Questions an actor absolutely positively must ask before spending a dime on a demo reel:

Back in the day, way back like oh, six years ago, if an actor wanted a quality demo reel done, she had to spend some pretty serious bucks to go to an actual editing house with all kinds of very expensive equipment and a price tag of hundreds of bucks an hour to work in an editing bay with a professional editor.

But God bless technology. Now, with a minimal setup, the right software, and a reasonably fast computer, anybody can be a video editor! This is a very good thing.

It’s also a very bad thing.

Let me describe this situation another way. Somebody gave me a guitar for Christmas a few years ago. It sits in a corner of my bedroom, and I’m able to play a “G major” chord on it. That’s all. I own a guitar.

Does that make me a guitarist?
In a word: heck no.

Here’s something to be aware of: just about every town I’ve visited is absolutely bleeding with people that have hung out their shingles, billing themselves as “video editors” because they own $4,000 (or less) worth of computer and software. Yes, they own the right editing equipment, but all they can do with it is play the heck out of a “G major” chord on their systems.

Just owning an editing system isn’t enough. To be a good editor, you need to have professional experience, and a ton of it if you are going to be able to do quality demo reels. Film school doesn’t count.

Your demo reel is a vital part of your marketing package, and for a lot of casting directors and other decision makers, you only get one shot. Once they’ve seen your demo reel, they’ve most likely made up their mind about you. Your first impression is very important, right? And if your demo reel is terrible, casting directors are going to remember it the next time they’re going through a pile of headshots. “Oh, yeah, that’s the actor with the stupid demo reel.” Believe me, they’ll remember.

Why leave it to chance? If you’re serious about getting acting work, then you absolutely must find an editor that has a real-world experience, preferably years of it. I said “real-world” knowledge. Somebody who has “credentials” showing they graduated from film school is not necessarily a professional. Think back to some of the awful student films you’ve seen your pals appear in. (Don’t get me wrong: there are some great student films being produced. The others … ouch!)

You only get one shot, so make your demo reel count

Look at this idea another way: my sister has had terrible eyesight since the day she was born. Coke-bottle wire rims so thick that we use to use them as magnifying glasses to focus sunlight into a laser beam and terrorize ant colonies. She had contacts for years, but decided to save up the money, take the plunge, and have Lasix surgery. She did her research, and found a huge variety of doctors “qualified” to do Lasix, with some folks charging prices that were so cheap they were almost scary. (Click NEXT to continue...)