Demo reel requirements

[Gidget]

I wanted to find out how many scripts and how long for each when making a demo reel. It seems several demo reels I've found online seem to have several different scripts of around 15 seconds or less that flow into one another. What is an average number of scripts? And how long should each be (ie, a couple 15 second spots, a couple 30 second and a couple one minute, etc.)? Should they fade into the next copy or should there be a break in between each? Just want to make sure I'm following the industry standards! Thanks for the help!

[Scott Pollak]

Hi Gidget,

Funny we still call 'em demo reels when they're anything BUT a reel, huh? Now they're either cds at their most archaic, or .mp3s typically. But I digress (I do that a lot!).

Most folks have an overall demo showcasing their strongest areas and also showing range and versatility. Typically it's no more than 1:30 and many people shoot for around a 1:00 demo. Normally you'll have around 5-7 snippets of roughly 10 seconds or so each that do flow smoothly from one into another. You want to start out with your strongest piece to grab the listener and yank 'em in and make them want to keep listening. You want the demo to have forward momentum so that the listener is sorry to hear a bit end and wants to hear more. You NEVER want them to wish it would just be over.

Also, most pros will have multiple demos showcasing SPECIFIC areas, such as character voices, commercial demos, industrial narration, on-hold/IVR, movie trailer reads, e-learning, and so on.

Since you're asking these questions and you're in the Newbie section, I will assume you're new to the business.

With that said, you MUST NOT attempt making your own demo! For one thing, you simply may not be ready yet. If you're new enough to be asking these types of questions (and it's good that you did ask), then you most likely still have some training and groundwork ahead of you before you're ready to put together a demo that will enable you to compete against seasoned talent.

Also, most folks simply don't have the ear or technical expertise to put together their own demos. And when they don't, their homemade demo stands out like a sore thumb against professionally-produced demos.

Once you're ready to have a demo made, seek out a seasoned pro to produce it for you. There are several guys here you'll find advertising their production skills over on the "For Sale" thread and they're all very good and quite affordable.

Best of luck!

[Gidget]

Thanks for the info, Scott! Yes, I am a newbie, that's why I want to make sure I understand what I need instead of relying on a self-proclaimed "pro" to tell me. I'm a skeptical type, and I don't want to have "sucker" and dollar signs on my forehead when looking for someone to do my demo. Unfortunately, there are so many people out there trying to swindle money from someone that doesn't know any better, and I want to be educated enough to know when someone is trying to put one over on me instead of blindly trusting them. Thanks again!

[Scott Pollak]

Smart girl! And you're wise to be wary. Best of luck!

[aleger]

Follow up question for those seasoned vets of the VO business.

I notice that a lot of demos have jingles in the back, other sound effects, music, etc.

Where do you get the samples? Is it uncouth to have a demo that is just the voice and nothing else?

[PierceVoice]

Dunno how "seasoned" I am... definitely not a "vet" (though I could be called a "lightly-salted taxidermist"), but I'll chime in.

I've found there are a few categories of demo when coming from certain backgrounds (such as radio).

There's the "impressive to me but not too many people outside radio and local clients" demo, the "I am clearly starting to get it, but need lots more understanding to really nail my sound and acting techniques" piece, and the "I finally went out & got some real training and had this thing put together by aware and experienced writers/directors/producers" file that will appeal to the real movers & shakers of the money-making side of professional voice acting.

I understand that it sounds a little arrogant & pompous... but from someone at stage 2 who's put in time, $$ and LOTS of effort to learn this stuff, it's my very best answer to date.

Hope it helps.

[Mike Sommer]

Where do you get the samples? Is it uncouth to have a demo that is just the voice and nothing else?
Theses are generally royalty free songs that can be purchased for a kingly sum either online or CD. The problem with many of these songs is that they can become stale rather quickly, so it's a never ending quest to find new and timely material. For the past few years Target has been using up and coming musicians, for their latest round of commercials.

Uncouth? No. Unprofessional? Maybe. It all depend upon the commercial itself. There are some commercials that have no music, others that just contain sound effects, some with music and sound effects, and others that display elaborate over the top production.

Your demo should sound like a compendium of aired commercials, anything less then that you're just fooling yourself. Warning Do not attempt to produce your own demo.

[Paul Plack]

Gidget,as an example, much of the work done through the P2P (Pay to Play) sites is booked from short, custom auditions using the client's own sample copy, and transacted without a generic demo being heard. If you're doing this kind of work, include in the terms that you want a copy of the finished product, including music and sound effects used by the client in post production, and start building a library for eventual incorporation into a demo.