The value of a demo reel

G

George Loch

Well-known member
Something I have been debating for a while now is the value of a reel in our current world. Does it seem like an outdated idea now? The downside of a reel, IMO, is the lack of context. If you are being hired as a camera op, then sure, it makes sense still. What about a production company – OMB or a crew? Doesn't it make more sense to show complete pieces, especially when they are part of a series?

I am curious what others think on this topic.

-gl
 
People use both. Truly depends on the particular hiring party. Some would like to see just one specific thing while others are impressed by a mixture. I can also never stress enough how important oral and/or verbal [written] communication is.

And then sometimes people simply like you and will hire you regardless of any of the above. (Besides very big/important jobs in which you'd need to show you're capable of handling the task(s) at hand, obviously.)
 
I think I’ve been asked for a demo reel more in the last two years than the first 20 combined(which was basically NEVER). My theory on the subject: Because there are SO MANY people in this business now, beacasue of the “democratization” brought about by cheap gear, producers have been burned too many times by too many people that weren’t any good, that claimed to be the second coming of Roger Deacons. “Back in the day”, it really wasn’t as necessary, because there weren’t as many of us and more than likely you had already been vetted by plenty of other producers with standards, especially if you were and had been working at the mid-to-upper levels. And everything was word of mouth. Someone wasn’t going to be recommending you to a client if you weren’t any good, because their reputation was on the line, as well.

And honestly, reels can be faked, easier now than ever. Word of mouth from trusted sources is still the safest bet.
 
Demo reels are invaluable in demonstrating one’s style and capabilities.

With 1.7M views, talent speaks for itself.
 
jcs said:
Demo reels are invaluable in demonstrating one’s style and capabilities.

With 1.7M views, talent speaks for itself.
Click to expand...

That's a joke right? Please tell me it's a joke and the people that made it doubled down by making a website with other crazy stuff on it? Super Doris Rescues Harry From A Tragic Accident is comedy gold.


To answer the OP, no you don't need a reel, just links to work. I used to make one because most of my work isn’t online, but these days it’s so easy to send a secure link I don’t bother.

A reel can still work for some people though - showing specific skills, as a teaser or for those starting out.
 
Are you working mostly for professionals hiring a crew (ie as a DP or subcontracted by an agency)? I find they tend to care a little less about the reel and more about the end to end piece to assess you.

As a OMB a lot of clients don’t understand the nuance of an impressive cherry picked demo reel VS a single end to end piece and are more impressed by the highlight reel.

But regardless, I think it’s a both and. The reel is a good trailer/shortcut in a busy world. The full pieces, if good, are a compelling way to hook someone on your storytelling style in regards to more meaningful content.
 
If you are seeking work as a DP or as a Director / DP through an agency then you need a reel. That's if you want to do commercials, music videos, features. But most here, I think, do other sorts of work. TV shows, corporate & industrial, bts for movies, weddings, religious content, etc.

I've had a few people ask for a reel in the past year. I put several samples of my work on a Vimeo page. I referred them to that and it satisfied their request. I also have a document I provide on request that is a brief bio and a list of my credits. I have several versions with the credits catered to the sort of production the client is doing. If the client is a reality tv show, I list my reality tv credits. If the client does bts for movies, I list that work of mine.

I do think that digital and the internet have lessened the value of a reel.
 
Last edited:
Liam Hall said:
That's a joke right? Please tell me it's a joke and the people that made it doubled down by making a website with other crazy stuff on it? Super Doris Rescues Harry From A Tragic Accident is comedy gold.
Click to expand...

Is it in the same class as The Room, or on purpose, don't know- it made me laugh!


That was 2008- surely Fred has moved up and now leads animation teams at LucasFilm or Pixar? :)
 
My approach over the past year has been split into the following:

FRONT LINE
-Interviews/Hosts Reel
-Gimbal Reel
-A Few Select Projects

BACKLINE
-Custom private webpages where I embed specific projects that are more in line with what the client is looking for. (AKA corporate work that I don’t want publicly viewable but will use to land a good paying gig here and there)

So far this has been much more successful than using a general reel.
 
Chris,

I assume you are looking to be hired as part of a crew?

-gl


chris f said:
My approach over the past year has been split into the following:

FRONT LINE
-Interviews/Hosts Reel
-Gimbal Reel
-A Few Select Projects

BACKLINE
-Custom private webpages where I embed specific projects that are more in line with what the client is looking for. (AKA corporate work that I don’t want publicly viewable but will use to land a good paying gig here and there)

So far this has been much more successful than using a general reel.
Click to expand...
 
jcs said:
Demo reels are invaluable in demonstrating one’s style and capabilities.

With 1.7M views, talent speaks for itself.
Click to expand...

I think I saw this about 5-10 years ago. Classic. It's like a great SNL sketch come to life. Awesome.
 
George Loch said:
Chris,

I assume you are looking to be hired as part of a crew?

-gl
Click to expand...


Currently I do both. I have a production company and am producing/directing 50% of the time and then I also get booked as a DP/Camera Op about 50% of the time for other productions. For my production company I do have a general (and outdated) reel as well as a very few select projects publicly viewable. As a production company most of my work is coming from referrals or repeat clients of mine (most of which never ask to even see a second of my previous work), however as I'm making an intentional pivot to trying to obtain more higher budget commercial work I'm finding that it's difficult to land the jobs I want without examples of very similar projects - so I am seeing more of an importance of a specific type of demo reel to "level up" to the types of jobs you're wanting to land if that makes sense.
 
puredrifting said:
I think I saw this about 5-10 years ago. Classic. It's like a great SNL sketch come to life. Awesome.
Click to expand...

This video (and The Room and similar) teach an important lesson: be really great or the opposite to reach a lot of people! :)

Let's coin a new term: Mediocrity Valley (MV). On one side of MV lives the "so terrible it's funny and entertaining", on the other side of MV lives great content, great stories, great everything. Who or what lives in MV? Crickets*.


* in addition to chirping, when they reach maximum excitement they mumble: "meh".
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top