Hi
David. That is all very interesting. And yes one thing I forgot to mention was put all your best stuff first!
Style wise I realised after I wrote that you may specialise and that is fine too and your reel should show those strengths off more than other things. You don't have to be great at everything. It is possible to survive with a style. I don't do every style exceptionally well either and one should avoid doing weaker things and concentrate on much stronger things.
Some of your high powered video game music following after a broody underscore is going to sound exciting to listen to and then into something completely different. But I like your idea of having an overall reel. That one can be shorter, more exciting and it crosses over a few styles quickly.
(mastering your reel is also very important. The quieter underscores have to be as loud as the kick ass tracks in their own way too) Having special reels for special styles is also a good idea I guess as well. That way too you can afford to expand out a little within that sort of reel compared to flashing past in your one and only reel. But your overall reel can refer to it briefly just to say to someone hey this guy can do ambient stuff. I am getting the same vibe from the web developers too. If you are someone with multiple skills they say it is better to create separate web pages for each skill.
(even separate URL's! I guess it keeps them all in work!) Like mastering, mixing, composing for TV and film and producing artists. If you can do all of those then you are better off with 3 or 4 websites detailing those skills and highlighting them individually.
Don't forget the music libraries too as this is still a growing area. I am a TAXI member and get the briefs which come daily. I don't always have time to do the urgent briefs but I think the idea with them is to get a sense of what everyone is needing out there right now on a regular basis. Then just cracking and down to it I suppose. They hook you up with the libraries concerned. There are also the longer term briefs as well and they are easier to manage and fit in.
Have a listen to the various reels I have got on my myspace site. That is all very old though and I have not updated that in years! I am working on a new website though and will have current music up there and be able to change it soon I hope.
I hope you are thinking about a website because without it these days it is pretty uphill. I get quite a lot of work that way. I find it is hard to try and balance the paid work I am doing here at my studio with library tracks and film tracks in between. Digital mixers and all in the box techniques are great for all this type of thing too. I am working with an illusionist and am about to start working towards writing an all original score for his mega productions. Should be fun and there will be lots of style changes in that.