A DEMO REEL, WHERE THE HECK DO I START?
You're here because
you're wondering what people want to see in your demo reel. Well, the answer
lies in your specific talent. However, there are basic strategies you should
follow to help increase the chances of your demo reel catching attention rather
than being tossed in the dumpster.
After viewing hundreds of demo reels
from artists scattered around the globe and from many of the major players like
Blur, the majority of demo reels that got a "thumbs-up" contained certain
similar elements, as did those that we didn't like. Below are some suggestions:
TOP TEN WORST THINGS ABOUT DEMO
REELS
10) "Under Construction"
09) No Audio
08) More Than 3
Minutes of Animation
07) Video Compression (unless requested)
06) Space
Scenes (spacecraft, planet explosions, etc., unless requested)
05) A Note
Asking to Return the Reel
04) Copied or Duplicated Material (i.e., your
animation of "Woody" from Toy Story)
03) No Characters
02) No
Storyline
01) LENS FLARES
TOP TEN BEST THINGS ABOUT DEMO REELS
10) Major Usage of
Cameras and Camera Control
09) A Kick-ass Soundtrack
08) Real World
Effects (i.e., animated fog, water, clouds, fire, etc.)
07) Diverse Lighting
(i.e., underwater, downtown Vegas, a car's dashboard at night, etc.)
06)
Motion Blur
05) Character and/or Animal Animations
04) Lip
Synchronization
03) Variety
02) Art Relating to the Specific Kind of Art
Requested
01) COMEDY (funny is money)
ONLY THE FAX,
MAN!
The best demo reels grasp attention with vibrant graphics,
toe-tapping music, and speech or communication audio of some sort. Remember, you
need to get a room full of "I'm a better animator than you are" minded artists
to appreciate your work. How? The best way to attack an over-worked force of
animators is to grab their attention quickly, then get them to laugh as your
reel ends. Once they laugh, they'll continue to think and talk about your reel.
You're probably asking yourself, "These guys are suggesting I create a 3 minute
comedy animation?!" Well, wouldn't that be cool...?!
(Courtesy: 3DCAFE )