As a motion designer I have to show the freshest works I've done in the latest demo reel. But it takes too much time to do something interesting, impactful so nothing is starting until it passes a year or two until I decide that's finally the RIGHT time to show something new. Demo reel / portfolio is a project, that requires time and focused attention to finesse every small detail to make it look properly. And obviously good works too. Absence of good works keeps from starting any beginnings. Each time you have a sense, that's needed to improve a portfolio, invisible walls are raising around you. Next time it will be even harder to start the work. The Best way is to collect decent works each time they're created and then choose some best ones. Without guessing of where they could be, which disks were used for storing and archiving previous works. Constantly working on improving the reel / portfolio gives a sense of style you're moving towards to. Eliminating small bugs and making bigger changes in attempt to increase the level in each next project and in the demo reel, by syncing properly to the music beats or story. After several days of revisions I've found that some logic may appear just by itself, after collecting together some similar examples of work into something cohesive. Fresh look onto that SUPER stylish reel from yesterday may provide a new perspective today, and you'll see something strange or muddy, that needs improvement.
Optimal Format
Not needed 1-2 minute reels. 30-45 seconds video is something that can make a necessary impact for a client. It's just needed to be perfectly tuned. Music is a major part of the story, so it's important to use high quality track with the mood that reflects your character. It will be much easier to do transitions, find proper moments that showing the most interesting sides of YOU as an artist. Your senses of rhythm, taste and logic. But you just have to do several approaches, before everything will start to pack into something interesting. Demo reel is not just a mix of cuts from various projects, but an animation, motion graphics project on it's own. My experience of proportions, color, typography and animation are applied, and I can see mistakes of previous works, which were absolutely acceptable for some reason previously. Demo reel is a tool for improvement overall. Like a mirror to see what's exactly your level is about in reality. Checking it and revising too often probably will be too much, but each 3 weeks - month is fine and it becomes already a part of the routine. At some point I've thought, it's needed to remove some works, that aren't fitting to the majority of my "collection". And after several tweaks it was possible to say, that my specialization is "explainer videos for tech startups" or "engineering, scientific companies" or "motion graphics for high-tech sports inventory", but not "social media ads for cosmetics companies" or just "infographics" as it was randomly before. Understanding own unique proposition is what gives a chance to build something advanced, and step away from competition, at least occasionally. As an example - you can't use an excellent office chair at the bar. Even if it has all possible adjustments, ergo curve. Even if the chairs' principle of work is the same, design is different and human expectations too. So, it's impossible to fit perfectly without showing that you're the unique and necessary part of the company or some project. Clients are always have choice, until they find something unusual for them and proper for the task at the same time. But unique style is something that forges up after many attempts and trials. What's important is to have a free time, clear understanding, necessity, expectation and confidence that everything will be great. Usually it isn't so. But if you think of it like something important for surviving, as like breathing, you probably will find quickly all the necessary. It's exactly so for a motion design.
