For those of you who are relatively new to the term, a sizzle reel or a showreel is a short video that is created for the purpose of showcasing a person’s previous work. A sizzle reel production company is typically employed for creating such a video. These videos are used by people associated with the world of film making as a digital marketing vehicle.
A sizzle reel normally consists of a 2 or 3-minute video that consists of footage from past projects. It is normally used as a resume by actors and models and is used to promote the person in question to either a talent agent, a producer, or a casting director. In addition to the film-making industry, these reels are commonly used for brand management and marketing.
Steps to Create a Sizzle Reel
There are a series of steps that go into the creating or development of a sizzle reel that are described below;
Coming Up With a Concept
The first and one of the most crucial steps is to come up with a great concept for your video. Any idea for a new movie or a television show starts with a solid concept. This concept idea is then further developed and fine-tuned until it reaches its final state.
Researching, Writing, and Developing the Reel
A well-defined research process plays a key part in the creation of an amazing story. After you have finalized your idea or concept, the next step is to properly research that concept to make sure that all the story elements make perfect sense and do not look like they have been forced together. Proper and refined research is necessary for great writing and amazing development.
Gathering Up all the Important Assets
Once you have your concept well researched and properly written, the next step is to gather all the assets that are necessary for the development of your sizzle reel. These assets include and are not limited to cameras, locations, art, actors, etc. Once all the necessary assets have been finalized and gathered, you can move on to the next step.
The Production Process
After all the assets have been gathered, the next step is to produce your sizzle reel. This step involves processes like shooting the video and editing it to make sure that the end product is exactly what you were looking for when you initially decided to create a sizzle reel.
Pitching your Sizzle Reel to Future Employers
The last and arguably most important step is to pitch your sizzle video to prospective employers. Pitching is not only limited to posting your sizzle reel on entertainment sites like YouTube or Vimeo and hoping that a future employer will view it automatically and reach out to you for a possible opportunity. The odds of that actually happening are virtually non-existent.
In order for your sizzle reel to do what it was made to do you have to actively pitch, submit and present your videos in order to find the right person that will see your skills and abilities and offer you an opportunity. If you pitch your video properly, you can make sure that you achieve the goal that you set out to achieve when you decided to create the sizzle reel.
In the aforementioned text, we have discussed what a sizzle reel is and what are its key functions as well as how can you create your own sizzle reel by following a series of steps. A sizzle reel does not only allow you to market or promote your brand but also find prospective employers that will help you in turning your dreams into a reality.
