I got the folling information from Aardman Animation. These are their guidelines on showreel appliactions:
Creating your Showreel
Your showreel is your one chance to shine without necessarily being present. It needs to demonstrate, in a couple of minutes, the genius of many years of hard work. It ’s not just a compilation; it’s the unique you and your life ambitions condensed into a few minutes. It’s also the ticket to your future. Here are some tips for creating a showreel that will potentially stand out from the crowd.
- NEVER SEND THE ORIGINAL!
- Utilise College facilities – while you can
- Accept your own strengths and weaknesses - Assume that your showreel will be compared to those of other candidates and that you are therefore pitching yourself against them. A 6-minute showreel with 30 seconds of exceptional work can be completely diluted by five and a half minutes of average work. Focus on what you do better than anybody else. Don’t spend time chasing positions that play to your weaknesses. It is better to spend more time aiming at fewer ideal positions
- Be Creative - It sounds obvious but remember that you are trying to differentiate yourself from the crowd. Try to think of innovative ways of presenting your work e.g. if you can’t send a copy portfolio, film your life drawings and title card them
- Know your audience – You’ve just finished the course, you’re all fired up and want to unleash your brilliance on the whole world. Your instinct will be to blanket drop showreels to all and sundry but it’s not an effective use of time or resources. Research the companies that interest you so that you have a better understanding of what they are looking for e.g. check that a 3D specialist will accept 2D showreels
- Running time should ideally be 4-6 mins – It can be longer but remember it’s in a queue of showreels that all need to be viewed
- Assume that only the first 2 mins will get watched – This will ensure that you grab your audience from the start with a compilation of the best bits of everything. You can always show longer versions after that
- Best work first – after your amazing compilation order the remaining work with the best first to give it a better chance of being seen
- Get the format right – For Stop Frame animation we accept: VHS and DVD’s. For CGI animation: VHS or DVD’s. Please do not send us CD’s, links to your website or email attachments.
- Include a running order and related information – preferably on the tape or sleeve. This will save potential employers from spending time trying to work out what they are watching and you don’t want them trying to adjust the sound if it’s a mute project
