Dear Tombudsman:
Would you devote space in your column to demo reels? Everything from format to length and the total recommended clips per reel. I have five different things to put on mine-a PSA, an industrial, a film scene, a video presentation, and a commercial. Do you recommend fading to black between each clip? I've called around and everyone has different answers. What about graphics, like headings? What is the most important thing to show on your demo?
I.L.
San Francisco, Calif.
Dear I.L.:
As this is the photo and marketing tools issue of Back Stage West, I can't think of a better time to discuss one of the most important tools in a film actor's arsenal-the demo reel. I'm not surprised that you've gotten several conflicting answers from those who've you talked with, as there is no singularly defined and accepted model for a demo, but the one thing everybody can agree on is that the tape you deliver better be of quality. No one wants to see home movies of you doing a living-room-staged scene from Death of a Salesman, nor do professional casting directors or agents relish the thought of witnessing a two-hour hand-held video production of your most recent 99-seat theatrical production.
You will also win no fans by sending a complete one-hour television show that features you in the 42nd minute. And no one will be likely to call you in for a meeting to read for a sitcom if you send them your demo of Shakespearean sonnets. So those are some of the obvious (at least I hope they're obvious), no-nos when contemplating what to do in preparation for your demo.
I can only speak from my own experience and from other actors I know whose reels have gotten good feedback. You may perhaps choose to go along with some of my suggestions, but you'll ultimately want to listen to your agent or manager-the person who has to send that reel around. If you aren't represented, then I suggest you use common sense and only use clips that you are truly proud of. I know everyone wants to get their work out there, but do you think a hastily prepared demo with some mediocre clips will do much for your career? I don't.
My suggestion to most newish actors contemplating their first demo is to instead spend money on acting classes and not rush to plunk down hard-earned money into a demo presentation until they've accumulated a variety of clips, or at the very least a few strong scenes from one production, to make a killer demo. I know that there are tons of companies that will gladly take a newcomer's cash to make a demo reel of staged scenes, but know that professional casters and agents see right through those kinds of demos. What makes the grade in Los Angeles and other major acting centers are reels with legitimate professional clips. Of course, I realize that there are rare exceptions to this reel rule, so don't send me a letter if you're the one in a thousand who taped a home scene and got an agent. Overall this approach does not work.
On the other end of the spectrum, know that if you are fortunate enough to be regularly employed as a paid thespian you needn't have 16 clips from every hot television show squeezed together on your reel-a little good acting goes a long way on a demo. A caster can usually tell in the first minute whether you have what they need, and to go further should only be to show the variety of clips you may have. I have about six clips of myself playing cops, but I never use more than one or maybe two on my demo, because they can pretty much get the idea that I can play a cop after one or two scenes of doing it. If you do get work, always keep your reel updated. A clip from a '70s drama won't do anything for you in the year 2000.
A top reel will include professional clips highlighting your best acting work-and five to eight minutes is usually plenty of time to do that. That is not an uncommon length for working actors' reels these days, but there are also very effective two-minute reels. Shorter is almost always better, so never pad your reel. You'll never want to incite a yawn and you'll always want to leave them wanting more. The fact is, unless you are regularly working, and that's about half a percent of all union members, you'll probably only have a few minutes of contemporary tape anyway. What is professional work? It is not the things I listed in the first paragraph. Ideally, it is clips culled from television series, films, and commercials and, yes, occasionally industrials and PSAs. These are the kind of roles one uses a reel to get, so it makes complete sense you'd try to emulate that on your demo.
Initially your reel will only have perhaps a few professional clips, but once you've been at it a while and compiled a nice resum of feature or television credits, you'll want to show more variety in your work, so mix it up. Longer clips mixed with shorter clips and dramatic mixed with comedic ones show diversity and also keep the watcher interested-assuming, of course, that the acting work is solid.
There are many schools of thought about clip order. Some actors think dramatic scenes should go first, followed by comedy stuff, and then commercials, etc. I don't buy any of it and fall back again on the quality issue. If my strongest acting clip was from a commercial, or an industrial even, I'd put that on a reel first. Good acting is good acting, period. I believe that you don't focus on whether it's funny, sad, scary, or hip, but that the linear goal is to get the good stuff first. There are some who believe you keep the best clips for last, but not me. I'm always assuming the person watching is really busy and might not have time to watch the whole reel.
I've been blessed to work with some really great demo editors over the years and have seen every type of tape and order of clips imaginable. I've never seen one method that rose over all others, but I have viewed some incredible reels that were completely different yet equally effective because of the quality acting work. Bottom line: Get some opinions on your clips from those you trust in the industry, follow your own instincts, too, and put your best stuff up front-regardless of where it comes from. This doesn't mean you'd put a strong scene from a PSA in front of an equally strong scene from Frasier. Use your noggin! You're trying to get more TV and film work.
Remember that diversity is important, but only if the acting is able to serve it. Let's say you have two strong dramatic scenes from two shows and a really poor comedic scene that no one liked but your mother. Are you gong to put the comedy piece on the reel just to show you can do both sides well? I wouldn't. Personally, and from the reels I've seen that have impressed me, I'd suggest taking your best work and only your best work and going with that. Yes, I know some people newer to the business feel they need to put whatever they have on a reel, and there may be some instances when that can get you in the door, but I still believe that less is best, especially when you are using a clip that doesn't show you in your best light.
Speaking of less is best, the new trend is for actors to do one- or two-minute reels for on-line video services. I'm not going to plug the companies here, but many actors know that they can now market their headshots as well as their reels on-line. Since you pay by the minute to have your work downloaded, you'll need to be especially cognizant of your final bill. Aside from telling you to shop cautiously when considering one of these services, the bottom line for you should be to find out how many casters and/or producers actually look at these on-line reels. If you go forward with this, you'll most certainly have a shorter reel than you'd use to send casters or agents in the mail. More on this subject in the future.
Your demo reel copies will end up on half-inch VHS and your masters will usually be in Beta SP or 3/4. Don't send the larger tapes to anyone, just the half-inch copies-unless your last name is Trump. And for cryin' out loud, have the reel cued up to the top. Clips should cut right into other clips, and I've not seen any demo that used blackouts between clips. Graphics should never overshadow the scenes on your demo. A short and interesting graphic of your name and maybe your union affiliations are fine, but don't go overboard. Some actors start out with a short piece of music as their name comes on the screen, others don't. It's your call. Some performers also do montages either at the top or end of their reel. I've never done it, but sometimes they can be effective.
You need to choose a video editor that knows the business, and you can find plenty of them in the listing starting on page 21 and in The Working Actors Guide. Just like you would with a photographer or acting teacher, you'll set up an interview and ask to see their work. If you're thinking of editing your own reel at home on two VCRs, stop thinking that right now. Getting your copies is another thing to think about. I usually do no more than 20 of any run, just in case I'm lucky to get some more work to add to the next version of the reel. You may get a copy shop that'll offer you a nice per-tape price if you order 100 dubs, but what good will that do you if you want to recut your tape a month later and you still have 80 copies left?
And I reiterate, there is no panacea here. Whatever works for you may not work for the next actor. Just remember that your reel's only purpose is to make you look good by showcasing your acting abilities. Don't overbuild, underwhelm, or send anything that isn't up to current professional levels. See plenty of demos before you make your own and soon you'll get the picture.
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