Q: What is a DEMO REEL?

A: A demo reel is a 3 minute demonstration of your range as an actor, director, trapeze artist, claymation theorist... or whatever it is that you do... put on a format (VHS tape, DVD, CD-rom) that you can hand out to producer's and agents and family and friends in order to get work, respect, pity, money. It is your face on the small screen selling your ass. It's your own personal work getting movie trailer. It needs to be fast. It needs to be short. It needs to get YOU in front of THEM so you can close the deal.

Q: How long is a demo reel / how many scenes are enough to fill a demo reel?

A: A demo reel is a teaser for you. The shorter the better. Keep them interested, keep them guessing, give yourself a little mystery. 3 minutes is perfect. 4 is OK if your credits are strong and your performances are varied and high profile. Any longer and you had better be in some big name productions with great lines and visible screen time. Three to Five scenes of varying length is the optimum on a demo reel unless it is specifically cut for an agent or the limited footage is all you have. I personally give only 3 brief clips that are pertinent to the job I'm going for when I submit my reel, and I have shot, directed & edited many things. One good scene is more than enough and can get you noticed... if you are good. 

Q: Why do I need a DEMO REEL?

A: People always ask to see what you have done so they can grade you on the bullshit meter. That's my best guess. Having your best stuff edited together and condensed in a visually exciting way that highlights you plying your trade in a variety of situations is something that casting agents, producers, directors and managers all seem to want. A demo reel is an extension of your resume. It is a 3 minute demonstration of your range and ability. 

Q: How long does it take / what is the process of making a demo reel?

A: You go through all your footage and pick your best scenes. Let me repeat that - YOU go through all your stuff and pick your best scenes. If you don't know what your best stuff is - then you should get out now. You don't have to write down time codes - or transfer tapes or do anything other than come in knowing what your best stuff is and - here is an important one - WHERE it is on all of your source tapes. Then we transfer it into the computer (digitizing), just the good stuff, and I watch it while we digitize and get a sense of what works for you and what needs to be cut down or eliminated from your scenes. Then, working with you - I edit together a sequence of shots and transitions that highlight your best features. If you are an actor, it is all about your face and your voice on screen. I make a beginning and end title sequence, add music if necessary, liven up any unfinished bits, fix any bad sound issues as best we can, add transitions between shots and then make a master DVD and as many VHS or DVD copies as you would like. Every demo reel I cut is different than the last, but they all stick to a similar format: best footage first, the shorter and more condensed the better, and don't be afraid to let me re-cut scenes that are poorly directed or slow in pace so that the focus is on you. No one watches your demo reel to get a logical flow of story and be taken away in the plot of a film. They watch them to be taken by the drama/comedy in your face, body language and voice. 

Q: Most of my stuff is unfinished - my director never called me  - the film ran out of money before I got my tape - my footage has bad sound etc... 

A: This is exactly why you do need a demo reel from someone who knows what the deal is. And the truth is that most independent films do not get finished and most independent producers do not have the funds or the foresight to finish the film when they start making it. So who get's screwed? Well, everybody eventually, but mostly it's the actors and crew who worked hard and gave up their talents and time for the promise of nothing more than a free meal and a role to put on their reel: the ubiquitous deferred payment scam. A demo reel does not have to be TV or feature film quality stuff. It just has to be well acted and well lit and have you as the center of attention and in a few scenarios. Most agency's and producer's who will eventually see your demo reel understand this and they just want to see what you look like on camera, interacting with other people and, well... acting. It's all about face and voice. All of the other technical bullshit is unimportant. Visible time code, bad sound, unfinished edits, unmixed sound, unedited footage, illogical story elements... the demo reel is great because it is all about YOU. Everything else is either fixable or irrelevant. Hound those loser indie producer/directors who you shot stuff with five years ago and hold them accountable for delivering your footage. They will lie, beg and plead with you to not give you a cut of anything until it is finished but you must be strong. Tell them you are fed up with waiting for their sorry ass and you need your scenes in whatever condition they are in so you can get to work on promoting your career. Especially if you worked deferred. Get the footage, however you can, then call me. 

Q: I need a demo reel but I don't have enough footage... Can you shoot some stuff that I wrote or come and film my play or...?

A: Call and we'll talk about your idea. I do this quite a bit, and I try to work with you. It's a different price for every project and it all depends on what you need and what you want to end up with. And if I can't do it I know about ten people who can.

Q: Can I mail you my tapes and have you come up with something? 

A: YES! But - you pay - ALL postage - both ways - and - I am not going to watch every church recital and company picnic play that you did to pick and find your best scenes for you. So here's the drill: before you send anything to me: WRITE DOWN what scenes and where on the tapes (time wise) they can be found.  I'll pull those and make something cool out of that.  And of course if you want any changes after you get your order, I'll be happy to make them for free, as long as you keep paying the postage and aren't being psychotic about what it is that you want. If a demo reel sucks, it's usually because the acting is bad or the footage was poorly shot, directed, produced, or edited. Don't tell me that your reel seems flat and boring or you look bad in the scene that I didn't direct, light, write or shoot. Do some ass kicking, table stomping, gut wrenching acting and I guarantee that your reel will rock. If all you've ever done in films is sit around and talk about screwing and drinking... I hope you look like Brad Pitt or Julia Roberts. Or you are funny like Vince Vaughn.

Q: Why are you so friggin' cheap?

A: I don't think I'm cheap - I think I'm fair. I'm certainly not cheap for editing or shooting anything other than a Demo Reel. I like what I do and I like the pace of editing, especially demo reels which are fast and require little pressure compared to the high paced world of bringing a TV show to air, or editing Promo's which can be tedious and take several days to finish. Also, most of my friends are actors and artists who don't get paid for the bulk of their work, and they are the ones who got me started down this road - doing reels for them. As an independent producer trying to make quality films in Hollywood, I think it's a great way to network for future projects. More than 2/3 of the big jobs I've done have come directly from doing a simple demo reel for someone who liked my style and referred me to a friend.

Q: If you are so cheap, you must really suck...

A: I do suck... at golf and basketball. But not at this. At this I am pretty proficient and I have a crew of people that I work with who are dedicated, knowledgeable, fun and talented. And if I can't give you what you want, like elaborate DVD packaging and distribution, I know people who can.

Q: Where did you go to school?

A: City College, New York City - Picker Film Program - B.F.A. 1993

Q: I have a short that I shot, and it is like a demo since no one but me and my Mom wants to see it - so can you edit it for $50 ?

A: No. Short films need more attention to detail, like color correction, sound design, titles and are usually - in my experience seeing all manner of things indie - barely editable. That means some poor sucker has to sift through the endless DV tapes that are probably not even logged - and FIND A FILM. I charge per project for this type of thing. I also finish it fast and professionally - you get what you pay for. See: editing.

Q: Will you work deferred ?

A: I have, and certainly will work deferred if there were certain elements in your project that I found appealing. Worthy causes, PSA's, news pieces, political interviews, films with name talent, exotic locations, things that have a high probability of being sold (good porn, shark movies, tornado movies, serial killer documentaries, indie features films NOT shot in or referencing anything about: L.A., the Industry, Rock Bands trying to make it, or GEN-X talk pieces). I will always check out a good indie project and meet with a person before I decide to bag it. I would always try to help somebody out of a jam if I thought they were sincere. I like to do legitimate charity work - I'm a sucker for that crap. Demo reels are not charity. Acting is a luxury profession. Get a job. No free lunch.

Q: Are you hiring any editing or production staff ?

A: No! So please don't spam me with resume's.

Q: What format should I get my stuff on for you to edit?

A: DV, Hi8, VHS, SVHS, DV-CAM, DVD's and some CD's depending on how it was encoded. I am trying to justify the $40,000 jump to working in uncompressed formats like BETA SP, HD and DIGIBETA - but since I already edit broadcast quality things without having the online capability - it is a hard jump to justify. Tapeless - way of the future. Bye Bye expensive decks and overpriced tapes. Goodbye waiting to digitize tapes in real time. Hello hard drive recording off the camera and instant editing. This can't happen soon enough.

Q: Do you have any famous clients?

A: Does the Pope wear a funny hat? I have all kinds of clients, just like my dentist does, but guess what? Who I've worked with doesn't make your project any better, or get you any closer to where you are going. In life and in business, there is the shit that matters, and the shit that doesn't. This is a prime example of the latter. Name dropping, however subtle, is still just bragging. Don't play into it.

Q: Where/Why did you come up with the name Potty Mouth Productions ? 

A: Funny, memorable, stupid, and it describes me to a T. Everything you want in a company name. Plus if I start cursing about something - and you get offended easily - I can always say "...well you didn't come to Smell The Pretty Flowers Productions... you came here."