Kerry Beyer

Need a great demo reel? Want to book more acting jobs?

An acting demo reel is an essential part of your overall campaign as an actor – perhaps second in line behind a great headshot.  But most actors make fundamental mistakes when putting together their reel that will keep them from getting work. Here are some tips to help you get the best demo possible that will open doors and create new opportunities.

1. Keep your demo reel at a minute. It seems like nobody has enough time to get all the things done that they need to, and certainly this applies to casting directors. They see thousands of submissions per role, and are usually casting multiple projects simultaneously. Don’t waste their time. Your demo needs to be short, sweet, and to the point.  Help a casting director do their job quickly and efficiently and they will love you.

2. Start strong with your best work. This should be obvious, but always put your best work first because odds are that even at a minute, your reel may not be watched in it’s entirety. If you have footage opposite of a named actor, put that first – nothing catches attention and lends credibility more than a movie star in your reel.

3. Avoid long titles or opening montages. Nobody cares… they just want to see your work and form an opinion quickly. It’s likely that they are watching your reel because they saw something in your headshot that fit the part – the demo is just for them to see if you are worth bringing in for a read.

4. Showcase your character types. Make a list of the characters you play… doctor? Lawyer? Detective? Professor? Gather your footage that reflects the character types you play, and edit your demo in a way that clearly illustrates this and helps casting directors “visualize” you in the role. One or two lines from each character type is enough.

5. Keep the focus on you, not other actors. You are selling you, not your co-star, so cut them out as much as possible… you should really only be using a line or so per character, but if you must feature another actor, keep it brief. Unless of course it’s a star, then put enough of them in to be recognized, then focus on you. This is one time where it’s really ok to be self centered 🙂

Keep in mind the function of a demo reel is not to book the job, but to get you called into the room for an audition. Much like a headshot. While you may occasionally get booked straight off a reel, more often than not, it will be your ticket to an audition.

As a director myself, I always have to work personally with an actor during an audition to see if they can take adjustments, and get a sense of their overall demeanor and reliability. Half of this business is your talent, the other half is your professionalism.

Good luck. I edit demo reels, so keep me in mind when you need your demo reel edited.