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Whether you are an experienced host or someone who is just beginning their career as a media personality, having a quality reel is perhaps the most essential part of landing that dream job. A reel - a 2 to 3 minute selection of your best footage - takes all the guessing out of the equation and lets producers and casting directors “see” you doing what you do. Regardless of how good the quality of your footage already is (or isn’t,) effective editing and sound mixing is fundamental when it comes to creating a top of the line reel. If you have serious aspirations of landing that highly sought after spot, you need to make sure that the footage you put together is cut and edited in a way that highlights the pace, rhythm and personality that best showcases you.  The way the same footage is cut together can make you seem longwinded and boring, rushed and superficial, or just perfect for the job. 

Personality is the main thing that should jump out of your reel. But the right personality for one show isn’t necessarily the right personality for another.  Some shows will require hosts to be fun and silly, others might require more credibility and professionalism, and others might call for more warmth and feeling of intimacy.  Knowing what type of show you want your reel to suggest, and being realistic about your type and what jobs you are more likely to get is very important when cutting your reel.  A good editor can look at all your footage and collaborate with you into molding the best example of the “type” that you want to embody.

Today, there is a tendency for amateurs to edit and cut their own content at home, and that is great if your goal is to learn or share the video with your family and friends. But in the professional world, a reel is a one-shot opportunity in which the casting director, director or producer will probably make his or her mind about you in the first 15 seconds. You could be bold and edit your own reel but unless you have prior experience with editing reels, that would be a gamble that is probably not worth the risk. It’s crucial for there to be objective eyes and hands working with you on your reel. What might seem fun and humorous for people who know you, might not be that funny or effective for someone who just recently met you. And chances are that you won’t have a close relationship with the people looking at your reel.  A professional editor can look at your footage with fresh eyes and composite the clips together that most grab his/her unbiased attention. Moreover, a professional editor, who also has expertise on the crafting of reels, will know exactly how to mix the best visuals, audio, and background music together to give your reel the flow and dynamics that best display your personality and creativity. Although you are the one being evaluated, not the quality of your cuts, these elements will subconsciously influence the way the viewer feels, and subsequently, the way they feel about you. 

Cutting a reel poses several questions that require very precise answers. For example, many people like to begin their hosting reel with a montage of them doing fun stuff, but exactly how long should those montages be? If the montage is too long, the casting director will loose interest, but if it’s too short, you’ll miss out on that opportunity to create that feeling of fun. Also, at the beginning of most shows, the host introduces his or herself, but how many times should you show footage of you introducing yourself in the reel? Another question is how much green screen you should use as opposed to location shots. Some green screen footage with cool backgrounds can give your reel higher production value, but too much of it can make the reel feel stagnant and uninteresting. An editor who specializes in hosting reels will know exactly how to address these and other questions. 

A quality reel can create a visual experience that not only propels your career forward but is also something you can feel proud of. You have a dream and you have worked hard for it. Make sure that you are putting your best foot forward.  

Enjoy some examples of hosting reels edited by Award Winning Reels Here. 

By Nicholas Pinzon

Last week we discussed the importance of having a high quality reel with professional level edits. The selections in your reel need to tell casting directors that you know how to work at a professional level with professional people. But aside from looking technically proficient, what do the clips in your reel need to do? What makes one scene better than another in regards to your reel? How do you choose which scenes to pull from to best represent you? 

There are two main considerations to make when building your demo reel:

1.) Does the scene showcase your talent?

In order to achieve this the scenes in your reel need to be compelling. Regardless of how great you look, a scene that is written or directed in a boring or uninteresting way will rarely ever allow for a performance that feels more then “okay.” And it’s your performance that truly matters. This means that the scenes in your reel need to have conflict, dynamics, and originality. The scenes that you pull sections from must have a clear beginning, middle and end in which a quick catalyst sets up a confrontation that brings about some form of resolution. In this way those clips will stand alone because they came from an authentic whole in which you were grounded, connected, in action, and deeply rooted in character. It’s very important that the clips you show capture the viewer’s interest because they will unconsciously associate that interest, or lack there of, with your performance. Accordingly, every word and action in the scene must move the narrative forward. When things are moving forward we are interested, when they are still we usually aren’t. 

2.) Are the selections or clips dynamic?

It’s best to stay away from scenes that are expositional because they mostly set up future action and are as a result very stagnant in nature. The clips you should use should start right before the catalyst of the action. Even the ending of the scene should move the story forward and leave the viewer wanting more. Scenes should feel part of a larger whole. Furthermore, it’s essential for the scenes in your reel to exhibit a clear sense of style and tone because that helps casting directors to visualize your type. Any yes, like it or not casting directors do “type” you. It also enhances their experience of the scene and subsequently their experience of your performance because it allows for your natural essence to shine through. Each scene you choose should have variations in energy and intensity so that they are never monotone or predictable. A good editor will make sure that your performance and the scene clips themselves have those sorts of dynamics in both your performance and the narrative action. 

Ultimately the scenes required for a good reel need a palpable sense of craft and artistry that can only be obtained by collaborating with the right filmmakers and storytellers. Perhaps the projects you’ve done thus far have fallen short of these elements. Or you feel you don’t yet have material that gives you a chance to show your acting chops. At Award Winning Reels, we specialize in writing, filming and producing the types of scenes that make an actor’s reel stand out. If you feel like the scenes in your reel aren’t at the level you’d like, give us a call and we will help you edit your footage, or produce a brand new scene that will stand out from the crowd and propel your career forward.  You work hard to be exceptional, make sure your reel represents that. 

Enjoy some examples of scenes for demo reels created by Award Winning Reels Here.