proud of the fact that you had a five minute scene on that TV show, but the viewer of your reel only needs to grasp the dramatic intent of the scene for it to be effective. By its very nature, the reel is episodic; the pieces are taken out of context; and it isn’t meant to tell coherent narrative. Once the viewer gets the thrust of the scene, it’s time to move on.
“Advertising doesn't create a product advantage. It can only convey it.” – William Bernbach
Sean Pratt - A 25 year veteran, I teach actors about the business of the Biz; holding workshops, writing articles, posting videos & career coaching. ...
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