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A reel is an object around which lengths of another material (usually long and flexible) are wound for storage. Generally a reel has a cylindrical core and walls on the sides to retain the material wound around the core. In some cases the core is hollow, although other items may be mounted on it, and grips may exist for mechanically turning the reel.

The size of the core is dependent on several factors. A smaller core will obviously allow more material to be stored in a given space. However there is a limit to how tightly the stored material can be wound without damaging it and this limits how small the core can be.

Other issues affecting the core size include:

• Mechanical strength of the core (especially with large reels)
• Acceptable turning speed (for a given rate of material moving on or off the reel a smaller core will mean that an almost empty reel has to turn faster)
• any functional requirements of the core e.g.
  • For a reel that must be mechanically turned the size of the grips that mount it on the mechanical turning device.
  • The size of the mountings needed to support the core during unwinding.
  • Anything mounted on the cores (e.g. the sockets on an extension reel)

With material such as photographic film that is flat and long but is relatively wide, the material generally is stored in successive single layers. In cases where the material is more uniform in cross-section (for example, a cable), the material may be safely wound around a reel that is wider than its width. In this case, several windings are needed to create a layer on the reel.

• A fishing reel is used on a fishing rod to wind the fishing line up.
• Rope, wire and cable is often supplied on reels.

It is traditional to discuss the length of theatrical motion pictures in terms of "reels." The standard length of a 35 mm motion picture reel is 1000 feet. This length runs approximately 12 minutes at sound speed and slightly longer at silent movie speed (which may vary from approximately 16 to 18 frames per second).

A so-called "two-reeler" would have run about 20-24 minutes since the actual short film shipped to a movie theater for exhibition may have had slightly less (but rarely more) than 1000 feet on it.

The "reel" was established as a standard measurement because of considerations in printing motion picture film at a film laboratory, for shipping (especially the film case sizes) and for the size of the physical film magazine attached to the motion picture projector. Had it not been standardized (at 1000 feet of 35 mm film) there would have been many difficulties in the manufacture of the related equipment. A 16 mm "reel" is 400 feet. It runs, at sound speed, approximately the same amount of time (11-12 minutes) as a 1000 foot 35 mm reel.

A split reel is a motion picture film reel in two halves that, when assembled, hold a specific length of motion picture film that has been wound on a plastic core. Using a split reel allows film to be shipped or handled in a lighter and smaller form than film would on a "fixed" reel. In silent film terminology, two films on one reel.

A demo reel, or show reel, is the motion picture or video equivalent of an artist's portfolio. It is typically used as a tool to promote the artist's skill, talent, and experience in a selected field, such as acting, directing, cinematography, editing, special effects, animation, or video games and other graphics. The demo reel is frequently submitted with a résumé to a prospective employer. When a reel contains scenes from actual productions, a shot list or credit list may also be submitted to describe the artist's specific involvement in each portion of the reel.

• Thompson, Pamela. "The Career Coach: Demo Reel DOs and DON'Ts", awn.com, May 01, 2000. Accessed May 3, 2007.