How To Make A Demo Reel
You know that saying, “You only have one chance to make a great first impression”? If you’re looking to make a lasting impression in just a couple of minutes, you should consider making a demo reel!
Demo reels are short video clips that quickly highlight your best work, accomplishments, and unique features. These videos are a great way to tell your audience exactly who you are and what you do — and show off your skills along the way. Here’s what you need to know about making a professional demo reel that’ll make your target audience curious for more.
What is a demo reel?
Demo reels, which are sometimes also referred to as “sizzle reels,” are short promotional videos that highlight your accomplishments, products, or other offerings. While they’re often used by creatives to highlight their skills and get hired by potential clients, a demo reel can also be a great tool for companies to show off their products, services, and unique features.
For actors, demo reels essentially serve as your resume. A good demo reel for actors is made up of some of the best clips of their acting career. If done correctly, a demo reel shows off who you are as an actor and the kinds of skills that you have, which ultimately helps casting directors determine if you’re a good fit for the projects they have in mind.
For companies, a demo reel can quickly and enticingly highlight what your business does and why it stands out among your competitors. This video marketing tool is a great way to showcase your brand to your potential target audience on social media and beyond, getting them excited about what you have to offer.
Preparing your demo reel
Determine what you want to accomplish.
The first step in creating a compelling demo reel is to define who your target audience is and what your goals are with this video.
For example, an actor that is creating a demo reel is going to want to craft a reel that showcases their best performances. They’ll likely want to create a reel that highlights their range and shows casting directors how they would be a great fit for the role in question. The end goal: to get hired.
Meanwhile, a business creating a sizzle reel will want to put together a reel that specifically speaks to potential clientele. The goal of reels like these would be to highlight all of the unique accomplishments and reasons that your brand stands out from the rest. The end goal here? To make sales!
Decide on the content and format of your reel.
Because reels are usually made of several smaller video clips, you’ll need to figure out how you put those videos together to tell your story.
Again, this can vary depending on who you are and what you’re looking to accomplish.
A business demo reel should showcase a compelling storyline. As a result, they can do well if you follow a narrative style and use audio, voiceovers, or text to tie each separate clip together and build the full picture.
Gather your content.
Once you’ve decided how you want to approach the creation of your demo reel, it’s time to start gathering all of your content!
Think about the unique features that make your brand a standout. Some good content to consider including is product videos, events, and customers using your products or services.
Piece your videos together to create a story.
Once your content is gathered, you will then need to edit them together to create one cohesive reel.
As you’re putting your clips together, consider again the kind of impact that you want them to have and sort them appropriately. For example, if you want to tell a good story, you’ll need to start off with some high-impact clips that draw your viewers in right away and get them excited to see more.
In addition to the videos themselves, you may also consider adding other engaging features depending on your end goal. For example, a business sizzle reel might want to add some fun and upbeat music in the background that matches the vibe of the clips. You can also consider adding a strong call to action at the end.
Tips for making a professional and captivating demo reel
Use high-quality footage and audio.
Because demo reels are such an important tool for making a good first impression, you should make sure that every video clip you include is visually appealing and professional. You’ll also want each of your clips to work well when combined with the others, so it’s important to use a highly skilled editor to make everything cohesive.
Use transitions, text, and other visuals.
In addition to the clips themselves, you might also consider including transitions, text, or other visuals to tell your story. A good sizzle will tie in the visual cues of the story with on screen motion graphics to truly tie the story together while keeping it fun and entertaining as well.
Make sure all of your clips are interesting, concise, and impactful.
With demo reels, you have a very limited amount of time to garner attention and interest. As such, you should ensure that all of the videos you use make an impact! Remember that you want each clip to work in tandem to evoke an emotional response from your audience as fast as possible.
When in doubt, use a video production service.
Demo reels are one of the most valuable tools you have in your arsenal for making an impact. So whether you’re an actor or a business, making one that is professional and high-quality can make all the difference.
DreamItReel is a video production service that can help you put together a reel that grabs your audience and tells them a story that they want to be a part of. From conceptualization to final edits, the video professionals at DreamItReel take care of all the artistic details of your reel so that you’re left with a video that makes a big impact.
Photo by Kelly: https://www.pexels.com/photo/modern-workplace-with-gadgets-in-cozy-room-with-soft-light-4041405/
Recommended readings
