I recently had some junior artists on vfx connection inquire about what they should have on their reels. After thinking about it I thought it would make a pretty good blog, and a jumping off point for additional discussions.

Needless to say it’s tough when you first come out of school. As a new graduate, you’ll now be dealing with the stress of people and shops that are “business oriented”.  For your first job, odds are you are going to have to “pay your dues” doing work that you really don’t want to, but, it’s a foot in the door in real work environment and (hopefully!) it will pay some of your bills. The thing is your reel separates you from the rest of your piers getting out of school who are looking for the same work you are.... Your reel is what gets you that first gig, what makes people take an interest, and sets you above the pack. Without a reel that stands out (---unless your Mommy or Daddy is already in the industry), you might be fortunate to have a nice interview, but you won’t be called back.

I know when I look at a reel of a company or a seasoned individual; I want to see something that stands out. There are far too many shops that have the same "look" to their work. In fairness, it’s often the agency factor of “beating a good idea to death” because after the initial concept is seen, everyone else has to do it as well. Students run into the same problem. Once graduation arrives, the reels pour in with the same test, from all the students of the same class, over and over again. Ask yourself, what makes your test, and entire reel for that matter, stronger than the others…? Did you spend the time to do something different? Am I saying don’t show something that you had done because it was also done by others…? No. Most people recognize that is part of the curriculum of a school. Its just what can YOU do in addition to that work that makes YOUR work unique. 

So, ok, what should be on it….? Yeah, we’d all like to leave school with the next "Lord of The Rings" battle sequence, a polished and perfect piece of character animation that Pixar would drool over, or a seamless piece of compositing that has people scratching their heads saying “how was that done?” Realistically, however, in almost all instances, that isn’t going to be the case.
 
First think in basic terms: “What” do you want to be doing in your future career?  If you want to be a character animator, have your reel lean towards character animation, matte painting, for matte painters, etc.. Sure, at this stage “well rounded” is good, but try to steer the overall look in the direction you want to move in… ---Yes, there may be those that don’t know at this point so they put everything on the reel. Unfortunately in the professional “‘Reel’ World” most people, and agencies in particular, don’t spend the time looking at every piece, so put your strongest work first.  In a number of instances they cruise through the reel looking for what specifically pertains to their current project. A prospective employer is going to think along the same terms. Look at the work, something catches their eye, and your foot is in the door.

Reel Structure, Items to Keep in Mind:

Quality vs. Quantity: You are much better off putting a motion test on the reel that shows merit, rather than a finished piece that has flaws. (---I hired a junior artist simply because his rough motion tests showed an incredibly firm grasp on character animation).

Overall Running Time: Less is More. Please no more than 3 minutes. If you haven’t shown your best work by now, nobody is going to stick around to see it. If you do have work that you are proud of and it must be viewed in its entirety, do a montage (---for under 3 minutes) and then incorporate “full pieces” under a separate heading.

Sound Track: Use a unique "non-abrasive" audio track with imagery for a montage. It keeps the pace moving and adds to the value of your work.

Simplicity of Navigational Design: Whatever you do keep it simple, too much going on, hunting and pecking to view work is just going to be frustrating and annoy the viewer.

Website with Reel. Go a step beyond what other people are doing, set up a website to go along with the reel. In most cases professionals will want to see the website first and then the physical reel. (--And it is MUCH easier to email someone "new work is now up on your site, here is the link", then spending the time and expense for making and shipping out new reels)

Advice from Your Instructors: Ask your professors what they think and listen to their comments. Hopefully they have experience in the industry and can give you honest feedback. Get a “tough skin”, expect criticism. Good teachers aren’t going to tell you something unless it is meant to help you. Your work also reflects back on them. It isn’t in their interests to have you in the marketplace as a representative of school, and their teachings if you can never be hired.


In closing, strive to make all your projects stand out and you will be rewarded working in a profession that you love. It’s not an easy ride, especially in this economic environment, but it does have its own set of rewards.