Jay Prichard
Demo Reel Editor
Dallas / Fort Worth, TX

Creating Demo Reels with the
Actor's Career First in Mind

 

 

 

Contact Jay
 214-415-0984

 

 

Jay's Acting Site
www.jayprichard.com 

Jay's Reiki Site
www.jayprichard.com/reiki 

 

  

 

Page Contents


 Demo Reel Samples
 (click on names below to view the demo reels)

Jay Prichard
Length: 2 minutes
File Size: 3.8 MB

 

This is my demo reel.
I edited together some of these scenes from original raw footage, and some of them I re-edited from the final project footage.
 

Allison Nevins
Length: 2 minutes
File Size: 4.1 MB

 

All of Allison's source videos were from the final production versions of each project. In other words, I didn't have any raw footage from which to edit. So using the final production videos, I re-edited each scene so that Allison is more prominent in the scene, and to make it very tight, so that we get more "Allison per second" of video.

Susan Ancell
Length: 1 minute
File Size: 1.8 MB

Susan's demo material consisted of only one short film, one theater play, and one 4-second PSA clip. One of my main goals in editing her demo reel was to give the impression that there were more films that she had done as opposed to just the one short film.

The 4-second PSA was not a final production version --- it had no background music, and it had a timecode ticking away on the bottom. I used some of my royalty-free music to add a music background to the PSA clip. I also cropped off the top and bottom of the video to eliminate the timecode, and this also gave it a "widescreen" effect.

This demo was designed for submissions to talent agents, so the demo reel needed to be one minute or less, and quick to the point.

NOTE: Personal contact info has been removed from this video file for security purposes.

 

Sarah McCready
Length: 1 minute
File Size: 1.9 MB

Sarah's demo material consisted of one internet industrial, two scenes that she "staged" and taped herself (showing good initiative on her part), and one short film that was shot "silent" so there was no actual audible dialogue. My goal on the silent short film was to pull together the silent scenes in a way that still showed acting depth on Sarah's part. As Sarah begins to acquire material from more real films, we will begin removing the "staged" scenes and replacing them with the real film scenes.

Sarah was never given the video of her internet industrial from the client. No problem ... I went to the web site and captured the video off of the web site screen in real-time on my PC. However, since this was from the web, it was only web quality.

This demo was designed for submissions to talent agents, so the demo reel needed to be one minute or less, and quick to the point.

NOTE: Personal contact info has been removed from this video file for security purposes.

 

Monica Pena
PRISON BREAK
Length: 37 seconds
File Size: 1.1 MB

This is a video clip that I edited together, just for fun, for my friend Monica Pena. Monica had a speaking role on PRISON BREAK. I recorded the scene and digitally captured it into my PC. Then I edited together this little video, which gave her something to email to friends and family for fun.

 

Loveable Smiles
Length: 2:23 minutes
File Size: 4.6 MB

This is not a Demo Reel, but it is a customer service video for a dental office that I produced, including videography, still photos, and editing.

 


What You Get

  • After your entire demo reel is edited, I will provide you with an email-friendly, web-friendly WMV (Windows Media Video) file. I can also provide you with other formats like MOV (QuickTime).

  • I can also create a high-resolution version of your demo reel onto a Video DVD, which plays in regular TV DVD players and PC DVD players. This is a DVD that you can mail out or hand out at auditions. For example, if you audition for a film, it is good to end your audition by handing them a copy of your Demo Reel DVD.

  • I can also design and print DVD labels showing your headshot(s) and contact information, or whatever else you want printed on your label.

  • The DVD, with label affixed, will be supplied to you in a slim-line jewel case.

  • I can also duplicate additional DVDs (along with labels and jewel cases) if you want to keep a supply on hand to hand out at auditions. Or, you are free to take your DVD wherever you want to have it duplicated. If you have a DVD burner at home, you can duplicate them yourself. I will be glad to give you your label file that I designed so that you can print the labels out yourself and apply them to the DVDs that you burn yourself. It's up to you.

Frankly, I don't want to be in the business of duplicating DVDs. I would much rather create your "Master DVD" for you, and provide a handful of DVD dups to get you going, along with giving you the label design that I can create for you. That way, you can print your own labels as needed, and get your DVDs duplicated at places like Action Video Services, Arcube Multimedia, and U Edit Video. It costs around $8 - $12 per DVD copy. You can find their current prices on their respective web sites:

   Action Video Services   http://www.actionvideoservice.com/
   972-437-2021, located in Richardson
   (I recommend AVS for DVD duplication)

   Arcube Multimedia   http://www.arcube.com/

   U Edit Video   http://www.ueditvideo.com/

NOTE: Whether you burn your own DVDs, or have them duplicated using a duplication service, no one can guarantee 100% compatibility of all DVDs in all DVD players. It just doesn't work that way.


 Demo Reel Guidelines

ACTORS ... For a free copy of my Demo Reel Guidelines, just send me an email at

Demo Reel Guidelines includes information on:

  • Why You Need To Know Demo Reel Guidelines (HINT: SAVE MONEY, CAREER EMPOWERMENT)

  • The Purpose of a Demo Reel

  • Demo Reel Length

  • Making It All About You

  • Using Partial Scenes

  • The Intro Section

  • Using Montages

  • Including Commercial, Industrial, or Theater (Stage) Material

  • Music for Intro and Closing

  • Is Having Only Two or Three Scenes Enough?

  • What Your Demo Reel is NOT About

  • What NOT to Include on Your Demo Reel

  • Using Raw Footage


Menu-Driven Demo DVDs

Do you have multiple Demo Reels for different purposes? For example, I have an Acting Demo Reel, a Spokesperson Demo Reel, and a Voiceover Demo. If so, we can put ALL of them on one DVD that has ALL of your demos together. It will be "menu driven", just like regular movie DVDs. My personal demo DVD starts with a MENU screen that has my name, contact info, headshot, and a MENU SELECTION. The viewer can watch whatever demo they want, or ALL of them.

This gives you the opportunity to put "more of you" in front of someone. The viewer might be considering you for a role in a film, but they might also play your voiceover demo and consider you for a future voiceover project. If you had only given them your Acting Demo Reel on the DVD, they might never have known that you are also a voiceover talent.


 A Note About Video Capture

Hopefully all of your material is on DVD, but if you have material on VHS or  Mini DV tape, I can capture the video into my PC and digitize the file so that it can be edited into your reel. I will also give you this file so that you will own it digitally. However, for Mini DV tape, you will have to provide the Mini DV camcorder to play it on. I have a camcorder, but it is one of the newer HDD (Hard Disk Drive) camcorders that doesn't use tape.

Did you do something that is currently available on a web site, but you were never given the video from the client? No problem ... I can do a video capture off of the web site screen. However, since this is from the web, it will only be web quality.