{"id":56284,"date":"2015-05-07T10:00:56","date_gmt":"2015-05-07T15:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=56284"},"modified":"2015-05-07T08:54:14","modified_gmt":"2015-05-07T13:54:14","slug":"how-to-pick-the-perfect-demo-reel-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/how-to-pick-the-perfect-demo-reel-music\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Pick the Perfect Demo Reel Music"},"content":{"rendered":"

Your demo reel deserves to stand apart from the crowd! Consider the following tips for finding and editing demo reel music.<\/h2>\n

Forget resumes. In the video production\/motion design\/filmmaking world, your demo reel is your calling card and ticket to new job opportunities. With hundreds (even thousands) of new reels uploaded to the web daily, how can you separate\u00a0yourself from the rest?<\/p>\n

Obviously your body of work must speak for itself, but the approach you take in editing the demo\u00a0reel also holds importance.\u00a0 Let\u2019s dig deep into one aspect of this process: picking the right\u00a0demo reel music<\/strong>\u00a0and using it to successfully enhance your work.<\/p>\n

As a testament to the importance of demo reel music<\/strong>, Pixar actually stresses this\u00a0significance of music in\u00a0their job postings<\/a>:<\/p>\n

For people interested in Editorial, we understand your reels will be longer in length and music\/sound will play an important part in demonstrating your editorial ability.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Should your reel have solid music\u00a0throughout? Multiple tracks? Do you need music at all? Let’s dig in.<\/p>\n

In a previous post, I outlined 20 Tips for Creating a Successful Demo Reel<\/a>, covering pointers on picking\u00a0clips, formatting and distribution. Check it out if you’re interested in general demo reel tips!<\/em><\/p>\n

Demo Reel Tip #1: Music Throughout or Bookends?<\/h2>\n

Once you have clips selected for your reel, it’s time to start cutting them together on the timeline. An early consideration must be made:\u00a0should you have music throughout or simply bookend your\u00a0reel with a music track?<\/strong>\u00a0This decision should largely be based on the type of work you do. Motion designers will likely find that a solid\u00a0demo reel music\u00a0<\/strong>throughout\u00a0can drive the montage. However,\u00a0director and DP reels may actually benefit from a bookended approach, especially if there’s dialogue.<\/p>\n

That’s a big factor to consider: if you have dialogue in your clips, will the music work for each clip? In many\u00a0cases, the same music track won’t work for multiple scenes<\/strong>, as the tone, pace and subject matter of each clip varies. It may go without saying, but if you do decide to use music under clips with dialogue, it’s important that those clips don’t have music of their own (two concurrent music tracks would surely clash). Instead, go back to the original edit of those projects, strip the music out, and export a dialogue only version. Then, when you put these clips in a reel, you’ll only have the\u00a0demo reel music<\/strong>\u00a0and dialogue of each clip.<\/p>\n

If you’re not running music throughout,\u00a0bookending\u00a0your reel with a music track is an effective way to draw the viewer in at the start. Also, when it shows up again at the end of the reel (possibly under your logo or contact information) it “completes the cycle,”\u00a0making the reel feel more cohesive<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Demo Reel Tip #2: Complimentary or Contradictory Music?<\/h2>\n

Many video pros choose an upbeat and high-energy track for their reel (think: hip-hop,\u00a0dubstep\u00a0or electronic). In many cases, this is just what the\u00a0reel\u00a0needs, a strong pace and beat. It’s easy to cut to and can really drive the edit.<\/p>\n

Another approach is to pick a demo reel music<\/strong> track that plays against the footage being shown. This creative choice is popular with video game trailers, such as this\u00a0example that\u00a0pairs a serene classical track against intense imagery:<\/p>\n