"How to create a demo reel" by Pixar

[hellkt]

Hello,

I should first improve my work, do new projects and then make a demo reel but I was just looking around and getting some tips and I found this to be interesting, specially to the ones interested in animation:

"For first-timers putting together a reel, following are some helpful guidelines from one of Pixar's former interns, who joined our ranks as an employee:

1) An application that requires a demo reel submission has 5 parts:

a) the cover letter
b) the resume
c) the demo reel
d) the demo reel breakdown
e) the on-line application (the application contains the Reel Submission Agreement)

The cover letter can (and should) be brief. The resume should tell us where you've worked, what you did when you worked, what kind of coursework you've had, and what tools, languages, and systems you can use. The demo reel breakdown is really essential (see #7, below). Don't force us to look at a website - when we're looking at reels, we're all greased and ready to go with reels, not websites. (We will look at websites if we're hiring you as a web designer.)

2) Your reel should be no more than 4 minutes.

Just like a resume is no more than 2 pages unless you've been CEO or a senator. If you have a lot of great material...do a 4 minute version, and then refer to longer pieces on a DVD afterwards if you get that far into the process. "For the entire short see the additional materials section...blah blah blah yakity shmakity."

Don't do a "collage" of your work, with interleaved random clips from all your different work. No, no, no. We won't be able to figure out what's going on. DO give each piece the time it deserves, no more nor less, and just show it once. Keep it simple.

3) Don't show un-approved work.

Don't show work from other studios if it has not been approved or we will not look at the demo reel.

4) Nobody cares about music/soundtrack.

We turn off the sound. But sometimes we listen to it and get really annoyed if we don't like your taste in music. Keep it basic or leave it off.

5) Put your best work first.

Lead TDs often have 10 - 20 reels to go through. They might watch the first minute, see if anything intrigues them. If so, they'll watch the other 2 minutes. If not, move on. Show your best, most impressive work first -- presumably the work you are specifically applying for. Make it clear on your demo reel, cover letter, and resume what type of position you're applying for. Don't try to change your demo reel because our website says we only need, say, lighting TD's now, either. Say what you're good at and make your reel demonstrate that.

6) Demo Reel Breakdown (DRB).

We want to know what you did on this reel. Here's a shot of a Luxo lamp jumping over a ball. Did you model the lamp? Do the animation? Shade it? Light it? Render it? Write the story? Executive-produce it? The DRB should tell us what we're looking at, what YOU did on it, and what tools you used.

"Sleeping ball: (June 2003) Group project; I shaded the plastic sphere in Slim/Renderman" is a good entry.

"Group project; project used Maya, Slim, Renderman, and Perl" is less useful.

Put this on the frame before the sequence and again in the DRB we can refer to. We often fall behind in reading your DRB; help us keep track of what you're showing. If you have two dozen entries, number the DRB and put numbers on the reel, too - we may not know the difference between your "Sleeping ball" animation and the opus you call "Lazy Sphere".

7) Include a title card at the beginning and end with your name, address, phone, and email.

Including the position you're looking for is not a bad idea, either. The opening one doesn't need to be on too long, but the end one should last for a while. Don't make people desperately pause to get your email address.

8) Show work that proves that you know what you did.

If you've done a sequence, show it at several stages of production. If you've done shading, show the basic color pass, the procedural shading, the painting, and a lit version. If you wrote clever software, include real work that was done with the software, and include on the title card, like, "Implemented simulation of Segway dynamics" in addition to everything else you did. Don't show screen shots of people using the software or screen grabs of C++ code.

9) Take the time to polish.

It seems silly, but people get in such a rush to get the reel out the door, they lose sight of the big picture. THIS IS HOW YOU WILL GET A JOB. And since it's a job in a visual industry -- it should LOOK really, really good. Don't use clashing colors. Make sure your shaders are anti-aliased. Make sure your lights aren't blown out too bright. Make it clear what we're looking at. Don't use confusing fonts. Keep it clean and simple!

10) Show it to other people.

Have other people critique it. Not necessarily the work on it, but the way you're presenting your work. (Though getting critiques of the work on it is a great idea, too.) If a bunch of people are working on their reels at the same time, have a Reel Showing one night.

And 11) If you really don't have stuff to put on a reel, don't send one.

Well-presented still images can be as effective as moving pictures.

Make sure you apply on-line, understand the Submission Process as defined
in the Job Description, understand the Submission Guidelines, and upload any necessary files if applicable."

Source: Pixar Jobs - How to Create a Demo Reel

Hope this helps someone! :-)

[Flux]

Good stuff, have some rep.

[Rmason89]

Really good advice, 3D World had an article a while back with industry artists in different fields commenting on what to include in your reel- including some of these. Other points include- no robots unless your applying for something specific, no strange semi-nude cartoon ladies, green aliens, etc. The 4 minute reels are more suitable for riggers and animators whereas anything else should ideally wrap in 2-3 minutes.

[olblue]

I think this one needs to be sticked really. We could do with an educational resource area.

[Lee]

Stickyed...

[atrain]

Originally Posted by Rmason89

Other points include- no robots unless your applying for something specific...

Why? Is it because everyone does robots?

[Rmason89]

Originally Posted by atrain

Why? Is it because everyone does robots?

Probably, a lot of people new to 3D start with robots because to be functional they can be very simple whereas a character that has to deform well with good topolgy is more difficult to make. Thats not to say that robot modelling can't be very complex or difficult, but very few films and games do robots, I mean how many CG creatures are there in recent films compared to mechs? For most studios and jobs character modelling is in more demand.

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[hellkt]

Glad you guys found it usefull! The only thing I don't agreee is about not using music on demo reels". At the moment I just can't imagine a demo reel without music! It would be just damn boring but on the other hand if you see dozens of reels per day it gets boring anyways...

[zero_hour]

what theyre saying is there isnt anything wrong with with music, just dont make it shitty and annoying, for example, even though i listen to metal etc i dont think its really appropriate for a professional demo reel