Looking for acting demo reel tips because you want have a good show reel? If you’re sitting in front of a casting director, or any other industry professionals, you want to shine. I get it! I had the exact same experience when putting together my acting reel. A bad reel can mean no work. A good reel means good jobs. But my first demo reel was marginal at best. I think I might have shown myself off better with additional marketing materials, but I also know that first impression of my first acting reel, well it cost me a few jobs because I didn’t know what was my best work at the time.
A Reel is Needed for Your Career
When you’re trying to break into the world of acting, it can be hard to know where to begin. After all, there are so many different roles and opportunities out there that it can feel a little overwhelming at times. One thing that every actor needs in order to get their career off the ground, though, is a killer demo reel. Don’t skimp on this item when you are trying to break into the business. Or you will be waiting tables far longer than you should.
That’s right – in order to stand out in this cut-throat industry, you need to have a killer demo reel. This isn’t hard, but it isn’t easy either. You have to flirt with potential employers making sure they know you have the acting chops to do what you need to do. I’ve learned that the industry standard of actor reels flex massively, but it’s still the best foot forward impression that really matters. A good reel will not only make you more attractive to casting directors and producers but also make you stand out from your competition when auditioning for roles. But how can you create the best possible demo reel that impresses casting directors? Yeah, you need these acting demo reel tips to help your career!
I’ve composed a few of my best acting demo reel tips to help your journey. As someone who lives in Hollywood and works in the entertainment world, I’ve realized that most people get their advice from individuals either trying to sell them something OR people who haven’t been on set in years. These ideas are from a working actor, who really does know that a demo reel isn’t easy to put together (but it is essential)
Acting Demo Reel Tips:
Here are my top ten acting demo reel tips. All are from my experience working in the business, here, in Los Angeles. And I really wish someone would have pulled me aside and shared these before I got started as I looked like a complete fool at the beginning. However, we all live and learn right? Well, at least you have a leg up if you consider the tips below!
1. Know the Type of Roles you Want to Play
One of the first things you should do is decide which type of roles you want to play and those roles should be on your acting demo reel. That’s right, it’s important to decide your character type. After all, this will help inform the rest of the process. It’s also a good idea to have a clear idea of the type of roles you want to play before you start creating your demo reel. This way, you can tailor your reel to showcase your strengths when it comes to these types of roles. That way, you’re much more likely to impress casting directors. It’s also important to remember that no role is off limits. After all, there are plenty of actors out there who got their start playing roles that might seem out of their wheelhouse. For example, Emma Stone first made her mark in Hollywood playing the role of someone who is blind. Not all roles are what they appear on the surface, though. It’s important to remember that when you’re creating your demo reel that a great demo reel shares who you are. A good demo reel means you will show up for work!
2. Don’t Forget the Basics!
You might be thinking that all you need to do is pick a bunch of clips and throw them onto an acting demo reel, but what about things like organization and length? You can’t just throw all your clips onto a single reel, after all. And I admit before I started this is what I was assuming too. Well, first things first, you should shoot your acting demo reel using the best equipment possible. Production quality matters! This includes using good quality audio, a tripod, and a top-notch camera like a DSLR. It’s also important to be as organized as possible when it comes to picking the clips that go on your reel. That way, you can keep the reel short and sweet while still showcasing your talent. Remember, you need to have a reel that you can share, including on social media, email and other portals, so keep the high quality, but remember the technical aspects of the reel.
3. Stay Authentic to Who You Are
One of the key things that casting directors are looking for is someone who is authentic and natural. If you try to pretend to be something that you’re not, you’re only going to come across as inauthentic, which will instantly put you at a disadvantage. This can be seen very easily on an acting demo reel. So make sure that the clips you choose for your reel are ones that really showcase who you are and what you’re capable of. You might also want to consider including a short introduction at the start of your reel. This is a great way to introduce yourself to casting directors and let them know a little bit about who you are and what you’re all about. This film will be the first intro to you, followed by an audition and hopefully a callback to finalize getting the job!
4. Know Your Strengths
Another thing you should do before you even start putting your reel together is to know your strengths as an actor. This will help ensure that you’re picking clips that showcase your strengths and don’t showcase any weaknesses that you might have. It’s also important to remember that being good at everything is almost impossible. So if there are some things that you’re not so great at, you might want to avoid including those clips on your reel. It’s also important to remember that what’s a strength for one actor may not be a strength for another actor. So don’t try to emulate other actors and what they’re doing in their demo reels. Instead, focus on your own strengths and how you can best showcase those on your reel. Your strength also applies to how much footage you might give a dramatic scene versus a glimpse at best scenes or comedic scenes.
5. Know Your Weaknesses
It’s also a good idea to spend some time thinking about the things that you’re not so great at. These need to be left off your acting demo reel too! This will help you avoid including clips that showcase any weaknesses that you might have. Again, though, don’t try to emulate other actors and what they’re doing in their demo reels. Instead, focus on your own weaknesses and how you can best avoid including those on your reel. Your best performance should be the first thing on this sizzle reel, but not the last.
6. Choose Your Best Work
One of the things you need to remember when putting together your reel is that you don’t just have to include work that you’ve done recently. Instead, you should look at your entire body of work when deciding what to put on your reel. This way, you can be sure that you’re picking clips that showcase your best work across the board. It’s also a good idea to consider the type of roles you want to play when deciding which clips to include on your reel. After all, you don’t want to put yourself in a box. But if you’re trying to break into comedy, it might be a good idea to include some funny clips on your reel.
7. Hook the Viewer’s Attention Right Away
One thing that you should pay special attention to when putting together your reel is how you can hook the viewer’s attention right away. This is crucial if you want to make sure that casting directors don’t just hit the fast-forward button on your reel. There are a few things you can do to make sure that your reel catches the attention of casting directors right away. One great idea is to start your reel with a short introduction. This is a great way to let casting directors know a little bit about who you are and what you’re all about. Another idea is to end your reel with a bang. This makes sure that casting directors don’t just hit the fast-forward button before they get to the end of your reel. It also makes sure that they don’t just hit the stop button before they get to the end of your reel. It’s also important to make sure that there is a clear flow to your reel. After all, you don’t want your reel to come across as disjointed and all over the place.
8. Be Selective About Which Roles to Show
One of the questions you might be asking yourself as you put together your reel is which roles to show. After all, you don’t want to just throw anything and everything on your reel. Instead, you want to be as selective as possible when choosing which roles you want to show. This is because every clip that you put on your reel is taking up space that could be used for another clip. So if you put too many clips on your reel, you could run the risk of cluttering up the reel and making it seem too long. It’s also a good idea to consider how certain roles might affect your reel in a negative way. If you’ve played a villain or a psychopath, for example, it might not be a good idea to include that on your reel. This is because casting directors might get the wrong impression of you and decide that you’re too intense and/or creepy.
9. Defining Your Demo Reel
Now that we’ve gone through all these different tips and tricks, you might be wondering what makes up the perfect demo reel. Well, there’s no set formula for what the perfect reel looks like. Instead, it really comes down to what makes up the perfect reel for you. That’s because what works for one person might not work for another person. When it comes to putting together your reel, the most important thing is to be yourself. This is something that many actors struggle with, though. After all, it can be tough to put yourself out there and show who you really are. But the best thing you can do when creating your reel is to be true to yourself. After all, if you try to be someone else, you’ll never be able to truly be yourself.
10. Don’t Limit Yourself to One Type of Film or Medium
Too many actors believe that they can only share large broadcast segments on their reels. Frankly, if you are starting out, that means you might have little to nothing. Instead, consider student films, video games, short films and even web series as some of your strongest work for specific roles. There are many low to no pay independent film opportunities that will help you get to the next step on your journey and translate into awesome demo reels. We aren’t suggesting you do only lower kind of work shots, but if you feel it will help your reel, consider options to portray your best shots.
Conclusion
Creating a demo reel might feel like an overwhelming task, but it’s an important step in your journey to becoming a successful actor. You are here, looking at acting demo reel tips, so obviously you are serious about your journey! Your reel is your chance to showcase directors everything you’re capable of and what you’re willing to do. Remember your first minute should offer answers to the key questions on why the casting directors or producers should hire you. The video reel should be clearly marked with a title card and contact information. While you might hear different opinions on your reel, remember your opinion matters most. Does this short reel offer your skill sets and prove you are ready for film work? The best demo reels in the business will highlight you in the best way possible!
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