Check out Steve's great blog called:

 

For Students: Your first Demo Reel…. Structure, presenting work that gets you noticed..

vfxconnection.com/stevemarino/blog/113/

 

 

Thanks Marcus...!

Dear all
My name is Peter and I deal with CGI too, I just newly signed in to this site and seems to be very nice full of professionals. I thought to send an email about my concerns because professional ideas are very imporant for my future 3d career.
I know ,to enter into 3d world I have to make a demo reel.I'm thinking to make a short animated film I dont know what you think about it will it be worty or not like first of all writing a scenario on the paper then maybe a few story borads then start to do the models anims and everything and at the end it will be like a film, isnt it possible


Many thanks

Peter

In addition to all those great points, I'd also add that hiring an editor to cut your reel is the best investment you can make.

100% agree Dave..!

Yeah, a good, seasoned editor can look at your wok objectively, where we often are so close to a piece, having worked on something for so long, we can become jaded.

Excellent point!

If you want to be an animator, keep it simple and make the motion great.

And the same kind of advice goes for where ever you want to end up.  Emphasize your future.  Great modelling, difficult design, well executed -- for a future modeller.  Great lighting that helps tell the story -- great future lighter.  I believe it is a bad idea to try and make EVERYTHING great.  You'll get stuck making everything mediocre.  A common mistake.

By the way, this would NOT be a good idea, if you really wanted to be a matte painter. 

It does depend on "what" you want to do, and if you are fortunate enough to know the direction to move in after graduating from school getting into the industry.

Just be careful with trying to take on ALL aspects of a short film all by yourself. It is incredibly time consuming, and in mostly every instance a well done lean/shorter piece that leaves an audience/potential employer wanting more is better than a demo reel that has "fat", "unnecessary", or not well executed material on it...