David Makepeace

Home| F.A.Q.| Sample Reels| For Producers

Frequently Asked Questions

This information is offered as general advice only. Please feel free to consult with me about your specific material as every Reel is unique.

Still have questions? Call the studio at 416 203 6720; or email me anytime at info@davidmakepeace.com and remember to put “Demo Reel” in the subject line.

1. What does a great Reel look like?
2. How much material do I need to make a Reel?
3. How much does it cost? How long does it take?
4. What forms of payment do you accept?
5. What video formats can you use?
6. What video format will my Reel be on?
7. What can I expect during my session?
8. How should I prepare for my session?
9. Do I need music?
10. How do I update my Reel in the future?
11. Can you do the cover art for my DVD cases?
12. Can I use video clips downloaded from YouTube or other Internet sites?
13. How do I transfer Video Files across the internet?
14. Additional Tips
15. Terms and Conditions of Booking

1. What does a great Reel look like?

Keep it short! Less is more!

All the best Reels are less than 5 min. long and answer the only relevant question, “Can I cast this person?” A great Reel persuades that you are castable. It creates energy, confidence, and a sense that every time you appear on screen something golden happens in the frame. A great Reel should be created with the viewer in mind and should engage, entertain and persuade in equal measure.

Reels are all about range. We should see as many characters as possible – juxtaposing the opposites. We want to see killers & clowns – crack whores & queens. Make me laugh – make me cry – all in 3 minutes. Sounds great, doesn’t it? Most actors will work a lifetime to get this kind of range. But this is the ideal that guides the work we do. And whether you believe it or not, locked away in your material is the beginning of a great Reel.

One of the biggest misconceptions about Reels is that “I don’t have enough material.” This is never true. The material you have dictates the kind of Reel we can create – that’s all. If you have one scene from one episode of a series – then your Reel is one scene. We just want to see how you’ve been cast and what you can do. If you only have scenes on video from acting workshops – then we make your Reel from this. We all understand what it means to be at the beginning of a career. No matter what the case, it is always better to have a Reel than to not have one.

Demo Reel editing is charged by the hour. The studio rate is currently CDN$95.00/hr. - unchanged since 1999. The average Actor Demo Reel takes approximately 3 hours to complete – so you will probably spend about $300 - $400 once you include a DVD Master, DVD copies and taxes.

If you are updating an existing Demo Reel with one or two new scenes, your session will be much shorter.

If you are doing a major overhaul on your existing Reel, or starting from scratch and have lots of material, your session will be longer.

I take personal and company cheques – cash – and eTransfers from your bank to my bank using my email address at info@davidmakepeace.com. I can also accept payments through PayPal at imoon@eclipseguy.com - but depending on the amount, you may have to pay the 3% PayPal surcharge as well. All Session Payments are due on the day of the session. Additional payment and credit terms can be easily worked out. Just ask.

I can use almost any format there is! Today, the most common format by far is DVD - but you can still bring in material on the old tape formats; VHS, MiniDV, DVCAM and Betacam SP – all in the North American standard known as NTSC. I can also work with electronic video files like QuickTime, AVI, Flash, etc. If you have some unusual format from another country or aren’t sure what you have, call me and we can arrange to have it transferred before your session. But no matter what video formats you have, make sure we discuss them before the day of the session.

It is advisable to have a DVD Master and a few DVD copies of your Reel, but the most useful format will be an electronic file - such as a QuickTime Video File - that can be uploaded to Casting Workbook - YouTube, etc. - or easily delivered to people over the internet. If possible, bring a laptop computer or mini-USB drive with you to your session so you can take your electronic file home with you.

The vast majority of clients sit in the room with me during the session and the two of us create together. The goal is to get you in and out of the studio quickly with the best Reel possible given the scope of your material.

With over 1200 Reels to my credit, I have the process down to a science. I work quickly and efficiently - allowing maximum time for creativity and collaboration. I evaluate all scenes with you – make strong suggestions – and guide the session fully. During the average session, we will spend the first hour digitizing all your select scenes into the computer and about two hours polishing the final cut.

The most important element in preparing for your session is getting to know where all your chosen scenes are on the DVDs, video files or tapes you bring to the session. This means you must do your homework before your session begins.

Watch and evaluate all your scenes thoroughly. Get advice from colleagues, agents and industry pros - what are the strongest moments?

Make a Log Sheet for all your scenes. Each source you bring to the session needs to be Logged - this means writing down the numbers where all your chosen scenes appear.

Logs can be very formal – done in rows & columns on the computer, or very informal - scribbled down on the backs of old envelopes. I’ve seen it all! The only thing that matters is knowing where your scenes are for each source.

Scenes, moments, looks – make note of all the good stuff. Make special note of scenes with other well-known actors or big stars. Reels are primarily made from strong, dialogue-driven scenes where you get a significant beat. But don’t ignore smart one-liners, sexy close ups or camera movements that suggest star power.

Try to avoid choosing ensemble scenes where you are part of a crowd - or scenes about somebody else where you don’t get any dialogue - or anything else that doesn’t feature you in a principal fashion.

For DVD Sources:

Most DVD players will display numbers on the front of the machine that indicate elapsed time, as well as index and chapters numbers. If there is no number display on the machine itself, you should be able to use the DVD’s remote to put the numbers on-screen.

For Video Files:

Most computer media players like Windows Media Player, QuickTime Player, etc. will display either a time-code number or elapsed-time number somewhere near the bottom of the player window. Use any time format to locate your chosen scenes and write down where they appear.

For VHS Sources:

Unlike DVDs, the counter numbers on VHS players can be reset to zero. This means there is no absolute location of the scenes on the tape as far as the machine is concerned. Therefore, in order to properly Log VHS material we need a common reference point on the tape. This point is at the very beginning of the tape. Before you screen each tape, rewind it as far as it will go, and reset the counter to zero. This is commonly done using the VHS remote. During our session, I can find the zero mark at the head of the tape as well, and our numbers will match. Alternatively, if there is only one chosen scene on the tape, cue the tape in front of that scene so it appears immediately when I play it in the studio.

If you aren’t sure about some scene or moment – write it down anyway. The more options we have the better. And I will have strong input about what to use and what not to use. And don’t worry about pre-editing the scenes in your head or creating the Reel on paper. We will make all of these decisions together during the session.

The importance of Logging can’t be overstated because it allows us to locate your chosen scenes quickly and easily - saving time and money in the session. This is especially true if you have a lot of material or multiple episodes of a series.

Failing to do your homework is the number one reason why sessions go longer than they should!

The days of the long, opening montage are gone. But having said that, I continue to use music effectively in my best Reels. Music is one of the critical, creative elements of persuasion.

If you only have one or two characters for your Reel, you won’t need to use any music. But if you have a wider range of scenes and characters, or additional moments from commercials, or lots of character looks, we will want to have the option of using music to create mini-trailers and bridge sequences.

In these cases I always suggest to clients to bring in a selection of music from their own collection that might be suitable in a Reel. We are looking for instrumental passages from songs – upbeat, commercial feeling, propulsive. Something with a smile or a feel-good hook. Often, the top 8 or 16 bars of a song can provide a great track. Movie soundtracks are also helpful – and I can cut or loop any portion of a track that needs to be longer. Also – the theme music from your film or series credit roll can come in handy, so keep an ear out.

If you don’t have any clue about music – don’t worry. I have built up a collection of music over the years that we can choose from if need be. I also have access to a stock music library that charges about $75 per track.

Regular maintenance on your Reel is important to keep it fresh. We can update the Reel anytime you want to add a new character or remove old material. This is usually a very simple process that doesn’t take much time at all. You will get new DVDs and a new electronic file each time we update your Reel.

No. I can scan your headshot or other photograph and print it on the DVD label, or provide you with a basic text label. If you would like a full-page insert for DVD library cases I can refer you to a supplier.

Yes. We can usually perform the download during your session - no problem. But since video downloaded from the Internet is compressed and has a small frame size, it won’t look as good as your material from DVD or VHS which is full frame. We can re-size and colour-correct the downloaded scenes but they will always have a lower resolution that the other material. But if this is the only copy of the scene you can get it is much better to have it than not have it on your Reel.

Sending your Demo Reel to recipients

While it seems reasonable to want to email your Demo Reel to people, Electronic Video Files are usually too big to attach to email messages. Many email servers limit the size of attachments to 10Mb or less and this prohibits us from attaching Demo Reels unless we compress them to a very small size – something we don’t want to do.

Instead, we use a transfer service that allows us to upload larger Video Files so our recipients can download them. YouSendIt.com is such a service and it is the one I use. There are two ways to go: I can provide this service for a fee during our session, or you can do it yourself. If you do it yourself, you must sign up for a “Lite” account so you can transfer 100Mb files for free. This is usually enough space to upload a high quality Electronic File of your Reel and send it to any number of recipients at once. Of course, you can use any file transfer service you like.

During our session I will make you a high quality QuickTime Video File of your Reel, and either send it to you electronically or put in on your laptop or mini-USB drive. Once you have this file in your computer, go to

www.YouSendIt.com

... click on "Plans & Sign Up"

... chose the "Lite" account and click on the green "Sign Up" button. Follow the prompts through the sign up stage.

Click on “Send Now.” Enter the recipient's email address (as many people as you like, separated by commas) - enter the Subject (for example “my demo reel”) - add a message to them, if you like - then click on "Select File." This will allow you to browse your computer to locate the Demo Reel File you want to send. Double-click on the Demo Reel File to Select it. You will now see that the File has been attached to your upload request. Then click on the “Send It” button to begin the upload process. The upload process may take about 15 minutes, or more.

When your Video File has been successfully uploaded, the service will automatically alert your recipients by email that they have a file to download - and a confirmation message will be sent to your email address. This is a very fast and efficient way to get your Reel to people in a matter of minutes. But be aware that there are limits to the free account. You can only upload files of 100Mb or less, and the link to download the file is only active for 7 days before it is automatically deleted. So make sure your people download the file right away. There is no limit to how many times you can upload the same file.

Sending Video Files to me

If you have Electronic Video Files that you want to use in your session, you can send these to me easily in advance of your session – no fee. Upload any kind of Video File (QuickTime, Flash, AVI, Windows Media, etc) up to 2 Gb in size – no larger. Note: many large Video Files take some time to upload!

Click on this link to go to my Drop Box and follow the prompts:

http://dropbox.yousendit.com/DavidMakepeace615041

I will be automatically notified when your Video Files have been successfully uploaded.

14. Additional Tips :

Keep in mind that a great Reel is about strength of range. Even if you have a regular or recurring role on a series, we only want to see one or two scenes from this character before moving on to the next. And if we show two scenes, they had better be very different from each other.

The only exception to this rule is when you only have scenes from the one series – the one character. In this case, we would create a package of “Best Moments From...” and portray the range of the character within the scope of the series.

*Sessions begin at the time booked, not the time you show up – no exceptions. I suggest you arrive at the studio a few minutes early.

*If you must cancel your booking you must call me before 4pm the day before so I can fill your spot from the waiting list.

*No-Show clients and last-minute cancellations are subject to $175.00 fee.

*Payment is due on the day, when the session is complete. Credit and special payment terms are available. Just ask.

studio: 416-203-6720
mobile: 416-347-1947
info@davidmakepeace.com

David Makepeace: Canada's Famous Demo Reel Editor

Frequently Asked Questions