Portfolio / demo reel
preparation guide
Dr. Midori Kitagawa
What’s next?
 What do you want to do after getting the degree you
are currently working on?
Graduate degrees
 Going to a graduate school and getting another
degree may be an option.
 Earning a graduate degree is an investment of your
time and money.
 Many graduate programs offer fellowships and
assistantships that pay monthly stipends, tuition and
fees.
M.A., M.F.A. or Ph.D.?
 If you want to teach at a four year college or
university, going to a graduate school to earn a
terminal degree (e.g. M.F.A. and Ph.D.) is a "must".
 Be aware that a M.A. degree is not a terminal degree,
but a Masters of Fine Art (M.F.A.) degree is.
Graduate school application:
Statement of intent
When a statement of intent is required as one of the
admission materials, it is often an important factor in the
admission consideration. Write about:
 Academic goals (i.e., what you plan to study while you are
in a graduate program)
 Professional goals (i.e., what you plan to do after graduate
school)
 Reasons why you have selected the graduate program.
Have someone proofread it and make sure that there are no
misspellings or grammatical errors!
What is your strength?
 If you want to get a job in the industry, find out in
what area you have your strongest skills.
 It is usually in the area that you most enjoy.
Focus on your strongest skill
Once you recognize your strength:
 Focus on it (i.e., strengthen your skills in the area)
 Create works for your portfolio/demo reel that
showcase the skills
 Find a position that matches your skills.
 Learn about the company and the position that you
are applying for.
Secondary skill
 Having a secondary skill in an area that is different
from your primary skill area (e.g., your primary in keyframe animation, your secondary in texturing) may
allow your employer to keep you longer on the
payroll.
Ready to be a team player
While in school, develop your:
 Communication skills
 Organization skills
 Teamwork skills
 Learning skills
These skills will be as important as technical skills!
Industry is smaller than you think
 The industry is smaller than you think and the people
are well-connected.
 Your reputation will follow you.
Start early
 No matter which direction you are heading to, start
portfolio / demo real preparation early.
 Do not wait until your last semester.
Collaborate
 Do not hesitate to collaborate with your friends on
your demo reel. For instance, if you want to make an
animation for your demo reel and if you love
modeling and animating but not texturing or lighting,
find someone who is good at texturing and lighting,
and is willing to collaborate with you on your project.
 Be sure to include a breakdown guide.
Be selective
 Reviewers have hair triggers and are often looking for
any reason to slap the book shut and get through the
stacks before go home. Don't give them a reason to
reject yours. Include only the best of your best.
 If something doesn't seem quite right with a piece,
leave it out.
 Do not put everything that you have created on a
DVD/web site just because there is enough space for
it.
Be selective, Be selective, Be selective
 Quality matters much more than quantity.
 Leave reviewers wanting to see more.
 If you have long animations, make a compilation of
the excerpts that are the best parts from your
animations.
 If your demo reel consists of animations, the total
viewing time of your reel should be less than 3
minutes. (Some recruiters say less than around 1
minute!)
Label your portfolio / demo reels
 Companies and schools receive a large number of
portfolios and demo reels. Your cover letter and work may
be separated and scattered as people show this and that
to others. They may forget who and where it came from.
 Put your contact information on your portfolio / demo
reels and on the back of each and every piece you submit.
 Make sure to put your name on a DVD as well as its case.
 And of course, test the DVD if it’s playable before you send
it off!
Best work first
 Make reviewers want to see what's next. Make them
want to see more.
 No one wants, or is willing, to sit through a 5 or 10
minute piece, looking for what they want to see.
Show them in 2 or 3 second clips. That also will win
you bonus points for being a thoughtful, professionalstyle applicant.
Best work first, Best work first, Best work first
 Again many places review a large number of
portfolios / demo reels. If the first few seconds of
your demo reel does not catch reviewers’ eyes, they
may stop reviewing your demo reel before it ever
gets to "the good stuff".
 Put "the director's cut" at the end of your reel. If they
liked the clips enough they may be willing to see what
they came from. They have a lot of work to review.
Clean and simple package
 Make a clean and simple package. No bells or whistles.
 Since you are not applying for a graphics designer position,
the design of your portfolio does not have to stand out.
 Let your work do the talking. Reviewers generally believe
that the flashier the packaging is the more the submitter is
trying to compensate for weak work.
 If you want to become a professional, make it look like the
packaged work of a professional.
Include reference materials
 Employers want to see how closely you can follow the
preproduction and reference materials (e.g., model
sheets, lighting design, and live action footages)
given to you.
 Show the preproduction and reference materials that
you used side-by-side with your final products in your
demo reel/portfolio.
Include a breakdown guide
 Your breakdown guide should describe each project
on your demo reel briefly and your "role" on each
project.
 Don't make them guess what you did or did not do.
 Never try to get credit for something you didn't do.
Your friend may apply to the same companies that
you do. It has happened.
 Include a list of software you used to create each
piece as well.
Include your resume
Your resume should not be wildly creative -- it should be
legible! It should include:
 Full name
 Address
 Phone numbers (home/work/cell)
 Email address (that you can use after graduation)
 Education
 Work experience (most recent employment first)
 Relevant experience (e.g., internship)
Have web presence
 Have your portfolio / demo reel on line.
 Use SNS to get connected.
Showcase your creative talents as
well as your technical skills
 Companies and schools look for both technical skills and
artistic abilities in portfolios / demo reels.
 Production companies and schools want to find people
who have unique talents that add something new to their
teams. They don't want to hire copycats or software
operators who know how to use certain software
packages but have no creativity or artistic skills. For
instance, Pixar already has people who make Pixar style
animations. They must be sick of seeing copies of Luxor Jr.
and Buzz Light in applicants' demo reels.
 Develop your creative talents! Be fresh and unique!
Questions?
 If you have questions or want me to review your
portfolio, contact Prof. Midori Kitagawa