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The Presentation
Demo reels are very personal things - a part of yourself and also a part of your professional image. You will want to look qualified and also stand out and draw attention. From the look of the packaging to the impact of the tracks, it all fuses together to prove to our prospects that we are the best person for the job. First impressions can go a long way. Think ahead of time about the impression you are trying to make, and then make it a good one. Because this is not retail sales, graphics and expensive packaging are not mandatory. Make the demo sound fantastic and look professional. From the moment the package arrives on a producer's desk you are making an impression. Bright packaging will certainly get you noticed but it can also backfire. While musicians are expected to be a little outlandish, a company seeking outside media will more than likely be playing conservatively. Decide what market you are trying to enter and then customize the tracks on your demo reel appropriately. I try to decipher what sort of music or sound effects a client may be looking for, then I search my existing material for something that's close. A producer looking for music to a game marketed to the 8 to 12 year old girl is probably not interested in hearing heavy metal. So, don't send it. A custom demo reel for each prospect can help you zero in on the target. Include your contact information on everything, from the demo to all of the other envelope stuffers. Materials get separated, and you'd hate for someone to discover the perfect piece of music for a project without any idea who had sent it. Affix your copyright information to the tape or CD also. Other items to consider including in a demo package: 1) A cue sheet. Name each track and explain what they are listening to. Whether the piece appeared in a previous body of work, what it was used for, and any production notes used to explain your motivation for composing the piece. 2) A resume of any past work. 3) Promotional materials, brochures and press clippings. 4) Business card. The Best Format CDs are definitely at the top of the proverbial demo reel heap. Whether you burn them individually on your CD writer or have your demo duplicated professionally, CDs proclaim your musical mastery. They have the best sound quality plus they allow a listener to quickly scan through material, thus saving her valuable time. The disadvantage to you, of course, is that the listener might skip around and miss the best parts of your music. Another potential problem is that the producer may not have a CD player in her car. I want people to listen in their cars where I have a captive audience with nothing to distract them. Besides, music just sounds better when the scenery is moving. I always ask what type of demo the individual prefers to help make the format decision. For the do-it-yourselfers, there are several CD labeler kits out there that are better looking than a smeared Sharpie pen any day. Use one. Cassette tapes are a very close second to CDs. They are equally as convenient as CDs, and most people have several players plus that magical one in the car. While cassettes are not as easy to skip tracks on, they tend to extend listening time. This is a great argument for putting your best work up front. Always use quality tape and be sure to label it appropriately with your contact information. When I send a tape, it is normally a 15 minute cassette which allows me to put a seven minute montage on Side A and two complete tracks on Side B. As part of the image thing, I use labels I can run through my printer instead of anything handwritten. MP3 is slowly sneaking up on the competition. This format still has a few kinks to work out, and until MP3 players are as common as walkmans, it just isn't quite there. It does, however, work very well as a downloadable file from a web site. Its file size and good sound quality are an excellent way to strike while the prospective client is browsing your wares. The client must be interested or they wouldn't be at your site, right? This could provide some immediate feedback to them and possibly close the sale for you. This format would also work well if a client asks you to send a file as an email attachment. You are already making points by giving them what they want. Sound files, such as .wav or .aif files, are also generally accepted either as an email attachment or as a download from your web site. They are quick and allow a prospect to hear your creativity almost immediately. You will have to find a happy medium, though. The higher the sample rate and the better the sound quality, the larger your file size and the longer download times. You must choose wisely. I ordinarily use this only for sound effect scenes. I use it for music only upon request. |
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Features
