First impressions are crucial, particularly when it comes to how actors present themselves to agents, managers, and casting directors. In addition to that all-important headshot and resumé, another required calling card is your demo reel. Your reel is often the most important introduction you can make.
Says casting director Billy DaMota, "Nowadays, most casting directors want to see a reel. So it makes sense that most agents and managers will ask to see some tape on you before they decide to represent you. I think it's smart to start compiling a reel as soon as possible—keeping in mind that you need to be well-trained and ready to compete before you start looking for work."
There's of course that Catch-22 that nearly every beginning actor grapples with: How do I put a reel together without having professional credits to my name? How do I get those first jobs without a reel?
DaMota recommends, "That period before an actor joins SAG—non-union or SAG-eligible—is a great time to start submitting for everything you're right for: short films, student films, SAG Experimental, limited-exhibition features, and whatever good non-union stuff you can find. These are all ways to start getting material for a reel. And always make certain when working on a non-paying gig that you get, in writing, a guarantee that producers will provide you with your scenes as soon as they are available. That's the reason, after all, you're doing these kinds of projects."
Another route for novice actors is to shoot your own scenes for a reel, which these days can be very affordable, thanks to the popularity of digital filmmaking. This is not the preferred method, but if the footage is filmed in a way that looks professional and shows how good an actor you are, it is acceptable.
"I don't think you need to have studio-quality production values in order to have a valid demo reel, as long as the production values are not so distractingly bad that someone watching it is not focused on your acting," says Ian Chowdhury, a demo reel producer at Creative Artworks. If you choose to self-produce scenes—which some demo reel producers can do in-house—there are a few prerequisites, according to him. "You need to have coverage, which means it can't just be a stagnant shot of you and your friend sitting at a table talking," says Chowdhury. "You need to film the same scene several times from appropriate angles, so you can cut back and forth between the people in the scene and show it from a master shot—that sort of thing. And you want to have lighting that looks decent. The other prerequisite is that you want it to be in an appropriate location for that scene. If you're supposed to be in a restaurant, you can't film it in your kitchen. It's got to seem as though, even if it's not a high-budget movie, it could have been from a movie. Third, you should rent not only a camera but a decent microphone, because that is one of the giveaways of really low production values, if the sound is just too bad."
Still, DaMota cautions actors about sending him amateur footage. "Most CDs don't want to see self-produced scenes or monologues," he claims. "And watching a bad recording of a live theatre piece or showcase is useless. We want to see what you look like in the context of a real, professionally produced film or TV show."
Again the key is for actors to present themselves as professionals. Talent manager Alan Ellsweig doesn't mind if an actor includes self-produced scenes on a reel, as long as those scenes look and sound good. He discourages actors from including poor-quality footage, particularly from stage productions they've acted in. "Some people will have footage of a play they did, but there are no close-ups," says the manager. "It's a camera at the back of a theatre, and they're onstage, and we really can't see their performance at all. We can barely hear what they're saying. It doesn't really do anything for them. It doesn't flatter them. It doesn't present them in the best light. And obviously you want to put your best foot forward in your first submission to any agent or manager, because usually that's the one opportunity you get to make that impression. So my advice would be to have as cohesive, strong, and professional a presentation as you can possibly put together."
As for plays, Ellsweig suggests to actors, "If they can't capture that on film, it would suit them better to just invite us—the agents and the managers—to come see them in the play."
Chowdhury compares your demo reel to a first date: "Only show the best parts of yourself." He adds that actors should make a demo reel as soon as possible in their careers but only make a reel once they have compiled at least 90 seconds worth of strong acting. He also recommends that actors put their best material first on a reel, to grab the viewer's attention. Plus, the chances of the viewer watching your entire reel are slim.
He points out two of the most common mistakes that actors make on their reels. First, their reels are too long. Most industry insiders agree that a reel should never exceed three minutes—two is even better. Remember that the people you are sending your reel to have little time to devote to you. The second "sin" Chowdhury sees actors commit is that their reels are lacking an "emotional through-line." He says, "If there's one thing that you need in your demo, it is for the viewer to have an emotional reaction to the performer, and you can't get that just by assembling random clips next to each other. Even if they're brilliant moments, the viewer is not going to have an emotional reaction to that if it's not put in the proper context. And so a lot of people correctly go under the assumption that you don't need to tell a story with the demo, but it does have to have an emotional arc to it, so that when you go from one moment to the next, it doesn't seem completely disembodied. There are emotional transitions, you might say."
As an example, Chowdhury doesn't recommend having a hilarious scene that you did on a sitcom immediately following a scene where your character is at the bedside of his dying mother. He suggests, "If you have to go from sad to funny because the quality of the footage of the sad [scene] is so good that you've just got to put that first—you don't want to take the chance that the person's not going to see it—try to go from sad to scary. If you give someone a good shock, then they're pumped up again, and then you can be funny."
Kevin Gibbons, a demo reel producer at the company Cracker Post, mentions another common mistake actors make. "A lot of times people put too much weight onto a one-line thing that they had on a show like Will & Grace," he says, adding that it's fine to include those kinds of one-liners in, say, a montage sequence but not as the main filler. "It's better to have one scene that's a little bulkier, that shows you in a scene, actually acting and reacting and having some moments."
Gibbons also says the actors' demos must affect the viewer. "Actors should be most concerned with developing their own identity that's unique. It's important to be original," he says. That doesn't necessarily mean having to include fancy graphics or special effects; it means showing only the best that you have to offer. "Simple is better, in general. The fancy graphics are reflecting more on the editor and on the graphic designer than on the actor. You don't want to take away focus from the acting."
For a professional-looking reel that has been created by an editor, expect to pay anywhere from $200 to $300. There are less-expensive ways to go, and most editors charge by the hour, so you can find lower rates if you need to. Other tips: Always take a look at sample reels from the editor you're considering working with. Have an idea before you meet with an editor about what types of roles you think casting directors will consider you for, and make sure your editor understands that. In some cases, actors may be trying to change the way the industry perceives them; that's a good time to change your reel. Likewise if you're trying to switch agents or managers, it's also a good time to update your demo. To save money on updates to your reel, ask to get a master copy of your reel. Also ask your editor if he or she can keep a master copy on file for easier access.
As for what format to send your reel out on—DVD, VHS, or via a link to your Web site—that's up to you. But keep in mind that some agents, managers, and CDs may not be as technically savvy as you. Not all burned DVDs play on people's systems, for example. "I still prefer VHS, myself," admits Ellsweig, although he will accept DVDs. "I'm still kind of 'old school,' in that I like popping the VHS tape in." BSW