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Debunking Demo Reels

I like to stay on top of articles in a certain publication for actors that you're probably familiar with (it rhymes with "lack-wage") because a) it sometimes contains good advice I want to share, and b) it often contains bad advice I want to refute. This week, a piece about demo reels inspired me to dig a little deeper into the subject, as LackWage's advice about them strikes me as pretty terrible.

That opinion is basically: You MUST have a demo reel, it's the actors' equivalent of a resume, it should be two to four 20-30 second clips of material that is shot well, has good sound, and features you in the kinds of roles you're right for, and if you don't have material like that, you should get a good camera and a few friends and shoot a few scenes or monologues in your living room.

They make it sound like trying to get representation or work without a demo reel is as pointless as trying to get on a plane without your ID. It isn't. (But to follow that analogy, shooting a scene in your living room would be like telling the TSA agent that you forgot your driver's license, so you drew a picture of it instead. Creative, but it's not gonna get you on the plane.)

First, demo reels have largely fallen out of fashion. They are relics of the days when agents would send physical DVDs to casting offices by messenger. (Granted, those days were just a few years ago, so it's understandable that some people are having a hard time letting go, but let go we must.) Since most casting is now done online, agents, managers, and casting directors increasingly prefer individual clips of your work, so they can send only what's relevant to the role or project in question. For example, if your agent is pitching you for a guest star on a single-camera comedy, they'd much rather send a scene of you co-starring on "Modern Family" than a whole demo reel featuring scenes from multi-camera and sketch shows with the single-camera clip buried somewhere in the middle. (I have both reels and clips on my website. If you were pressed for time and wanted to see me on a specific show, which would you go to? Exactly.)

Second, the actors' equivalent of a resume is a resume. A reel or clip provides a practical example of your work, like a designer's portfolio or a writer's sample. From the perspective of decision makers, demo reels supplement your resume in two ways: by demonstrating your on-camera skills, and demonstrating your trustworthiness.

Early in your career, decision-makers may watch your reel/clips to get a sense of how other decision-makers have cast you, what you look and sound like on a professional set surrounded by other professional actors, and how adept you are with the kind of material you'll be auditioning for professionally. (That's the on-camera skills part.) You cannot show any of that with a scene you taped in your living room. If a decision-maker is interested enough to want to get a general sense of you as an actor, they will ask you to read a cold or prepared scene or monologue. 

The trustworthiness part is often the most important. Asking a decision-maker to take a chance on an actor they don't know is a big deal. There are a lot of talented-but-crazy actors out there. Decision-makers want reassurance that they can trust you to be a professional in a producers' session (aka callback) and on set. Seeing video of you in projects they recognize tells them that their peers trust you, that you have a professional track record, and frankly, that you didn't lie on your resume, which a lot of actors do. It eases their fears. It makes you less of a risk. You REALLY can't do that with a scene shot in your living room.

Now, if you have great tape of yourself in a non-union or web or indie project that you're really proud of, by all means, post it as a clip. If you have enough, edit it into a reel. If it's good, it can't hurt, and it's smart to have at least one video on the various casting sites, because profiles with no video are often sent to the bottom of the pile of submissions. But there is no good reason to spend time and money shooting scenes for the sole purpose of putting them on a demo reel. Instead, put that energy toward meeting casting directors who cast the kinds of projects you want to work on so you can start booking the kind of work that's worth showing off.

What are your thoughts about demo reels? What have you been told by other people in the business? What have you done in your own career, and how do you feel about it? Satisfied? Anxious? Frustrated? Validated? I'd love to hear your thoughts.