Send out demo reels
by Rob Grauert
on
Jun 23, 2009 at 9:57:59 pm
Hi,
I am going to start sending out my demo reel in mass quantities. If I I want to send it to a production company, but don't know the name of the manager or any producers or directors, who do I address the package to?
Re: Send out demo reels by Todd Terry on Jun 23, 2009 at 10:35:28 pm
[Rob Grauert]"who do I address the package to?"
Easy. To whomever they tell you to when you call and ask who the appropriate person would be.
Don't send them out blind, or to a generic position (i.e., "Production Manager," or "Creative Director").
If you do that, you might as well be throwing them away. Some here might argue that they are being thrown away anyway, but at least if they are addressed to a real person you stand a little bit better chance.
T2
__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
Re: Send out demo reels by Craig Seeman on Jun 24, 2009 at 4:35:56 am
and after you send it out you make a follow up phone call to the person you send it to.
It may take that follow up to get them to view it or they may tell you it was handed to someone up the ladder in which case you check with that person.
Re: Send out demo reels by Zane Barker on Jun 24, 2009 at 5:53:52 am
[Rob Grauert]"I am going to start sending out my demo reel in mass quantities. If I I want to send it to a production company, but don't know the name of the manager or any producers or directors, who do I address the package to? "
To the trash can.
Unfortunately sad but true. Most will just treat it as junk mail unless you call first like Todd says.
[Rob Grauert]"I had the idea that if I called and ask they just wouldn't tell me."
And they might not. But if they don't then you know not to wast a disk and postage. Many may be honest and say that they are not looking for anyone.
A small conversation by phone simply saying hi I'm so and so, here is what I can do would you mind if I sent you a demo reel goes a long way to getting that disk on there desk and not in the trash. It also not be a bad Idea after they say sure send one over to say I really appreciate your time, I would be more then happy to be transfered to your secretary to get your address. By talking to the secretary after (even if you don't need the address) will help to ensure that they don't filter your demo out of the stack of mail that actually ends up on the desk of whomever. Just about every place has the secretary filter the mail.
There are no "technical solutions" to your "artistic problems".
Don't let technology get in the way of your creativity!
Re: Send out demo reels by Rob Grauert on Jun 24, 2009 at 4:37:07 pm
oh yea. I definitely have a website with all my work - http://www.robgrauert.com But I still think it helps to mail something. I can't control when they visit my website, but at least I can mail a physical object that forces them to at least see that it's there.
Re: Send out demo reels by grinner hester on Jun 24, 2009 at 10:00:18 pm
You don't.
No need to waist a DVD. A day of cold-calling is where you need to start. You make your way passed the receptionist to some sort of creative director, production manager or head hancho and make your schpill vrbally. If they are remotly interested, they'll have you send it to them and the receptionist will not trash it when it shows up unsolicited. You will not only save money this way, your reel will actually be watched. You can save the random reel sending for email spamming on a rainy day. Nothin' wrong with that at all. An email being deleted costs you nothing but some time. You'll be volunteering time to this either way.
Hit the sites of the places you wanna work at. Contact the powers that be directly.
