Demo Reels
14/02/08 13:23
What's the difference between a "custom made demo"
that you put on tape, and a copy of a
professionally produced show you've done?
... a boatload of someone else's money, usually!!
I've been seeing a lot of ads for custom made demo's lately, and I've been looking at the cost of getting these done. If you're at the point of not needing to create your own custom written scene and then put it on tape, then count your blessings. But should you take this route if you have little or no body of work to support your marketing efforts as an actor? No matter how much you work, more than likely your still a "Viking On A Budget," taking the world by storm while eating Top Ramen mixed with cut up hot dogs... and that means that spending money on one of these types of demo's could mean the difference between you having food or shelter for the month or having a less than spectacular reel!
Well, a lot of actors go the "Custom Made Demo" route, which may also be translated as the "Home-made Demo". Yes, it's good to have something of yourself on tape, and I'm sure there are plenty of thoughts out there about how it's okay to tape you reading what's basically an audition piece. But let's get back to the opening question: What's the difference between "Home-made" and "Professionally Produced"?
A clip of a commercial you've shot, a show you've guested on or a film that features some strong work of yours means that SOMEONE has put some hard money on the line for you. That means that if you don't know what you're doing, it's going to cost thousands of dollars and lost hours of work to correct your mistake! If you're just taping a scene, no matter how creatively shot or directed, and you blow the scene you can just back up the tape and start over! And it's all for the low cost of whatever you're being charged!
Again, I've seen some very creatively shot custom demos. But the cost of getting that done was usually far, far less than the cost of having a producer and a director... who have a client breathing down their necks... that are depending on you to hit your mark and say, with just the right inflection, "Schooner Tuna... the tuna with a heart!"
Could it be that the people that provide these services are doing so, simply to pay their bills...? Have they given any thought to the notion that there's more involved in reviewing a demo than just seeing that an actor knows camera blocking? Can this actor match a master when it goes to close-up or a two shot? Is he or she consistent? Do they need to "warm up" after several takes to get it right? Are they easy to work with? These are just some of the questions that only a professionally produced commercial or film producer, director or crew can answer fairly. Someone whom you've paid to make you look good for the sole purpose of getting work may say whatever needs to be said to get you the job. And they may not be the best source... or even accurate! And something like that can damage your reputation for quite a long time!
So what can you do?
Again, let's think "Viking On A Budget." Where can you get some fairly decent footage of yourself at low-to-no cost?
Student films (university or vocational/film school level) are always a good source of footage, simply because they're exactly like you: they're VIKINGS ON A BUDGET!! They're learning the craft on someone else's dime, usually the school's, which means that it's funded by someone that won't necessarily care whether or not you take forever to warm up or match the master. The director will be trying to look good, the DP will be trying look good, YOU'LL be trying to look good... you're all in the same boat! Which makes it an ideal situation, because all of you will put the same type of effort in to get the best quality product you can get. And if these film makers make it big, they'll remember li'l ole you who ran half-dressed through the swamps of Ocala to film their grad thesis! Going this route also helps you start to build your network of industry contacts, which may eventually pay off in ways you can't even imagine!
So those are my thoughts, such as they are, on this subject. As with any blog, they are my thoughts and are certainly not the final authority. Which then begs the question: What do you think?
I've been seeing a lot of ads for custom made demo's lately, and I've been looking at the cost of getting these done. If you're at the point of not needing to create your own custom written scene and then put it on tape, then count your blessings. But should you take this route if you have little or no body of work to support your marketing efforts as an actor? No matter how much you work, more than likely your still a "Viking On A Budget," taking the world by storm while eating Top Ramen mixed with cut up hot dogs... and that means that spending money on one of these types of demo's could mean the difference between you having food or shelter for the month or having a less than spectacular reel!
Well, a lot of actors go the "Custom Made Demo" route, which may also be translated as the "Home-made Demo". Yes, it's good to have something of yourself on tape, and I'm sure there are plenty of thoughts out there about how it's okay to tape you reading what's basically an audition piece. But let's get back to the opening question: What's the difference between "Home-made" and "Professionally Produced"?
A clip of a commercial you've shot, a show you've guested on or a film that features some strong work of yours means that SOMEONE has put some hard money on the line for you. That means that if you don't know what you're doing, it's going to cost thousands of dollars and lost hours of work to correct your mistake! If you're just taping a scene, no matter how creatively shot or directed, and you blow the scene you can just back up the tape and start over! And it's all for the low cost of whatever you're being charged!
Again, I've seen some very creatively shot custom demos. But the cost of getting that done was usually far, far less than the cost of having a producer and a director... who have a client breathing down their necks... that are depending on you to hit your mark and say, with just the right inflection, "Schooner Tuna... the tuna with a heart!"
Could it be that the people that provide these services are doing so, simply to pay their bills...? Have they given any thought to the notion that there's more involved in reviewing a demo than just seeing that an actor knows camera blocking? Can this actor match a master when it goes to close-up or a two shot? Is he or she consistent? Do they need to "warm up" after several takes to get it right? Are they easy to work with? These are just some of the questions that only a professionally produced commercial or film producer, director or crew can answer fairly. Someone whom you've paid to make you look good for the sole purpose of getting work may say whatever needs to be said to get you the job. And they may not be the best source... or even accurate! And something like that can damage your reputation for quite a long time!
So what can you do?
Again, let's think "Viking On A Budget." Where can you get some fairly decent footage of yourself at low-to-no cost?
Student films (university or vocational/film school level) are always a good source of footage, simply because they're exactly like you: they're VIKINGS ON A BUDGET!! They're learning the craft on someone else's dime, usually the school's, which means that it's funded by someone that won't necessarily care whether or not you take forever to warm up or match the master. The director will be trying to look good, the DP will be trying look good, YOU'LL be trying to look good... you're all in the same boat! Which makes it an ideal situation, because all of you will put the same type of effort in to get the best quality product you can get. And if these film makers make it big, they'll remember li'l ole you who ran half-dressed through the swamps of Ocala to film their grad thesis! Going this route also helps you start to build your network of industry contacts, which may eventually pay off in ways you can't even imagine!
So those are my thoughts, such as they are, on this subject. As with any blog, they are my thoughts and are certainly not the final authority. Which then begs the question: What do you think?