As a professional actor, it's imperative to make yourself as marketable as possible to people looking to hire you. An acting demo reel allows people to see a snapshot of your work on film, television and commercials. Casting directors, agents, managers, producers and directors all like to view acting reels at times, to get an idea of how an actor looks on camera as well as her acting ability. Generally, actors have a commercial reel showcasing their commercial work and a theatrical reel which showcases their film and television experience.
If you can, use only professional footage. Now, this tip is up for discussion among various industry groups. Some say that you can ONLY put professional footage on your demo reel, while others say that if you don't have enough professional credits to put on your demo reel, than it is okay to record a scene and put that on your reel. What I have found to be most effective, is putting your professional productions on your demo reel. This can become challenging when you haven't worked enough, or haven't been features, in a professional production.
But, what if you haven't done any of the above, and yet an agent is still requesting a demo reel. In this case, inform the agent - if they don't already know - that you haven't been featured on any professional productions as of yet. After discussing this with them, they may instruct you to make a professional short clip of a scene with someone else.
How to make a Demo Reel
1. Collect copies of all your on-camera work. This generally includes copies of any television episodes you've been in as well as feature, independent, student and short films. You should also obtain copies of any television commercials you've done.
Step 2. Separate your commercial clips from your film work. You'll want to create a separate reel for your commercial and film work.
Step 3. Watch every scene in which you appear and choose the scenes that showcase you best.
Step 4. Consider several things when choosing your best scenes to put on your reel. You want to make sure you are prominently featured in the scene and the filming is of good quality. No one will notice your talent if they are distracted by poor lighting and sound. Try to pick contrasting scenes for your demo reel. If you have a comedic scene, pair it with a more dramatic scene to show your range.
Step 5. Choose the order that your scenes will appear. Feature your most notable work first. If one of your scenes is with a famous actor or on a well-known television show, consider placing this at the beginning of your reel to catch the viewer's attention. Oftentimes, casting directors do not watch entire reels so don't save your best work for the end of your reel.
Step 6. Keep it short. Like most things in life, brevity is key in acting demo reels. Aim to keep your reel under three minutes. One-minute reels are very popular as casting executives are more likely to watch them, knowing it won't be a big time investment.
Step 7. Get opinions from other professional people on the scenes you chose. Sometimes it helps to have a second set of eyes examine things as it can be hard to be objective of your own work.
Step 8. Hire a professional editor to put your reel together. Your name and contact information should be featured at the beginning and end of your demo reel.
SAMPLE DEMO REEL:
Acting in Columbus alumni Sean Velie's Demo Reel. Sean is currently living in Los Angeles.
