How to Become an Actor: What Goes into a Great Demo Reel?

I recently took the opportunity to email out to a few casting directors to find out some real answers about what they want to see in a demo reel. Let's call these the "reel deal" answers, haha.

Here are some quotes I got back:

Brooke Thomas
"No longer than 2 minutes."
www.brookethomascasting.com

Alison Franck
"I want different content for different projects. Different projects require different things and often one has nothing to do with the other. The truth is, I’ll know within 2 seconds if I want to keep watching."
www.franckcasting.com

Dale Brown
"Get some good stuff and share it briefly. Anything more than two minutes had better include some extraordinary footage beginning to end. It's like a long monologue - they're not useful. Either you're able to grab us in the opening sentences or the additional 2+ minutes are not going to help. Show us an efficient, quality opening and let us get back to our business of deciding if you're right for the casting at hand."
www.dalebrowncasting.com

Dale Brown Casting

​​​My Take:

​As you can see, there seems to be a genuine consensus that casting directors don't want reels longer than 2 minutes unless they include some absolutely extraordinary footage. Let's just assume that if you don't have a speaking role with an A-list celebrity, or the scene you're in isn't clearly part of a multi-million dollar budget production, your reel probably isn't extraordinary enough to warrant being longer than 2 minutes. The hard part is going to be figuring out which 2 minutes to use out of all the footage you have - but it's your job as an actor to make those tough choices!

In her answer to me, Alison Franck also talked a bit about the importance of understanding the difference between reels for different purposes, and says that in some cases, it's OK for your reel to be longer than two minutes. She explains:

"Right now I’m casting a musical that requires people to send a dance reel. I need several styles of dance. I also need them to self-tape scenes and sing. For a singer/dancer - that might need to be longer than 2 minutes to show a variety of things. I also recently needed people to send videos of themselves playing guitar and singing. It was amazing how many people hid their fingers and didn’t get good sound quality. Sometimes for comedy we need to see live performances to see how they work with laughter and an audience. I could go on and on..."​​

Alison Franck Casting

The Do's and Don'ts of an Effective Reel:
​

As a way to consolidate all the above quotes down and simplify everything as much as I can, here's a brief listing of do's and don'ts for a demo reel. Follow these and for the most part, your reel should work effectively!
​

• Two minutes or less! Casting directors are extremely busy and don't have the time or interest to watch you for more than a minute or two. Put yourself in their shoes: If you were getting submissions from hundreds (and in some cases thousands) of actors, would you want to spend your entire day watching random demo reels, especially if they weren't all that entertaining? Keep things short and leave them wanting more... This way they feel compelled to bring you in!
• Put your best stuff first and include something high-budget. Although Alison Franck might have exaggerated a bit by saying she'll know within 2 seconds, she didn't exaggerate by much. The truth is, most casting directors will literally know within the first 5-10 seconds if they'll want to watch the rest of your reel. If your highest budget and most well-known scene is first, it will grab their attention and keep them interested. If you don't currently have any scenes that look high-budget, consider shooting a professional scene for your reel.
• Casting directors hate montages! The only reason to include a montage is if you've got tons of great footage of yourself and want to show you performing in all different projects - especially if the scenes are well-known and would be recognized by casting directors. But even then, the montage should go at the end instead of the beginning. Why? Because casting directors are most interested in seeing how you perform and what you sound like. They can see all the projects you've been in by looking at your resume.
• Include a slate. If someone finds your demo reel online or a casting director gets some of their documents mixed up (which happens from time to time) you'll want to be sure they know who you are. Always include your headshot and contact info at the beginning and end of your reel so they can easily get in touch with you. If you have a website, you'll want to include the link to it as well.
• Cut scenes short. Whoever edits your reel should cut out other actors as much as possible. Make sure everything is focused on you because that's all the casting director cares about. Just be sure that the scene flows smoothly - you'll want to occasionally show other actors in the scene so the lines flow together, but feel free to edit things down to show just the absolute best moments of your performance.
• Show that you know how to act for camera. On-camera performance is different than theatrical performance, and it's crucial that you learn the difference between the two before putting a demo reel together. I can't tell you how many times actors have submitted reels to me with melodramatic performances that made me cringe. I'm not being harsh, I'm just being honest - casting directors won't consider you if your screen acting demo reel shows any theatrical-style acting.
• Edit reels for different types of work. Continuing from Alison Franck's quote above, you'll want different types of reels for different types of submissions. Of course when you're just starting out, you might only have one reel with everything, but after a few years, you should have enough footage that you can create different reels for different work - such as a comedic reel, dramatic reel, dance reel, singing reel, commercial reel, etc.

Are you interested in having an actor showreel edited? If so, visit www.demoreelsnyc.com.
Are you interested in shooting footage for your reel? If so, visit www.actorscreenershoot.com.

​I've discovered something interesting.

Strangely enough, the most successful actors I've interviewed all seem to have three specific traits in common that lead to more bookings and work. Click here to learn what they are.