How To Make A Killer Demo Reel In Game Audio
What Is A Demo Reel?
A demo reel is your elevator pitch to clients or employers on why they should hire you. It’s the single most important thing when applying for a job as it shows off your work as nothing else can. That’s why it should be given a lot of attention and care to make it stand out.
How To Make A Killer Demo Reel
Check out this excellent video for a full breakdown of what you should include in your demo reel.
Content
What you put in your reel should reflect the role you are applying for and showcase the specific skills needed for it. That means focusing on implementation for a technical position, sound design for a content creation-focused role or music as a composer. Alternative, foley recording and editing for a foley artist or editor and dialogue-focused designs for a dialogue editor.
Additionally, you’ll improve your chances if you also curate your reel depending on the type of studio you’re applying for (AAA, indie, mobile, etc.). This will help them see your skills in the relevant context in which you would be applying them.
From a content perspective use the following:
Audio redesigns of gameplay, cutscene and trailer clips
Footage from any games you’ve worked in including game jams, small unpaid indie projects and mods
Demo projects (Wwise/Fmod)
Length
The ideal length of a demo reel is between 1-3 minutes everything above that is generally too long and overkill. Having a short reel (about 1 minute) as your main video and then some additional more in-depth ones on your website is something that a lot of employers like to see.
The pacing and flow of the reel are really important, it pays off big time to edit it so it feels snappy with interesting transitions to keep the viewer engaged. Think of it as a good movie trailer, keeping your attention throughout and moving from one point of interest to the next.
Dos
Make sure your reel is the right length
Use your very best work
Credit the videos correctly spelling out exactly what you were responsible for and if this is a redesign or original gameplay footage that you worked on
Edit your reel to make it smooth and exciting
Use other reels for reference
Tailor your reel to the companies/areas you wish to work in (AAA, indie, mobile, VR)
Ask people for feedback on your reel and improve it accordingly
Add your name + brand to the intro of the reel (make this very short)
Update and improve your demo reel on a regular basis
Make your reel easy to find (as few clicks as possible)
Make sure all key audio moments have sounds and fill in the details
Use lots of your own recordings (library sounds are fine but they shouldn’t be obviously unrecognisable)
Dont’s
Don’t put music in your reel unless you’re going for a composer position
Don’t make your reel too long
Don’t use pre-designed sounds as standalone elements as they cheapen your reel if recognised
Don’t plagiarise other people's work, this shouldn’t have to be said but it’s immoral and will not only kill your reel but potentially your career
Tips, Tricks & Advice
As I’ve mentioned above Reel Talk is one of the best resources out there for improving your demo reel. So definitely don’t miss the excellent advice from Kevin Regamey and his guests:
https://www.twitch.tv/powerupaudio
A fantastic Twitter thread about the biggest mistakes people make in their demo reels: https://twitter.com/Kablooski1/status/1424846757691863046
Lastly, Some great tips from David Dumais:
https://youtu.be/_VTG6zTyZpg
