Portfolio / demo reel preparation guide

*Door to the future

Dr. Midori Kitagawa

*What’s next?

*What do you want to do after getting the degree you are currently working on?

*Graduate degrees?

*Going to a graduate school and getting another degree may be an option.*Earning a graduate degree is an

investment of your time and money.*Many graduate programs offer fellowships

and assistantships that pay monthly stipends, tuition and fees.

*M.A., M.F.A. or Ph.D.?

*If you want to teach at a four year college or university, going to a graduate school to earn a terminal degree (e.g. M.F.A. and Ph.D.) is a "must".*Be aware that a M.A. degree is not a

terminal degree, but a Masters of Fine Art (M.F.A.) degree is.

* Graduate school application:Statement of intent

When a statement of intent is required as one of the admission materials, it is often an important factor in the admission consideration. Write about:*Academic goals (i.e., what you plan to study while you

are in a graduate program)*Professional goals (i.e., what you plan to do after

graduate school) *Reasons why you have selected the graduate

program.Have someone proofread it and make sure that there are no misspellings or grammatical errors!

*What is your strength?

*If you want to get a job in the industry, find out in what area you have your strongest skills.*It is usually in the area that you most

enjoy.

*Focus on your strongest skill

Once you recognize your strength:*Focus on it (i.e., strengthen your skills in

the area).*Create works for your portfolio/demo reel

that showcase the skills.*Find a position that matches your skills. *Learn about the company and the position that you are applying for.

*Secondary skill

*Having a secondary skill in an area that is different from your primary skill area (e.g., your primary in key-frame animation, your secondary in texturing) may allow your employer to keep you longer on the payroll.

*Ready to be a team player

While in school, develop your:*Communication skills*Organization skills*Teamwork skills*Learning skillsThese skills will be as important as technical skills!

* Industry is smaller than you think

*The industry is smaller than you think and the people are well-connected. *Your reputation will follow you.

*Start early

*No matter which direction you are heading to, start portfolio / demo real preparation early. *Do not wait until your last semester.

*Collaborate

*You can collaborate with your peers on your demo reel. *Be sure to include a breakdown guide.

*Be selective

*Reviewers have hair triggers and are often looking for any reason to slap the book shut and get through the stacks so that they can go home. Don't give them a reason to reject yours. *Include only the best of your best. *If something doesn't seem quite right with a

piece, leave it out. *Do not include everything that you have created

in a portfolio site just because there is enough space for it.

*Be selective, Be selective, BE SELECTIVE

*Quality matters much more than quantity. *Leave reviewers wanting to see more. *If you have long animations, make a

compilation of the excerpts that are the best parts from your animations. *If your demo reel consists of animations, the

total viewing time of your reel should be less than 3 minutes.*Some recruiters say less than around 1

minute!

* Label your portfolio / demo reels

*If you are sending your application in a physical form, put your contact information on each and every piece you submit.

*Best work first

*Many companies and schools review a large number of applications. *No reviewer wants, or is willing, to sit

through a 5 or 10 minute piece, looking for what they want to see.*If the first few seconds of your demo reel

does not catch reviewers’ eyes, they will probably stop reviewing your reel before it ever gets to "the good stuff".

*Best work first, Best work first, Best work first

*Show the very best of your best work in 2 or 3 second clips at the beginning of your reel. *Make reviewers want to see what's next.

Make them want to see more. *Put "the director's cut" at the end of your

reel. If they liked the clips enough they may be willing to see what they came from.

*Clean and simple portfolio site

*Make a clean and simple portfolio site.*Navigation should be simple.*Every content should be easily found.*Since you are not applying for a web

designer position, the design of your portfolio site does not have to stand out. Be functional.*Let your work do the talking. *BE SELECTIVE.

*Include reference materials

*Employers want to see how closely you will be able to follow the preproduction and reference materials (e.g., model sheets, lighting design, and live action footages) if you are hired.*Show the preproduction and reference

materials that you used side-by-side with your final products in your demo reel/portfolio.

*Include reference materials

*Include a breakdown guide

*Your breakdown guide should describe each project on your demo reel briefly and your "role" on each project. *Don't make them guess what you did or

did not do.*Never try to get credit for something you

didn't do. *Include a list of software you used to

create each piece as well.

*Your resume

Your resume should not be wildly creative -- it should be legible.It should include:*Full name*Address*Phone numbers (home/work/cell)*Email address (that you can use after graduation)*Education*Work experience (most recent employment first)*Relevant experience (e.g., internship)Staff at the Career Center can improve your resume.

*Have web presence

*Have your portfolio / demo reel on line.*Use SNS to get connected.*Vimeo lets you upload a new reel to

replace old one and keep the same html address for your reel but Youtube does not.

* Develop your creative talents as well as your technical skills

*Production companies and schools want to find people who have unique talents that add something new to their teams. *They don't want to hire copycats or

software operators who know how to use certain software packages but have no creativity or artistic skills. reels.*Develop your creative talents! Be fresh

and unique!

*Questions?

*If you have questions or want me to review your portfolio, contact Prof. Midori Kitagawa