demo reel need advice

# 1 20-02-2004 , 03:26 AM

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Location: minnesota, USA

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I am nearing the end of my demo reel and I need some advice. I have a funny alien character, female model, highly detailed m2 bradley fight vehicle, walk and run cycle and a 10 sec audio clip of animation. I am wondering if this is enough or should I add in more. The items mentioned above are my best work. I will be looking at applying as a modeler, texture artist or character animator (I enjoy all of these aeras). I am at a cross roads though. Should I do another 10sec audio clip of animation or should I go forward and start rendering out and compositing so it's finished by the time siggraph is here.

Thanks for your time, and advice
Kassun

"The day you stop dreaming is the day you die"

www.kassuns.com

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# 2 20-02-2004 , 03:42 AM

The Maya Mountain
Join Date: Aug 2002

Location: Seattle, WA

Posts: 8,245

You might consider making seperate reels for modeling/texturing and animation, seeing as the majority of these jobs are seperate. If you apply to a modeling job with a bunch of animation on the reel, it won't necessarily help you get that job, y'know? Just a thought.

-Mike
The Maya Toolbelt

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# 3 20-02-2004 , 03:53 AM

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Join Date: Oct 2003

Location: Toronto

Posts: 79

I'm still working on my demo reel but from my research, I think you should make different demo reels to target specific positions that they need...like show tons of clips of different characters doing different things with different emotion for character animation job. Or if it's modelling, show lots of it turntable style. If it's everythinig, then show everything. I think companies only look at things that they need at the moment, only, so the rest of your content may be viewed in fast forward.

But of course, I've read somewhere someone got hired with a clip of only several seconds long...just to get all our hopes up.

good luck.

"Whatever tomorrow brings I'll be there...with open arms, and open eyes" - Incubus

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# 4 20-02-2004 , 04:34 PM

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This is just based on what info I have found in various places. Because I would like to go also.

I would take different versions of your tapes to Siggraph, drop the well rounded ones with the smaller companies. They need a jack of all triads most likely. The larger companies you can ask what they need or know beforehand what they are on the look out for right now, so thin you tailor the demo for them. Research and take notes on a lot of the companies that you think will be there.

At Siggraph, make sure you try and hook them in the first 5 seconds. This is way important there. Because they get a lot of tapes in a short amount of time, and I would think most of them sure in heck are not going to pay airfare or bother shipping them to home base just so they can shelf or get ride of them latter. They will try to weed out fluff there before going back to where ever. If they have a lot of them, they might only play there first little bit. If it doesn’t grab them, they might not bother looking at the rest.

Maybe I'll see you there. I would like to go this year.
PS be sure to find the parties !!

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# 5 25-02-2004 , 04:07 AM

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Location: London

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Make sure you clearly show what department your applying for or you could end up being given the wrong job. If applying for animation for example, you dont need superbly modelled, textures and rendered models, using block men are fine.

Yeah, but no but yeah but no....

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# 6 25-02-2004 , 07:59 AM

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Location: minnesota, USA

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Thanks for the advice guys. user added image

Kassun

"The day you stop dreaming is the day you die"

www.kassuns.com

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# 7 26-02-2004 , 10:17 PM

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Join Date: Nov 2003

Posts: 91

i have no experience in demo reels but i would say that if your full reel is like 30 seconds of your best stuff, you're better off sticking with your best stuff and keeping it short (more impact!) than to try to fluff it out with lower quality stuff that'll make it a minute long (and less impactful!).

agreeing with what pony said, siggraph is all about making a mark so if you can make a mark with 30 seconds then what's wrong with that?

aim: rabidflamingo

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