A demo reel is a short video – one to two minutes max – that demonstrates the capabilities of the creative showcased in its footage. For an Actor, that might mean clips from their most notable roles. For a Director, it can be clips from their most impactful work. Actors, Directors, Cinematographers, Editors, Composers, and other creatives in the filmmaking industry all rely on demo reels to display their capabilities.
For Actors, the important thing to focus on here is the word “best.” Casting Directors and anyone else looking at your demo reel won’t be all too concerned with whether the footage in it exactly matches the role that they’re casting for. They just want to make sure you have the talent, screen presence, and other relevant acting qualities to do the job.
Unless the Casting Director has already seen you act on stage or screen, they have no idea of what you can or can’t bring to a role. Hence, why you need a demo reel.
It’s also important to remember that people–including Casting Directors– have short attention spans. You need to show them not only your best acting work, but also your best acting work first. Don’t save your most impressive bit of acting for a big demo reel finale because it’s entirely possible that a Casting Director or Director won’t make it that far.
Demo reels are the same thing as show reels, so don’t be confused if they’re used interchangeably. However, it’s more common in the film industry for an acting reel to be referred to as a demo reel.