So, last week, after callbacks for a film I’m casting, the director asked whether I would be able to get tape on the top few contenders for two roles. By now, he knew the actors’ work in the room (both from prereads and callback sessions), he’d reviewed their headshots and resumés, and he knew they had credits that should yield some pretty good demo reels. The day after callbacks, I contacted the actors, asking each of them to provide some tape.

Lo and behold, a few of them responded to my request for a demo with, “Ooh. I actually don’t have anything put together right now.” This is where I get confused. You’re an actor. You’re a professional actor. You worked hard to get where you are (in the unions, signed with an agent, at the callback level of a film you want to be a part of) and you have credits on your resumé that indicate you should, by all intents and purposes, have tape!

So why is it that actors so frequently are in that Twilight Zone of tapedom? Actors will have gotten copies of work they’ve done in indie films, on TV series, even clips from projects that aren’t yet completed, but they won’t have a demo reel assembled and ready to provide, when asked for it. Why? Is it fear of the finished product (What do I do when I get another clip and want to add it to the mix? What if I get a better copy of that raw footage a week after I’ve dubbed this version? What if I book another job tomorrow and want to have a reel that includes that gig)? Is it laziness (I’ll get to it tomorrow. No one is asking for my tape anyway. I don’t have the time to deal with picking out clips and editing right now)? Is it the financial bind (If I spend all my money on editing and dubbing what is always a work-in-progress and no one even asks for a copy of it until it’s outdated and useless, I’ll be in a sad state)? Or is it a combination of all of those things and more?

Whatever the reason(s), it is important to note that no one who asks for your demo reel is expecting it to be perfect. We know that your career is a work in progress and we absolutely understand that if you are working regularly, your tape is constantly undergoing changes. Just like there is no need to put an “under construction” sign on your website (most websites are, by their very nature, always under construction), there’s no need to keep from having a demo reel handy, just because of what might need to be changed in a week. If we’ve asked to see you on tape — especially after you’ve already wowed us in the room and you know you are in the final running for a film role — it’s simply because we want to see more of you (your range, you in different styles of projects, you with different looks, with different partners, saying different lines).

Just as you shouldn’t start off an audition with an apology, don’t introduce your reel with what should be on it, if you only had more time. Have it ready when we ask for it — and be sure to ask for feedback on it, if you really intend to apply that feedback, the next time you’re in the editing room with the material.

Now, for those of you with material not-yet-assembled-into-a-demo-reel, you may be asking: What goes on a demo reel? For that bit of advice, I’ll dig back to a section in Self-Management for Actors on the subject.

A demo reel is basically a trailer for the feature that is you. Make sure you advertise yourself accurately and in such a way that leaves the viewer wanting more. Make it clear how you tend to be cast, with every clip you include. If you no longer fit in the age range of one of your clips, don’t use it anymore. The demo reel is about how you are now. It is not a showcase of everything you’ve ever done.

Basic guidelines for demo reels include the following: Lead off with your best material (or highest-profile work). Don’t highlight someone else’s performance. Don’t include scenes in which you are acting opposite someone of your exact type. Feel free to add screen credits if the title is one we’ll recognize or the director’s name is well-known. Don’t use material that is more than two or three years old. Go easy on the montages (clips of you in various roles, set to music) and if possible, only use them at the end of the demo reel, so as not to turn off viewers who detest them. Don’t mix commercials into your theatrical reel (if you must include them, group them together at the end of the theatrical reel, after fading to black to give us a transition). Don’t include scenes from acting class or live stage work. Keep your demo reel under three minutes, total.

Make sure the material you use in your reel is really good (technically and artistically). Although you hope that agents, managers, and casting directors will add the impression your demo reel leaves on them to information they already have about you — from your stage performances, your resumé, and any prior auditions you’ve had with them — many times, the last impression you have on industry professionals is the only one they’ll retain. Therefore, if you are providing a demo reel, it should be at least as impressive as your last encounter, if not far superior.

Finally, if you do not have a demo reel together yet, say so. Rather than a string of excuses for why your tape isn’t available when I ask if you have a demo reel, I’d much prefer hearing a simple, “No.” Sometimes, it’s just that simple. And an offer to send one over, once you do have tape (or DVD or a link to a Quick Time clip online), is a great follow-up to that no.

Bonnie Gillespie is living her dreams by helping others figure out how to live theirs. Wanna work with Bon? Start here. Thanks!

Originally published by Actors Access at http://more.showfax.com/columns/avoice/archives/000106.html. Please support the many wonderful resources provided by the Breakdown Services family. This posting is the author’s personal archive.