What to put in your demo showreel

It's important to plan your programme presenter showreel carefully. You can't just go into a studio and fake a programme in a few minutes. It's best to record a full programme in no less than 1 hour. In this time you'll be able to settle down and really get into the programme. It's only from a complete range of programme links (announcements), that you can then choose the best ones to include in a radio presenter showreel demo. Getting a decent showreel together is one of the most constructive things a presenter can do, even and especially if you're in a station already and want to move on.

Your whole career in radio is based on your sound in a showreel only lasting a few minutes. You're never quite sure what to leave in and what to leave out. That's why it's best to have another set of ears listening too. Making a good showreel demo is how to get into radio and make a super career. Never record a demo showreel by just going to the end of a song and recording links. Record a show and pick from that.

Radio Presenter Showreels for music programmes should only feature a few seconds of the music being played in and out of links. Remember, the listener is going to be a Programme Director who only wants to hear the links into and out of, your tunes. They'll be listening for your varied ability to mix into and out of songs. So you'll need to display your technical ability at talking over music and how "tight" your voice-over music links can be. Radio bosses will of course, be listening for what you're saying between the tunes.

Content is very important in any radio programme and in a Radio Presenter Showreel you'll need to demonstrate that you not only have content but it's original at times too.

Programme Controllers will be listening for many different aspects in your style as featured in your radio presenter showreel. Here's a few to think about.

1) How original are you sounding.
2) Do you have the ability to weave music and chat and programme elements together.
3) Are you able to speak on a 1 to 1 personal basis with the listener.
4) Do you have varied content and programme ideas that are different.
5) Can you read basic information handed to you, ie: traffic & travel.
6) Do you sound interested and enthusiastic playing music you maybe dislike. (Remember in most commercial stations you have no choice in the music you play, it's playlisted).
7) Do you have a good sense of humour and do you smile ever.
8) Can you get out of mistakes easily.
9) What's your timing like, can you back time to programme junctions like news and commercials.
10) What are you like with people who call in.
11) Do you identify the station frequently.
12) Can you interview people.
13) Work under pressure.
14) Will you be able to keep it all going when the hard drives go down and no one else is around on the station.
15) Could you present 6 days a week, 4 hours a day with programme prep on top.
16) Do you talk too much and end up waffling. (All presenters do it at times).
17) Are the links short, sweet and to the point.
18) Are you being yourself.

These are some of the main points some station bosses are looking for in a radio presenter showreel. It's not possible to display them all but some have to be shown.