Demo Reel Tips and Resources

Demo Reel How-to's

• http://greyscalegorilla.com/blog/2009/06/five-steps-to-a-better-motion-demo-reel-instant-demo-reel-critique/ - motivational poster - Make it shorter!
• http://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/top-20-tips-for-creating-a-successful-demo-reel/ - some very useful tips which don't seem to be anywhere else (e.g. cut to the beat, don't use copyrighted music, etc)
• http://blog.animationmentor.com/top-6-tips-for-your-vfx-reel/
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtkiAuXcPW0 - sony imageworks video on demo reel tips

Demo Reel Examples

• Experimental reel by Arius Ziaee
• Digital puppet animation reel by Scott Benson
• 3D Character animation reel by David Han
• 2D Effects reel by Sébastien Iglesias
• Mixed media reel by Tynesha Foreman
• 2D Character animation reel by Rachel Reid
• 3D Game Effects reel by Alexander Savchenko
• 3D Visual Effects reel by Anders Elmholdt

Common Tips

• The shorter, the better.
• Put the kind of work that you want to do in your demo reel.
• Lead with your best work.
• Be clear about what is your work in each shot if you collaborated on something.
• Don't use copyrighted music.
• Pay attention to your editing!
• Make sure everything is at the same aspect ratio.
• Have a slate: your name and information at the beginning and the end of the reel.