Frequently Asked Questions
Include only your best work. It is better to have a very short reel of amazing work than a longer one that includes a bunch of mediocre shots. If your reel is super short but amazing, it is easy for recruiters to request to see more, however a longer reel with uninteresting shots risks losing the viewers’ attention and you probably won’t hear back at all.
Length is not as important as content. Generally the viewer can get a good idea of your skill level from the first 30 seconds so there is no need to have a long reel unless you are absolutely sure your content is good enough to sustain interest for the entire duration. A reel of 1 minute can be just as good or better than a reel of 3 minutes; so when you cut, think less about the duration and more about every shot you use and why you are including it.
Our personal preference is yes, music can be used to compliment your showcase of shots, but please keep in mind that the reel should stand on its own without music as quite often showreels are viewed on machines without speakers or headphones. When choosing your music, also be mindful that tastes in music genres vary widely. It may be safer to choose mainstream genres rather than your favourite death-metal song which you think is amazing but which others might not have the same appreciation for. If you do use music, it should compliment the images well and not distract from what you are trying to show.
The answer to this question depends on where you live, what type of work you want to do, and for which company. Generally speaking, large vfx companies that work on big-budget movies may prefer specialists but the majority of medium and smaller companies prefer generalists because they have less departments and people. As an example, some of the larger vfx companies may divide into many departments; Previz, Modelling, Texturing, Rigging, Lighting, Compositing, Tracking, Paint etc….; all with a team of specialists. Meanwhile medium or small vfx companies may have just a few departments; 3D, 2D, Design; with a few people in each department who are expected to be able to cover all the required skills.
What software you learn is up to you, but what is more important is learning the fundamental skills required for whatever position you are pursuing. Having said that, these are software packages which are fairly standard in the industry and therefore a good way to begin learning those essential skils:
- Compositing: Nuke, Flame or After Effects (we prefer Nuke but also use Flame and After Effects artists depending on the requirements of specific projects.
- General 3D: Maya or 3DS MAX (we prefer Maya)
- 3D FX: Houdini
- Matte Painting: Photoshop
- Coding: Python (Python is the coding language of choice in the industry as it is widely supported by industry software and commonly used in building pipelines. We recommend all artists who want to take their skills to the next level learn at least some Python.)
If you are the type of person who learns best in a class environment, then by all means seek out a university or film school. However keep in mind that your qualifications mean very little in the industry – we are really only interested in your portfolio of work. So you are better to have a great showreel of work you’ve created at home than having spent a lot of money going to the best film school but presenting an average showreel. Ultimately what you decide should be based on your ability to learn. If you are self-motivated and can learn via tutorials then there is no need to spend money on formal education. Instead, purchase some online tutorials, watch YouTube videos, buy some stock footage and start developing your skills.
Many film schools now offer online tutorials for purchase. You can also search YouTube and industry forums (such as Nukepedia) to find tutorials.