Digital Media Support UCNS
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Author: Randy Dudley, Former UCNS Consultant

Randy's Guide to Good Demo Reels

Not enough can be said about demo reels. Many people don't realize the importance of having a good reel. It's more than just a collage of content that plays for a few minutes. It's your statement as an artist, showing whoever sees it, that this is what I do, this is the kind of person that I am. And there are a lot of factors that contribute to this "feel" your demo has. First thing to do is talk about what not to do. Please remember that these are only suggestions, and in some cases may not be acceptable, but in general, they are good guidelines to go by. These should help your reel from getting lumped with all the other ordinary student reels.

Before we start...how do I know this stuff?

Well, I just got back to school after working a year in the industry. I worked for Macquarium Multimedia Inc., and saw almost every reel that came into the office. No, I'm not the complete authority on how to make a demo, but after seeing some good ones, and plenty of bad ones, I've learned what to do and what not to do. I'm just trying to pass along my experiences. The goal of this document is to try and raise the quality of work here to a high and professional level. This means better jobs for everyone, and it makes our program look really good.

Don'ts.

Don't ever ever ever put any tutorial material on your reel. There have been so many times that we have watched a reel and seen the old "Alias fruit bowl" or the "raygun" pop up on the screen. The tape usually gets ejected at that point. Then we think, "this person is cheap, unoriginal, and just trying to lengthen their tape because they don't have any work to show." True, you may do an excellent job making an animation out of a tutorial, but the work is not entirely yours, so its best to leave it off the tape which is supposed to show your work.
Don't make your demo reel too long. A good length is between 1 and 2 minutes. Remember that your reel is a sort of commercial, and most commercials on TV last about 30 to 45 seconds. Keep it short.
Don't include long segments of animation. Your reel needs to be short, concise, and attention getting in the beginning.
Don't include animations of tunnels, space ships, fractal planets, and so on. These have been done to death. However, if you have an animation that is particularly spectacular on one of these themes, then included it- but flying a camera down a round tunnel is not very original.

Do's.

Think. Think about your reel. How do you want it to come off? Content is very important of course, but so is presentation. Speaking of content, it very important that your reel have some. Seen some Hollywood movies lately? Well, most movies today have great effects, but are seriously lacking on the content end. Not that eye candy is bad, but it's mostly the computer doing the work. Trust me, after a time, you'll be able to recognize what software does what effect. Someone reviewing your reel is not going to be impressed that you made a KPT Bryce landscape, but they may be impressed with what you decided to do with it. What works is a solid set of ideas that are executed in a well done manner. So take some time and plan it out. Write down your ideas, make some storyboards, get it organized and well thought out. It will make a BIG difference.

Structure. The standard length for a reel is around a minute. It shouldn't be longer than two. You don't want to bore any potential viewers. If you have some longer works, great, but included them in their entirety at the end. Here is a common demo reel timeline:

Let's examine these...

This needs to be good. This is the first thing they will see, and it should set the mood for the entire reel. A simple fade up might work, but try and get some creativity in there...this would be a good chance to show some proficiency with Adobe AfterEffects. (which is a great thing to know...) If you like loud and fast, then do that, but make sure it will get someone's attention.

This is the bulk of your reel. Get your best stuff in there. The cuts or fades should be quick, and the motion smooth. The worst thing you can do here is to have an animation end and then cut. Nothing should ever sit still. If you have two animations of an flyby you did, let's say, then fade them before the animation finishes on the first one. Remember, it needs to be smooth. If you have some animations that are better than others, then space them out in this section. Try and work your content so that it works well together. Use some thought in how to transition the content, but don't rely too much on software like Pandemonium, let's say, to do an effect for you...remember your content is what is most important.
Let's also talk about music here for a second, because it relates to the content. In general, bad music will ruin a demo reel. Now everyone's taste in music is different and that is fine, but its best to choose something pleasant, upbeat and workable. Eclectic types of music generate strong opinions. That may be what you want, but be careful. It sounds stereotypical, but people's characters are reflected in the music they listen to- not that you should be judged in any way by the music you like. But, I've seen some demos with decent material and terrible music and it just makes them go sour. Blech. Take a good look at your content, then decide what music you think is best. Watch your animations and listen to potential tracks at the same time. Ever noticed how important a soundtrack is to a movie? Well, the same is true in the case of your reel.

This is optional, but it might be good for you to list the software you used. Again, be creative. If you used Alias, then do something cool in Alias to tell everyone that. Same with Photoshop, AfterEffects, Premiere, Pandemonium, and so on. Keep it quick though.

Don't scam ideas or other people's work. Give credit where credit is due.

If you have longer animations, then stick them here if you want. Choose the best sections or clips for the content sections, and then show it in its entirety at the end. Doing so gives the viewer the option. They've seen a good sampling of your stuff in the beginning, now if they like, they can get a longer look. All the big houses do it this way, and so should you.

Additional things to think about.

Make sure your demo is labeled nicely. Huge fancy boxes aren't necessary, and may be annoying. Just do something that looks nice and shows that you didn't just slap a label on the tape.

Try to develop a strong theme if you want. Your work may be varied, and that is very good, since it will show the viewer that you can do many things. But if you can, develop a strong binding element in your work. This will show that you have focus and maturity.

Have some stills ready as well. Some potential employers may want stills of your work to look at and go over.

Okay, that's all for now...please direct any questions and/or comment in our direction: