We recently discussed the power of a good trailer in this day and age of internet short attention spans. Well, the same holds true for a demo reel.
When showing off your creative skills to a prospective client or employer, you only get one first impression, and that is often with a demo reel. A great reel will create excitement about your work. It’ll leave the viewer wanting to see more, and it will make you look like a creative genius. But a bad reel will leave you forgotten at best and loathed at worst. Here are some tips for cutting a great demo reel.
Find A Thread
There are several types of demo reels. Some show complete pieces back to back, some show longer snippets, and some are cut with quicker bits of action edited together. Figure out which type of reel works for your needs and build a thread through it.
In many cases, an edit with several pieces cut into smaller bits will be your best bet. When editing this type of reel, try to find the best ways to tie pieces together with common elements, transitional devices, and a bit of a story.
It may be hard to create a complete storyline with several disparate pieces, but with some thoughtful placement and clever editing, you will find ways to tie everything together in a nice package.
Edit, Edit, Edit
The above headline actually has two meanings. One, spend the time to create an edit that flows well, tells your visual story, and keeps your viewer interested. Two, take out anything that isn’t helping sell your brand and your skills.
Let’s start with the first point. Just like with trailers and with everything we watch these days, attention span is short and viewers need to be engaged at all times or they’ll find something better to watch.
Build an edit that draws the viewer in. Find the most interesting and stimulating visuals. Make the reel as short as you can while covering everything you need to. In general, a creative reel can be as short as 00:45, but often reels longer than 2:00 get boring unless they are built on longer narratives or require longer pieces.
Pacing your edit is up to you, but try to remain consistent in your approach. Remember that longer shots run the risk of getting boring, but too many fast cuts may leave the viewer confused. Find a happy medium that best shows your work without dragging.
The second thing to do is edit what you show to the best of the best. A reel with 00:45 or even 00:30 of great work is better than one that’s 1:30 and full of not so great examples.
When thinking about what to show in your reel, consider your audience first. If you are looking for a certain type of client or employer, pick the pieces that will best represent what they are looking for.
Try and use fresh material when you can. There are some pieces that are just timeless and may stay in your reel forever, but at times, pieces start to feel dated and a discerning viewer will notice this. If you have a lot of examples that utilize older techniques for animation or have color palettes and fonts that are no longer in style, it may appear that you haven’t been keeping up with the trends.
Finally, there’s an old saying in the creative world that goes like this. “Kill your babies.” While it may seem rather morbid, it aims to make this point. As creatives, we often fall in love with the work we do. That isn’t a bad thing, but sometimes we fall in love with the stuff that isn’t the best or most successful of our work. Maybe it’s because we spent a lot of time on it or maybe it’s just because we felt good about the idea. But if it doesn’t help sell your brand or make you look your best, you have to let it go. Chop it out and focus on the brightest pieces. Take your personal feeling out of the equation and be objective about what to share.
Music To Your Eyes
In most reels, music plays a key role in the edit and the overall attitude. If you are using music, start by finding a piece that speaks to you and matches your personality and the personality of your work. Pick music that has a tempo to match your desired feel. Uptempo dance music can be great for a quick cut visual effects reel, while a quirky, fun tune may help a reel that’s built around creative writing or fun directing skills.
You the music that you pick as a guide for your tempo in editing. Cutting to music helps give your edit a sense of rhythm which will in turn keep your viewer connected. We all have a sense of musical rhythm and honing in on that is a great way to subtly engage the viewer and hold their attention.
Watch other reels that you like and take note of how the music affects your overall feelings about the visuals.
And remember that the music should not be offensive or abrasive to the viewer. Just because you like Norwegian death metal, doesn’t mean your viewer does. If they are bothered by the music, they may just stop watching altogether.
Just remember that your reel doesn’t have to be anything but the best representation of you and your work. Find music that adds to your message. Take out anything that doesn’t help sell your brand or image. And create a complete piece that stands on its own with pacing, strong editing, and a cohesive thread from beginning to end.
