Editors Reels

NOTE: This piece has gotten a lot of hits, so I did a follow up. Click here to see "How To Keep Your Job Once You've Gotten It"...

10 tips for when you're putting together an editing reel and applying for editing jobs.

PREFACE: I've been looking at editors reels for...geez, like 5 years now. I've probably hired about 20 editors in my time, and seen like 300 reels. I immediately know within five seconds if I want to contact the editor, or throw the tape in the bin.

1) Choose your music wisely: I know what an iLife loop sounds like, please don't put it on your reel. I have literally gotten reels with MIDI files for music. Really? Seriously? You're going to go the cheap route? It's not like the copyright police are going to track you down; put a freakin' good song on there. You shouldn't even have that much music anyway...it's a reel to show you can CUT, not a reel to see that what you edit was shot well (see below)
2) Put a scene on there: Give me a few cut together shots. Sure, all those fancy, fast-paced shots of guns being drawn, cars flying by, clouds moving in fast motion, etc, are nice...but this is not a DP reel...show me HOW you create a story. I need to see something that proves you can put together a film/show/documentary. I'm not going to hire you based on your camera guy's talents.
3) If your graphics aren't professional quality...don't spend a lot of time on them: I have seen a lot of reels where there are some "that graphic would look OK in 2000" sort of graphics that are put at the front, or have a lot of time dedicated to them. It's alright if you're not the best graphic person in the world, sure, stick a few shots in there, but don't belabor it; get in and get out. Be honest with yourself; if it wouldn't pass muster on TV or music videos, it's probably not that good.
4) Have 1 Reel for the project you're applying for: OK, you've seen an ad for a Reality Show editor. SEND ME A LINK TO YOUR DOCUMENTARY/REALITY stuff. Don't send me a link to your website with 10 different reels on it. I'm not going to spend the time wading through your videos to find it, I'm going to get bored and move on, because I have 100 emails in my inbox from editors.
5) Check your Grammar: This may sound stupid, but seriously, I get emails with "your" instead of "you're" or no capitalization, or sentences like this: " I graduated from XXX and have much experience editing". "Much experience editing"? Read it OUTLOUD before you send it.
6) You're an editor, not a writer/director: OK, I know, you went to film school, you directed that digital short that played some film festivals, whatever...I'm not (neither is anyone else I know) hiring you if your resume says "writer/director/editor". Simple as that. I'm not looking for someone who wants to direct; that's our job. I want an editor. Similarly, don't tell me that you graduated from "Film School for Writing/Directing" or whatever.
7) It's OK if you are a little older, but don't stick the stuff from 1995 on your reel: I don't mind if you're 42, but I want to see that you can edit like it's 2008, not 1998. I'd rather not see that E! special you edited on "Liar, Liar".
8) Read the Job Posting and Say something about it in your Email: If my job posting says "we're doing a web series about robots", respond saying "It would be my dream to do this, I LOVE Robots!"...even if you don't...it makes me feel like you care about the project. It comes down to the "talents", but I will spend more time looking at your reel if you seem like you fit in with the project.
9) KEEP IT SHORT: If you're an editor...you should be able to EDIT. That means *focus*...I'm not interested in 10 second title cards with your name and "editor" underneath. Get in, show me what you can do, and get out. Give me your number and email at the end and that's IT! Watch your reel and if you have 45 seconds of skateboarders flipping around in circles, cut it down. Sure it looks cool, but again, 15 seconds of it tells me if you can edit or not. We all have short attention spans.
10) Don't use YouTube or MySpace: This might change in the next year or so...but the resolution on youtube and myspace videos are really poor. Try Blip.TV, or better yet, just upload a damn H.264 on a website and send me a link. You're an editor, right? You should know how to export a nice video.

Hope this helps! Good luck on getting the gig :)