SELECTION This is the most important part of the process: choosing the right material to animate. The biggest weakness we’ve seen lately is in selection, and this is exactly what we’re going to improve. In a studio, professionals usually build their reels from production shots. We don’t have that, but by using high-end rigs, solid lighting, and professional rendering, we can create our own work that feels like it came straight out of a feature film or series. Our ultimate goal is to find strong, dialogue-driven moments and turn them into animation that can stand next to production-quality work. Every animated shot and scene must stand on its own. Even if the audio comes from a much longer sequence, the piece you choose needs to work as a complete, self-contained moment. This is where your creativity comes in: you must shape the material so that the scene feels clear and satisfying by itself. For ACTION SHOTS Keep the action simple and focused. Look for video reference that has the potential to be interesting as a standalone beat. You make it compelling through dynamic posing and by pushing the animation principles to bring that moment to life. The shot is then staged, animated, lit, and rendered using our professional pipeline. For ACTING SHOTS This is where vision and creativity matter most. Selecting the right dialogue is one of the hardest and most important parts of building a strong reel. You need to have a clear idea of the scene before you start: what’s happening, how the character feels, and how you want it to play. You may have to add elements—props, alternate camera angles, new poses, or even small actions that weren’t in the original audio—to make the moment work on its own. When you follow our professional process (concept, thumbnailing, storyboarding, and detailed notes) and you’ve chosen your dialogue with a strong vision in mind, this approach will lead you to a successful shot. The same principle applies to Animal Action, animal cycles, and Character Walk Cycles. Each piece needs to function as a complete, polished, professional-looking moment by itself.

We are in the portfolio business. Your portfolio—your demo reel—is how studios meet you for the first time, both as an artist and as a person. When done well, it showcases not just your technical ability, but your taste, personality, and storytelling. Over the past few years, I’ve noticed a steady drop in reel quality, so we’re going to reset and get back to fundamentals. The goal is to give you a clear blueprint for building a strong, focused reel that presents your work professionally and makes a great impression on potential studios. A high-quality character animation reel is usually built from the following core shot types: - Character Walks / Runs- polished, high-quality render of a character walk or run that shows weight, balance, and personality. - Acting Shot or Sequence- high-quality, dialogue-driven acting scene or sequence that demonstrates your ability to bring characters to life through body language, facial performance, and believable timing. - Action Shot- high-quality, dynamic action shot that highlights your skills with physicality and staging—ideal for applying to video game studios or action-oriented TV/film projects. - Animal Walk/Run and Animal Action- high-quality animal walk or run, plus a simple but well-executed animal action shot that shows your understanding of animal mechanics and behavior. These are the essential building blocks of a top-tier demo reel. As you plan your portfolio, you should be deliberately aiming to create and refine these types of shots. Next: How to properly research and select these shots to work as stand-alone sections of your Demo Reels.

The cover of the Bible of Animation is animated by the author, Richard Williams, himself!

Great Quadruped cycle animated, lit and rendered by Delphine Thomas!