And remember, if others worked on your shot too, be sure to give credit at the end of your reel.Ī big part of working in VFX is professionalism. Even if you DID do everything, if you’re submitting your shot for a Lighting position, don’t go into every single aspect of what you did on the shot, focus on the relevant details to the position you’re applying for.
This is where your instinct to say “I did everything!” has to be kept in check. A good, descriptive breakdown can be done within the reel itself, typically by showing the elements of a comp coming together over time (finished FINAL shot then transition through the main elements for example), and it can also be done in written form, with detailed explanations of what you contributed to the shot. What’s a breakdown, or shot breakdown? It’s basically an explanation of how the shot was created, including Who did What. Does your shot have a big smoke simulation? Did you create the sim? Did you light it or comp it? See, it can get confusing knowing who did what on a complex shot, and this is why it’s soooo critical to include a clear Breakdown. It’s easy to think it’s MY shot, when really it’s the Team’s shot. You and many other artists may be working on a shot together. If you didn’t do the work, don’t put it on your reel. So… Only put YOUR work on YOUR reel, and make sure you’ve got approval to use it. If you’re including work on projects, always be sure you’ve got clearance to use it too! Recruiters talk and share info all the time, and it will always come back to bite you. This industry is small, smaller than you think and you don’t want to be a rip-off artist. Unfortunately, some people rip off others work. Don’t give your audience any reason to pass you over, music included. If you’re intent on including music, keep it out of the way. You want them focused on your pretty pictures, NOT on the music! If that tune costs you a chance at a job then it’s not worth it, not matter how great it may sound. For a VFX-centric reel, music can be a real distraction. Most recruiters are going to be turning the volume off anyway, unless they need to listen for lip sync on an animation reel. Whatever, it doesn’t matter what music you like, it’s probably better to leave it OFF your reel. I also like Kool Jazz, Classical and Hiphop. If you’re on the fence about a certain shot… CUT IT. Ok, I take that back, 3 minutes should really be your absolute maximum TRT (total running time) for your reel.
Recruiters and those who review reels at studios often have to screen a LOT of reels and they don’t want or need to sit through a 5 minute reel. Another way to think about this is simply: Don’t pad your reel! No filler. This may seem obvious, and many people may have heard it before, but judging from the reels that are sent into studios every single day, many need to hear this again…. If the position is for a Lighting TD, then adding a whole bunch of notes about how you did the modeling, rigging, animating AND lighting is only going to confuse things, and it might get you pushed to the back of the line. You want to tailor that message to the specific audience. Don’t include shots you’ve also animated, set up sims etc. If you are applying for a lighting, comp or look-dev related position, focus on shots or assets that YOU lit, comped or look-dev’d. If it’s a larger studio, stay laser focused on the position that they are hoping to hire for. If it’s a smaller studio, and they are looking for a Generalist, only then should you consider communicating that you’re capable in multiple disciplines. Well, a lack of focus can seriously hamper your demo reel, as well as your chances with a studio. Today, he shares the six criteria to use when crafting your visual effects reel. Ben Fischler is a long-time VFX pro, who most recently worked as a VFX Supervisor at LAIKA. Instead, take a look at these six tips for putting together a kick ass demo reel.
The hardest part is not answering the question - it is keeping your demo reel updated and constantly evaluating what belongs on it.ĭo not let your demo reel hold you back from applying for that job. Is my demo reel up to par for this studio? It is the question that plagues every CG artist at least once in their career. You spotted a listing for your dream job, but you hesitate.
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