Producing a Demo Video (page 2)

Like an interesting article, your demo reel should start with a title that introduces the work. In this case, that title is your personal or company name and logo. It's a way to introduce yourself visually as well as to let your viewer know that you are truly the one represented by the reel. White font on black works fine but to be honest, it's boring. This is your chance to spice things up. Choose an eye-popping digital effect married with an attention-grabbing sound effect or piece of music to introduce yourself. You can also employ an interesting background over which to place your font. Just make sure the information is easy to read and that it's visible for seven to 10 seconds. (For tips on creating effective video titles see Titling Tips in Videomaker's August 2003 issue.)

Along with your personal or company introduction, add your contact information (your e-mail address and telephone number). If you change your e-mail or other contact information in the future, you could be stuck with an armful of outdated dubs, so it might be safer if you supply any additional contact information on the label of the tape or DVD. Changing a label is much less expensive and time consuming than re-editing your reel.

So you've introduced yourself. Now what? You could dive right into the body of your work or you could engage the viewer with a piece of what's commonly known as "eye-candy." A lot of professional demos open this way. Edit together some visually interesting shots from your past productions for a short (between 30 to 45 seconds in length), but punchy music video-style opening. If you've had a difficult time narrowing the number of selections to include in the body of your demo, a short piece of "eye-candy" is a great way to incorporate shots from some of those favorite productions that for one reason or another didn't make the final cut.

Keeping in mind that the final length of your reel shouldn't exceed more than five minutes. You have a very limited amount of time to make yourself stand out from the crowd. Assuming you've spent close to the first minute on your introduction and eye-candy, you're now into the body of your reel with roughly three to four minutes left to make your point. Make those minutes count.

If you've produced commercial work for television you could easily string together a few of your best 30-second spots to highlight your abilities. However, if the bulk of your library is comprised of longer format work you may find that you have to cut and paste. Remember the last time you saw a preview for a blockbuster movie? The same principles apply to your demo reel. A piece that was once ten minutes in length can be edited down to a sixty-second clip for demo purposes. Like making a movie trailer, simply choose the parts that you think will interest your audience. Be sure to stay away from long, static interview segments that will slow your pace and possibly confuse the viewer.

Since your time is limited, keep your ending short and sweet. A safe bet is to close your reel the same way it began, with 7 to 10 seconds of your name and, if you so choose, your contact information on screen. Don't include any comical or heartfelt pleas for work. It's a turn off and a sure sign that you don't know what you're doing. Keep it short, keep it clean and keep it fun. Remember, your demo reel has a job to do. Employing these useful hints will help keep your reel both effective and fun.

When developing your demo, keep this checklist nearby.

Do:

• Keep it short, no more than four to five minutes in length.
• Start strong.
• End strong.
• Include your name or company name and logo at the beginning and end of the reel.
• Choose pieces that highlight specific abilities: flashy camera work, great editing, solid directing and storytelling ability.
• Include all pertinent contact information on your demo label.
• Edit so your reel is easy to watch. There should be no tape hits or extreme differences in audio levels between featured pieces.

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