Cutting Your First Games Animation Reel

Spidey by Anand Sembhi

What should go into a games animation reel? An animation reel for the games industry is basically a stunt reel - it should include a variety of physical actions, as games animators need to be very proficient in body mechanics.  

Games animators are not (for the most part) actors, rather they are "stunt co-ordinators". It takes a while to break into the games industry so you need to be uploading your work to games sites and showing your progress over time; recruiters and industry folks will watch your progress and keep an eye on you.

2026 Animation Apprentice Demo Reel

Above is our 2026 student demo reel, a selection of the best work done at Animation Apprentice over the last year. This selection of our students' best animation includes work by Alice Bishop, Arnand Sembhi, Briony Davies, Mark Wong, Mike Acosta, Lisa Springett, Maeva Israel, Matt Lawson-Hall, William Roberts, and William Thomas. Congratulations to them all on their excellent work.

Alex Williams Animation Supervisor Reel

Above is a selection of shots I supervised (but did not animate) on "Racing Stripes", "Underdog", "Beverly Hills Chihuahua", "Charlie & Yip", "Deepo's Undersea Adventure" and "Marmaduke". The animation was completed at a number of studios, including Cinesite, Digital Dimension, Hybrid Animation, Tumblehead and Digiscope.  

Alex Williams 3D & VFX Animation Demo Reel

Above is my updated 3D Animation & VFX Animation Demo Reel, including as many HD copies of my work as I can find. Some of the shots, such as those from Monster House, are still pretty low resolution, but most of the others are decent. This reel includes clips from Robots (my first 3d animated feature) Open Season, Monster House, Underdog, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Marmaduke, Voyage of The Dawn Treader, and two of the Harry Potter films.  Edit by Miguel Teixeira. Music from Pixabay. 

Alex Williams 2D Animation Reel

Recently I've been digging around online to find HD copies of some of the best shots I have done on various 2D animated feature films over the years (my existing 2D animation demo reels were of doubtful quality, with low resolution images). Above is a selection of my best work on films from "Roger Rabbit" in the 80s and 90s all the way through "Thief and The Cobbler", "Iron Giant" and "Sinbad" (my last 2d feature) in the early 2000s.  Edit by Miguel Teixeira, music by Pixabay.  All in full HD. 

"Open Season" Animation Reel

A compilation of shots I animated on "Open Season" at Sony Imageworks in Culver City, Los Angeles, back in 2005. This was a really fun film to work on; Boog and Elliot were great characters, with lots of opportunities for broad, cartoony animation.  Thanks to Sony Pictures for the opportunity to work on this excellent film. 

"Rollercoaster Rabbit" Animation Demo Reel

This is a short compilation reel of the shots I animated on "Rollercoaster Rabbit" at the Disney MGM Studios in Orlando, Florida in 1989. It was a huge pleasure working on this project, directed by the very talented Rob Minkoff.  This was a summer job for me (I was a student in London at the time), and the storyboards were delayed, so I only managed to complete a few shots.  Still, I was proud to have worked on this very entertaining short film. 

"Piglet's Big Movie" Animation Demo Reel

A compilation of my work on the Disney animated film "Piglet's Big Movie", animated in Tokyo, Japan in 2002.  It was such a pleasure to work on AA Milne's characters, some of the most appealing characters ever created for the medium of animation. They were a delight to bring to life.  Sad to say, the Disney Animation studio in Tokyo closed two years later, in 2004. 

"Quest For Camelot" Animation Demo Reel

Quest for Camelot, Animation Demo Reel.  In the summer of 1996 I worked as an animator at Warner Bros. Feature Animation on Quest for Camelot, directed by Frederik Du Chau.  I was the lead animator on the villain "Ruber", voiced by Gary Oldman.  As animators, we share our performance with the actor who delivers the lines - and their job comes first.  My role was to capture Oldman's performance on screen, and I was invited to attend the recording sessions, and I was fortunate enough to be able to draw Oldman acting out his lines. Above is an assembly of shots I completed on the movie. 

Demo Reel Needs a Quadruped Walk, Trot & Run

Horse gallop by Mark Lawson-Hall

Most student demo reels focus on human characters, but if you are looking to get hired onto animal and creature projects, you will need to show an understanding of quadruped locomotion - one of the core skills we teach at Animation Apprentice. 

A solid walk, trot, and run cycle for a four-legged character shows range, versatility, and an understanding of animal and creature mechanics.  Layer in some acting and personality, and you have a great demo reel. 

Lamp Hop - a Great Addition to Your Demo Reel

Lamp hop by Lisa Springett

A simple lamp hop exercise can be a great addition to your animation demo reel.  One of the most iconic pieces of character animation ever created is Luxo Jr. — the hopping desk lamp that launched Pixar into the spotlight back in 1986. 

The lamp hop is one of the first exercises that students tackle at Animation Apprentice, and a reminder that you don’t need a complex character rig to show personality, weight, and storytelling.  A simple lamp hop animation can still be a great addition to a demo reel - just keep it short and witty - like the example above by Lisa Springett. 

Why Animators Should Light (& Render) Their Shots

Character walk with lighting by Joris Van Laar

Why You Should Light Your Animation Shots (and not just rely on greyshade or Maya Playblasts).
A strong demo reel isn’t just about great animation — it’s also about great presentation.  

Many student reels rely on greyshade renders or raw playblasts, but taking the time to add simple lighting can make a huge difference to how your work is received. 

You don’t need to be a lighting artist to benefit from a basic setup. A little polish goes a long way, and you can follow one of our super simple lighting tutorials to get a great result in just a few minutes. 

Why Animators Need Walk Cycles on a Demo Reel

Character walks with "Monty" by Neil Whitman

Every animator should have at least one good walk cycle on their demo reel.  It might seem too basic, but a walk tells a recruiter a lot about your animation skills — timing, weight, character, and appeal — all in a few seconds of motion. 

You can have a number of walk cycles on your reel, as long as they show character and personality, and as long as you keep them short.  

Animators: Embed Your Demo Reel Atop Your CV

Why is it important to embed your demo reel at the top of your CV or resume? Because when a studio is sifting through the applications for a new animation role, it will likely start with a stack of CVs. 

And, since the single most important factor in impressing a new studio with your talent is your demo reel, a link to this needs to be front and centre at the top of your CV.  If it isn't, the danger is that they move on to the next candidate. 

Make your work easy to find, and easy to link.  No special passwords, no dead links. Do this one thing and you'll be ahead of 50% of the competition. 

Dragon Animation Demo Reel

Above is a selection of the best animation of dragons in motion completed by students at Animation Apprentice. As well as character animation, our students learn the art and craft of animal and creature locomotion, including how to animate quadrupeds, as well as many other creatures - including dragons.  Being able to master the art of a variety of animals and creatures in motion is an important part of the animator's tool kit.  Song: I-85. Artist: Kia. Music by: CreatorMix.com Edit by Miguel Teixeira.

Animating Birds

Above is a selection of the best animation of birds in motion completed by students at Animation Apprentice. As well as character animation, our students learn the art and craft of animal and creature locomotion, including how to animate quadrupeds, as well as a number of other creatures - including birds.  Being able to master the art of a variety of animals and creatures in motion is an important part of the animator's tool kit.  "Song: Southbound". Music by: CreatorMix.com. Edit by Miguel Teixeira.

Animation Apprentice Demo Reel 2025

Above is our 2025 student demo reel, a selection of the best work done at Animation Apprentice over the last year - many congratulations to all of our students on their excellent work.  Students whose animation is featured include Anand Sembhi, Francis Lowe, Mark Lawson-Hall, Jack Ruedisueli and Mike Acosta. 

Why Animators Choose Quality Over Quantity

Quality over Quantity

One common mistake made by student animators is to take on too much, to try to complete too much animation in too little time.  The golden rule is to choose quality over quantity.  Short films should be short, because long films take too long to execute, and the quality inevitably suffers. 

The same goes for animation: better to focus on a relatively short shot that delivers a great result, than be too ambitious and have to drop the quality.  The 11 Second Cub competition has a maximum of 11 seconds for this reason.  For the same reason, demo reels should be short. A student demo reel should generally be no more than a minute long.

Why Animators Need Walks on a Demo Reel

"Monty" Character Walks by Neil Whitman

One common mistake junior animators make when cutting a demo reel is to leave off basic exercises like walks, character walks and runs. 

But walks and runs can and should be on an animation demo reel - not for very long - but for just long enough to show that these are firmly inside the animator's skill set. 

Why Animators Need a Great Acting Shot

Acting shot by Mark Masters

Why do animators need a great acting shot on their demo reel?  Because nothing showcases an animator’s talent quite like a strong acting shot.  

A well-executed acting scene shows that an animator can give a performance, and approach a shot like an actor might approach a scene in a movie or a play. 

Acting shots reveal whether an animator can go beyond basic mechanics and deliver an entertaining performance.