The demo reel is like a free sample tray. It’s bite-sized, but it needs to “wow” the person shopping for voices if they want to buy the full package. Therefore, like a sample, it should be well-made and show your whole profile.
That said, many voice actors don’t know how to make a good demo reel. Instead, they’ll say a bunch of words into a mic and then host it on their site or send it whenever a potential client asks. Yes, a demo reel isn’t going to be the most polished thing ever, but it needs to be polished. So, this post will look at how to make demo reels that will lead to success.
How Long Should a Demo Reel Be?
A demo reel isn’t going to be too long, but many voice talents run into the mistake of making it much too short or even too long.
Let us say upfront that there is no one-size-fits-all answer; it’s going to depend on the type of demo. A casting call that requires a range of emotions may require a longer demo reel and vice versa. So, it may be between 30 seconds and five minutes.
In our experience, the “sweet spot” for most demos is between 1 and 2 minutes. This length gives you enough time to show your full range while not overstaying your welcome. Some potential clients may see a 5-minute demo reel and skip it just for the length alone or skip around your best parts.
Put a Variety of Stuff Into It
So, while the demo reel shouldn’t be too long, it should be long enough to have various voices you can do. You may have a part where you narrate an audiobook. You may showcase your wacky cartoon voice or dramatic anime dubbing voice. You want to showcase your full range and not just what’s requested from the client. The client may claim they want a certain type of voice, but knowing that you can do a variety of voices shows that you can portray the character with more nuance or possibly voice other characters.
Make it Sound Great
We have entire articles about how to make your voice sound as clear as possible so that this section won’t be too long. Many people think that a demo means that the recording doesn’t have to be high-quality. But it needs to sound as close to professional quality as possible.
For one thing, a poor mic or poor settings do not capture the full range of your emotions. This means that you’re less likely to land gigs. Not only that, but potential clients may assume that your recordings when you’re hired from the job are low-quality.
Here are some basic tips:
• Record in a room with decent soundproofing.
• Have a microphone that’s capable of recording the nuances of your voice.
• Adjust the microphone settings and distance from you to capture your best voice possible.
• Use audio software like Audacity to clean it up.
Again, we have entire articles where we go into full detail about this, and the answer to your audio sounding good is going to vary from person to person. Some people may need to soundproof their room more, while others may need to turn a knob on their microphone.
Listen Before You Submit
Many people hate the sound of their own voices, and it’s easy to understand why. But if you’re going to be a voiceover artist, you have to put this fear to rest. You need to listen to your recordings before you submit them!
You also need a decent pair of headphones. Don’t buy a $20 pair and call it a day. Get a pair that allows you to hear any potential background noise you need to eliminate. If there are any mistakes, re-record. It just takes one slip-up to make the difference between getting the job and getting rejected.
Ask for Input
It’s important to ask other voice actors for input on your demo reel, too. You can show your friends and family, but unless they have experience in voice reels, they may not give much input. You can join voice-acting communities and share your demos or upload them to YouTube and ask for comments.
While voice acting is a competitive industry, there are many communities dedicated to lifting each other, so don’t be afraid to share. You may want to look for a community that accepts constructive criticism but does not bring one another down.
Always Make New Demos
You should have an evergreen demo where you show off a wide range of emotions, but you should also make new demos whenever you can. This is especially true if you see a gig that you want to apply for, but you don’t have a voice on the demo that matches what a client wants. You should ideally have an entire portfolio of different voices and update them. As you get better equipment and your skills improve, you should also re-record any demos that may be of lower quality or don’t show your current talents. This way, you will win over new clients.
Hire a Professional
Hiring a professional may seem like a waste of money, especially for a demo and for a profession you want to do at home. However, if you’ve tried sending multiple demos and you haven’t gotten a bite, this investment may be worth it. You may be doing something wrong in the recording process, be it poor equipment, bad settings, or you’re not letting out your full range.
A professional can cost money, but they will save time and increase your chances of getting better results.
Final Thoughts
If you are mindful of your demo, you can land gigs. A demo needs as much polish and care as possible to win over a client. Don’t just record, not listen to a file, and then submit it to a potential client. This is not how you get gigs.
