by Tiffany Hunter

Created on: April 30, 2009

Ever wish there was a commercial advertising you and your acting talents? Essentially, that's exactly what a demo reel is! Your demo reel should bring your headshot and resume to life, and prove that you are a working and talented actor. A demo reel will normally be used to advertise you to prospective agents. However, they can also be used to introduce you to casting directors, or in some cases, to show directors and producers that you are the actor for their latest movie.

Your demo reel should contain professional quality tape only. You will not look like a professional actor if the picture is grainy or your pet dog is barking in the background. If you do not have professional film or TV credits, you can go to a studio to film a scene. Many casting offices and on-camera acting studios have reasonable prices and you can book time, usually on evenings and weekends.

If you do have professional tape, be sure to pick great pieces of tape that display who you are as an actor and your talents. Always start with your name on screen! You are the product that is being sold. Your first clip should be a character type that you are most often cast. This tells prospective agents and employers how others see you, and cuts time on their behalf, as they don't have to find a "type" for you. Your following clips can show your emotional and character ranges. Remember, the goal is to make you look good! Always include clips of you with recognizable actors. Even if you only had one sentence, being on screen with a great actor makes you look good. It shows that a great director trusted you to captivate audience members while someone who is experienced is on the screen. This means you also possess enough talent and charisma to hold an audience on your own.

Never send a demo reel that is longer than two or two and a half minutes. Any longer than that and you are wasting your time and money, as it's likely that no one will watch anything longer. Agents, casting directors and other industry professionals are extremely busy and do not like having their time wasted. They know how to use their fast forward button on their remote. So use your two minutes to sell yourself harder than infomercials sell the ShamWow!

A demo reel is an extremely useful advertising aid in the acting world. Not only does it show that someone else has hired you, it proves that you did a great job once hired! Don't feel pressured to put a demo reel together until you have enough great quality tape to really show off yourself. However, once you the roles start coming in, collect tape and get that demo made! Post it on casting sites, YouTube and your personal website. Get it seen!

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