Demo Reel: The Ultimate Guide for Actors

By the end of this article, you'll know everything you need to know about demo reels. Here's what's covered:

• What demo reels are and how to get one – even if you have no footage or experience.
• Tips for a great audition reel – and the biggest mistakes actors make with their reels.
• How to use your reel effectively – most actors don't make the most out of their reels and miss important opportunities.
• How to get acting work if you don't have a reel – because let's be honest, most actors don't have enough footage to make a reel when they're first starting out.
• And lots more...

​All About the Demo Reel

So What is a Demo Reel?

A demo reel is a short compilation of clips that showcase an actor's best work.

​How long should an actor's demo reel be? About 1-2 minutes. This is because most casting directors don't have the time to watch something longer than that. 

Casting directors are extremely busy and don't want to waste their time if you aren't good at acting. For this reason, they usually want to see what you look like on camera before bringing you into an audition.

Here's an example of a fantastic actor demo reel:

What is the Purpose of a Demo Reel?

Most casting directors don't want to waste their time bringing the wrong actors in for auditions.

​A reel lets casting directors:
​

• See whether you're good at acting – they can tell from just the first few seconds of your reel whether you're good or not.
• Hear what your voice sounds like – your voice is very important, and if they don't like the sound of your voice for the character they're holding auditions for, they won't bring you in.
• Get a sense of what you actually look like – so many actors retouch their headshots or use trick lighting to look better than they do in real life, but it's almost impossible to do that in a reel, so they'll find out for sure what you actually look like.
• See what you've been in, and if any of it is noteworthy – They usually use your acting resume for this, but some actors lie on their resumes. Seeing you perform in the actual show is impossible to fake.​

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Reels are so important that many casting directors simply delete any submissions without reels so they don't have to see them (this is actually the truth)! That's how important they are.

​Do You Need a Demo Reel to Get an Agent?

It depends on the agent. Most agents need to see some sort of footage showing your acting ability, and having a decent reel can make it significantly easier to get signed. Some agents only need short clips of you performing, but in an ideal world, those clips should look very professional.

​The best way to get an agent is by sending in a powerful cover letter.

Demo Reel or Showreel?

It can be confusing since half of people refer to the word "demo reel" and half of people refer to it as "showreel." But they both refer to the same thing.

On the other hand, there is sometimes a difference between the words "demo reel" and "sizzle reel." A demo reel used to be 3-4 minutes long, and contain about 5-6 scenes, each 30-45 seconds. These days however, actors use the shortened form which used to be referred to as a sizzle reel – about 5-6 scenes cut into something 1-2 minutes long.

Nowadays the word demo reel and sizzle reel both mostly refer to the same thing.

Demo Reel Examples

Above you saw one example of a demo reel. Here's another example:

Different Types of Demo Reels

When you're first starting out, it makes sense to only have one reel because you won't have much footage.

You might combine together your comedic work, dramatic work, and even a clip or two from a commercial you've been in.

But eventually as you start to get more and more footage, you should separate your reels because casting directors prefer to ONLY see what they're casting for. The more specific you are with your reel, the more "right" for the part you'll look.

​Demo reels can be tailored for commercial work, legit work (meaning comedy and dramatic TV shows and/or movies), voiceover, and even singing and stage work!

How you break your reels up is up to you, but the more specific yours is for the type of work you're seeking, the higher the chance you'll be called in for the audition.

Some casting directors actually prefer 30-second individual clips because so many actors submit such terrible reels. For that reason, it's recommended that when you're first starting out, you should ONLY use 20-30 second clips and you wait on creating a professional demo reel until you have at least 5-6 strong clips that feature you as the primary actor.

How Do You Make a Demo Reel?

You can either make your reel yourself or hire someone to do it.

Many actors google things like "how do you edit a demo reel" to learn the basics of using their computer's video editing software to piece together clips to highlight their performances.

This is a great way to get started, and can be a good way to save money as well. You can easily trim yourself out of short films and other productions to create some 20-30 second clips and then upload them to websites like Backstage or Actor's Access.

But once you've got some decent footage, it can be beneficial to hire an expert to edit together your demo reel.

​How Much Does a Demo Reel Cost?

If you can afford it, hiring a professional is great because they'll be there to give you guidance on what scenes to use and what to cut, as it can be very hard to figure this out on your own. Additionally, when you're doing your own reel, it can be hard to create something that looks high-end and professional. This is a problem because an unprofessional reel tells casting directors you're new and inexperienced.

A demo reel editor typically charges anywhere from $150 to $400 on average to edit reels, and they usually have a strong knowledge of editing to make sure your reel is cut together smoothly. They should also be able to access all your clips by downloading them from websites and converting them into editable formats.

A great reel editor should:

• Apply color correction so all your clips are bright and easy to see.
• Apply sound design so your clips are easily able to be heard (and not too echoey)
• Suggest to you which clips to cut and which to keep.
• Be responsive, easy to work with, and professional.

You can find demo reel editing companies by searching google. We offer reel editing services at www.demoreelsnyc.com, and we work with clients all over the world with our Virtual Reel Edit service.

When hiring a company, make sure you know all the costs up front, what the payment plan is, what they’ll need from you and what you’ll walk away with.

A great reel company should consult with you so you're both on the same page and in agreement on what gets used and in what order your clips appear.

How to Get Footage for Your Reel

The most obvious way to get footage for your reel is to act in professional productions. But how do you get those jobs if you need a reel first?

Well, that is the big question that most actors struggle with! It's known as The Actor's Catch 22.

Fortunately, there are a few ways to get footage to start building a reel, and we'll go through each of them in this section.

​Act in Student Films for Free

Acting in student films for free is the best way to build a reel because you'll gain experience, make connections, and build your resume.

It's generally easier to be cast in student films than professional projects (especially if they're unpaid), because there are less actors submitting for unpaid work – and as mentioned earlier, you usually need a reel to get booked on those larger projects.

That being said, one of the biggest challenges actors face when going the student film route is getting their footage back from directors in a timely fashion.

Here's a great guide we created to help you get your footage back from directors more easily and quickly:

In it, we reveal a special loophole from Sundance Film Festival that requires directors to give you access to your footage – even if their film hasn't screened anywhere yet:

​Direct and Shoot Your Own Productions

Creating your own film productions is great because you're in charge, you're going to learn a ton, and you're probably going to have lots of fun putting together the project and making new friends.

If you hire a great DP (director of photography), you can walk away with some outstanding footage of yourself, and you'll have access to it immediately!

The biggest downside of course, besides the fact that you'll need to learn how to write, direct, produce, and hire people, is that there is an enormous cost if you don't already have all the needed equipment.

Even for a short film, you're likely to spend at least $3k altogether. You need to pay people, buy food, get permits and insurance, rent equipment, and much more.

Making your own short film is definitely possible but takes a lot of knowledge and expertise to pull off, so do your homework and be prepared for Murphy's Law (anything that can go wrong will go wrong)!

​Use Self-Tapes and Recorded Auditions (with your smartphone)

Can a demo reel be a monologue? Yes, using self-tape footage and recorded monologues is totally OK for a demo reel!

​The clear benefits of recording yourself on your phone are that you'll get immediate access to your footage, it costs virtually nothing, and you don't need any expertise (unless you have no idea how to use an iPhone).

Casting directors don't mind looking at these "self-tapes" because it gives them a good idea of your on-camera acting ability.

The only downside is that if this is the only footage you have, it could tell casting directors that you have limited on-set experience, which might make them leery of bringing you in (especially for bigger projects).

Also, some actors don't take self-tapes as seriously as they should, which causes their performance to suffer.

Regardless of the downsides, we HIGHLY recommend starting with this option if you have absolutely zero footage, you need something right away, and you're very short on funds.

A note on using footage from real auditions: Although technically this is OK, just be careful with it because if it's for a major production, you could get into trouble posting it online. It's usually better to use footage you record separately – not something connected with any particular audition.

Actor Demo Reel Services: Shoot Footage for Your Showreel

There's a common saying in the film & TV industry:

"There's money, time, and quality. But you can only have two."

So when it comes to an acting reel, there are three options:

1. You can save money and have great footage, but it's going to take a long time.
2. You can save money and time, but you'll have unprofessional footage.
3. You can save time and get great footage, but you'll have to spend money.

The final option for great quality footage – fast – is to invest a little money in yourself to shoot a highly-professional, customized scene for your demo real.

There are plenty of companies that offer this service to actors, but it's important to keep in mind that you're not fooling anyone with it. Scenes like this shouldn't be filmed to trick casting directors into thinking you've been in professional projects.

The sole purpose is to let casting directors see what you'll look like in professional projects, and to give them a sense of your acting ability.

Another service we offer for actors is called the Actor Screener Shoot, which provides high-quality footage for your reel. You can learn more about it at www.actorscreenershoot.com. You'll get access to all your footage within 1-2 weeks of the shoot (fully edited, sound-mixed, and color-graded) and you'll be able to start sending it out to casting directors immediately.

Demo Reel Tips

Once you've got your footage, it's time to edit it into a demo reel!

In this section, we'll discuss some key things to keep in mind as you go about compiling your first professional actor reel.

To start, check out this video that goes into depth on how to create a great reel:

Things to Keep in Mind for a Great Demo Reel:

• How long is a demo reel? Your reel should ideally be between 1-2 minutes at most and contain a minimum of 3-4 clips.
• Use your best stuff only – Remember that casting directors will generally judge you by your WORST clips, so be sure nothing on your reel makes you look bad.
• No fancy intros – Because of how busy they are, casting directors will never watch more than 5 seconds of your reel if you add a montage or something else at the beginning. They simply want to see your acting ability, and anything that takes away from that will cause them to move onto the next actor.
• Include your contact Info – Add your name, headshot, phone number, and email address to the beginning and end of your reel. If you have an agent, you can include their info instead if you want, but that's up to you.
• It must be easy to see and hear you – Don't bother using footage that is too dark or has terrible sound quality if it can't be fixed during the editing process.
• ​Don’t start with an on-camera introduction – Your reel should go straight into the action. Casting directors don't want to see you saying, "Hi, my name is BLANK and here's my reel."

​Advanced Tips for an Effective Demo Reel:

• It should be branded while still showing your range – If you play specific characters or types, you should make sure to highlight them in your reel. This means if you often play cops, you should include a few clips of you playing cops. However, you should also show your emotional range by including a sad scene, an angry scene, etc. Learn more about branding here.
• Lead with your most impressive credits – Most casting directors will only watch the first 30 seconds of your reel, so don't save the best for last. However, your first clip should ALWAYS show your acting ability, even if it's not your biggest and most impressive credit. Putting your single most impressive credit first at the expense of a better clip that shows your performance can make you appear desperate.
• Edit out other actors so the focus is you – This is a trick that professional reel editors can use. By editing around the other actors and including reaction shots, they can significantly shorten a scene to keep the focus on you while still ensuring the scene runs smoothly. This can make your role appear much bigger in a scene.
• Include text at the bottom of each clips naming the show or film – This primarily applies to anything noteworthy. If it was just a student film or unprofessional project, you don't need to include the title.
• Must have been shot within the past 2-5 years – Some actors try using footage from 20-30 years ago in their reel, and it just makes casting directors wonder where they've been all that time. You can include those credits on your resume, but casting directors want to see recent footage in your reel.

​​​Can You Use Copyrighted Footage in a Demo Reel​?

Absolutely! 99% of the stuff you'll put in your reel is copyrighted. As long as you don't try to sell your footage or put a YouTube ad onto it so you can make money when people watch it, it's legal.

• Some places will say "No clips from acting class” but that’s not true – You can absolutely use scenes from acting classes as long as they're not well-known productions. Make sure whatever you include in your reel is either unknown or original writing. If you use a very recognizable scene, it will remind the casting director of the original actor, who was probably better than you, and make them think you're not that good.
• Don’t use overly dramatic scenes and acting – Make sure your performance is natural and your acting looks real. Thinking you need to use something where your acting is over the top and melodramatic is only going to hurt your reel.
• Your scenes don’t need context – Don't worry about trying to ensure the casting director knows what the story is. As long as they can see your acting ability and get a clear sense of your genuine performances, your reel will work. Cutting out backstory also saves you valuable screen time.
• Don’t include scenes all from the same project – If all your scenes are clearly of you playing the same character, it just makes casting directors wonder how desperate you were to create an entire reel focused on one production. It's much better to use individual 20-30 second clips in this case.
• ​Don't put production value before performance – When you're first starting out, it matters more for casting directors to be able to see your range. It's almost always better to use an emotionally charged scene shot on a flat wall than a single boring line with the greatest production value ever because casting directors need to see your acting ability.

​​Can You Use Copyrighted Music in a Demo Reel​?

Absolutely! If you're not selling or making money directly from your reel, it's fine to use copyrighted material in it. Learn more about the legalities here.

Some actors wonder, "Can I use any music for my showreel?" And the answer to that is... it depends. Unless it's critical to the scene, music is generally not a good idea because it's distracting and can take away from your acting. It makes it harder for a casting director to get a sense of your acting ability.

Final Tips for a Great Demo Reel:

• Don’t present wildly different character types next to each other – It can be a bit jarring to jump from an extremely dramatic, sad scene to a hilarious slapstick comedy. It's better to separate them with something less comedic or sad – something in between. This makes the reel easier and smoother to watch.
• Always get a second opinion on your reel – This applies especially if you edit it yourself. But most people will see something you missed, and it can help make your reel stronger.
• Keep scenes very quick and easy to watch – Each scene in your reel should be no more than 30 seconds if possible. If they're too long, they'll start to drag and make it easier for the casting director to turn your reel off.
  
• Your clips must represent roles you could play today – Don't use anything that doesn't align with your current type. This especially applies when re-editing an older reel where you were younger.
• Cut out clips that make your resume look weaker – If your resume credit seems strong on the surface, but after watching the clip, a casting director would think, "Oh, you only had one line?" you might as well cut the clip.

How to Use Your Reel

Once you've created your reel, it's time to start using it to book acting jobs!

In this section, we'll finish up by talking about where and how to use your new reel, plus what to do if you haven't got a reel yet.

​​Upload Your Reel Onto Major Casting Sites

One of the best and most important places to use your reel is on casting websites such as Backstage, Actor's Access, and Casting Networks.

Even though some of them charge a fee per minute for you to upload your reel, just keep in mind that actors without reels have almost ZERO shot at getting called in for auditions through these sites. So paying a small $40-50 one time fee is completely worth it, especially when you consider that most people will drop $40-50 on a pair of jeans that does nothing for one's career.

In addition to casting websites, you should also upload your reel to either YouTube or Vimeo. YouTube is better because it gives you advanced analytics such as watch time, which can tell you how effective your reel is (the longer people watch it, the better your reel is).

You can also upload your reel directly to your website if you have one (if you don't have a website yet though, don't worry – this is an advanced marketing strategy actors only need to worry about after 1-2 years of working in the industry).

Finally, make sure you have a small version of your reel that you can email too. It should be under 5MB so you can easily attach it to an email and directly send it to someone when requested.

Don't worry about uploading your reel anywhere else. Putting it onto little-known websites or hosting servers is useless because when you send the link out, casting directors will be leery of clicking it for fear of getting a virus. With YouTube and Vimeo, they're so recognizable that clicking the link won't be a problem at all.

Parting Advice

​Hopefully you've enjoyed this massive article!

Over time, you'll continue to improve your reel by swapping out clips and making it stronger and stronger. Your reel will never be perfect, but your long term goal is to eventually have a full 2-minute reel that's got plenty of high-quality, professional footage with scenes from professional TV shows and films.

You'll know your reel is as strong as it can be when it's got the following three qualities:

1. It's got at least 5-6 high-quality, professional scenes from well-known television shows or films.
2. In at least two of those scenes, you're speaking directly to a well-known or famous actor.
3. You're extremely proud and excited about everything in your reel.

Eventually, as you continue building your reel, as hinted at earlier, you'll start to split your primary reel into separate reels – one for dramatic scenes, one for comedic scenes, one for commercials, etc. But don't worry about that when you're first starting out.

And remember: at the very beginning, chances are slim that you'll have enough footage for a full reel, so it's much better to simply use a few 20-30 second clips. Keep 2-3 of them handy, showing you playing different emotions and character types, and simply submit the one you feel is closest to what the casting director is looking for whenever you're going in for an audition.

Where to Go From Here

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• How to Become an Actor: The Ultimate Guide