Sometimes it’s better to have no demo reel than a bad demo reel. Getting a copy of that first acting job can be a monumental moment. You finally have something to show your family and friends! You’ve made it! You can actually say you are an actor now! Plus you are now on your way to building that much talked about “demo reel”.
A “demo reel” is a 3-6 minute dvd featuring scenes from your past acting work. In my opinion, a solid demo reel will feature 3-4 scenes which highlight your best work. Ideally you want a couple of drama and a couple of comedy scenes. It’s fabulous if you can show some diversity in the characters. And if you can show some TV and some Film…even better. I know this all sounds fine and dandy but what if you are just starting out? It’s ok. You can improvise but make sure you don’t get desperate and show something that doesn’t do you any justice. I’ve seen my share of bad demo reels and I’ll tell you they only become bad because actors showcase work to just to show something rather than showcase work you are proud of. Less is more!!! I much rather see one great quality scene with terrific acting than 5 bad scenes. I’ve seen demos with scenes that show primarily other actors instead of the actor who’s demo reel I’m watching. I’ve seen demos with 3 commercials and one really bad scene. I’ve seen demo reels where the camera was moving so much than I got a headache. I’ve seen demos that were clearly reality shows and even company training videos.
Here are some tips for those starting out: Don’t put commercials or training videos unless your agent has asked you specifically for a commercial or a hosting demo reel. Shoot for 3 quality scenes. Make sure the focus is on you and not the other actors. If you have scene with a well known actor then the chances are the scene is more about the them. That’s ok since you want to show that you worked with well known actors just don’t have 3 scenes all focusing other actors. Make sense? The scenes can come from Grad student films but make sure they are good quality. Notice I say Grad films and not just student films. The Grad ones seem to be better. Check local casting and see if you can get yourself in a short film. Short films are a great way to get tape and they often will focus just on you and a couple of other actors. If you have the lead role in a short film and it is good quality then you might be able to just show that as your demo reel. If you have a scene that you are not so sure about, show it to other industry professionals and get feedback. You are welcome to email us, if you’d like.
Demo reels are an additional tool to getting acting work. Don’t strees if you don’t have one yet. In time you will. They are mostly helpful in landing auditions and meetings with agents. Be patient and remember less is More!
Lorena
