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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

demo reels

is the first track the gotan project?

:34 - love this shot!

:37 - water shots for me dont hold up compared to other shots

:52 - I think the next shot would be a better way to introduce this sequence

1:19 - love this location, very storybook-ish

1:43 - bubbles seem to be out of place in quality of shot. it also feels strange to view that after the previous shot.

2:11 - awesome shot

2:25 - i really like to look of the writing/typing sequence

2:37 - this seems out of place in context of the whole

3:49 - music ends a bit abruptly here, and seems unintentional.

3:58 - Great end sequence... perhaps i like it since im in the depths of a snowy winter right now.

OVER ALL: You have some amazing footage in here, but I think the reel is a bit long. I will admit that I like short and powerful reels, so it is a personal preference. Have you tried editing this way down and picking the "best of" clips?
 
Thanks, Dean. Much Appreciated!
is the first track the gotan project?
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Nope. That is Alacran. Which means, I have to find out more about Gotan Project.

:34 - love this shot!
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That is an old lighthouse on a tiny Island off the Swedish Coast.

:37 - water shots for me dont hold up compared to other shots
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Weird, how the obvious isn't obvious before someone states it. I love the second of the shots for its discombobulating quality, but do agree that they don't hold up to the rest.
:52 - I think the next shot would be a better way to introduce this sequence
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I tried to get a thematic transition between the segments. Guess I failed ;)
1:19 - love this location, very storybook-ish
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On most documentary projects there isn't the time/budget/possibility for location scouting. Here we did have (except for the budget). And it does pay.
1:43 - bubbles seem to be out of place in quality of shot. it also feels strange to view that after the previous shot.
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Again, thanks for opening my eyes. This was one of the very first test shoots with 'my' RED. Proving that emotional attachment to footage should never dictate the choice of shots.
2:11 - awesome shot
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One of those occasions where it really pays off to have your own camera. I was shooting some lens test in the backyard, when I found this snail.
2:25 - i really like to look of the writing/typing sequence
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Thanks! It was slightly more problematic getting hold of an old school typewriter. But my wife is good at organizing things.
I love having time to light, and then pick up details that tell more than a wider shot would.
2:37 - this seems out of place in context of the whole
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True.
3:49 - music ends a bit abruptly here, and seems unintentional.
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That is actually how the track end.
On showreels I always try to have some synch sound.
3:58 - Great end sequence... perhaps i like it since im in the depths of a snowy winter right now.
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Thanks. I was traveling along the Norwegian coast and it was really hard choosing just a few shots.
OVER ALL: You have some amazing footage in here, but I think the reel is a bit long. I will admit that I like short and powerful reels, so it is a personal preference. Have you tried editing this way down and picking the "best of" clips?
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Thanks. I used to try to keep my reels to about 90 seconds, but did get carried away on this one. Probably on the next showreel I'll cut 3 different reels, one for nature, one for documentary and one for corporate.

Thanks, Dean. I really value your input.
 
Alex Walker said:
I'd love a critique:
http://vimeo.com/18381848
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That's an interesting one, Alex. there aren't things I feel that jump out as bad or problematic as much as some other reels, but I also feel that there is nothing that is showing you adding something special.

For example...

:19 - Okay that's a shot and it's not bad, but you know the guy is at the exact same range as everything else in the shot, so your eye doesn't immediately go to him.... just sort of washes over the shot. Even a mirror or something hitting him with light would give it a look.

:48 - another shot that has no light hitting them anywhere creating a point of interest - it's sort of a wash.

1:03 - another one

1:06 - another one

I don't have time to comment much more - but wanted to give the biggest impression I had which was that I felt like maybe you were too hands off as a cinematographer and would like to see you get more active in leading my eye in the ways that painters learn to lead the eye across a shot. Make statements with the shots.

And, again, it's not that I am saying it's bad, but I feel like it needs to work harder and get more involved/active to get to a top commercial style level.
 
RickyNorris said:
Id love to get some feedback as well! Its Red/mk2/HPX170 footage mostly.

http://vimeo.com/18329478
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If I might throw in 2 cents... In addition to prior observations I think the reel would be stronger without shots @ :50, 1:13 and 1:33. They are not as rich as the rest of the reel and the lighting is not on the same level IMHO. They lack depth.

Nice work.
 
dean merrill said:
here is my new reel that was almost all shot within 6-7 months.

http://vimeo.com/18655548

a lot of the footage is from a documentary i shot, and maines first TEDx event that I founded, TEDxDirigo. Visit TEDxDirigo.com for more info on that.
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I like the way you direct the eye in the opening shot.

Why so much slo-mo?

The shot @ :44 is top notch. It smokes all the others, and that leads me to a dilemma I always face when choosing reel shots: If you have one shot so gorgeous that it makes all of the others look lesser... How should you best handle it? It stymies me and never fails to come up. I seldom finish demo reels as a result. Baaahhhh!
 
Scott Crawley said:
I like the way you direct the eye in the opening shot.

Why so much slo-mo?

The shot @ :44 is top notch. It smokes all the others, and that leads me to a dilemma I always face when choosing reel shots: If you have one shot so gorgeous that it makes all of the others look lesser... How should you best handle it? It stymies me and never fails to come up. I seldom finish demo reels as a result. Baaahhhh!
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Thanks. Which shot are you talking about @ :44? I find most of the videos i shoot are documentary or corporate, and its hard to get creative with them, especially with the small budgets that happen in Maine. All the shots I like are from my own narrative work, but I have to have something to show potential clients.

The slow motion is in there cuz i think they are nice shots ( i like them ), and sets up the contrast in pacing for the rest of the reel.

Thanks for looking at the reel =)
 
dean merrill said:
Thanks. Which shot are you talking about @ :44? I find most of the videos i shoot are documentary or corporate, and its hard to get creative with them, especially with the small budgets that happen in Maine. All the shots I like are from my own narrative work, but I have to have something to show potential clients.

The slow motion is in there cuz i think they are nice shots ( i like them ), and sets up the contrast in pacing for the rest of the reel.

Thanks for looking at the reel =)
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The machine parts and tools are well exposed, contain interesting and dynamic light, have good depth, movement and composition. Stock quality, I think. The only nitpick is the reflection of your operator. In this case a neutral or white shirt would have hidden him better. A screen would have been optimal but moving as you were, difficult.

Have you considered breaking up the off speed shots, and moving some or all of them into the reel some? Folks want to get right into your stuff, and get an overview quickly. Wow them within 10-30 seconds. While your slo-mo shots may be nice, they are not "wow". I appreciate ramping up and building mood and interest, but I fear you may not be grabbing the viewer sufficiently. As it is I feel it is slow to develop. That is my feeling anyway; impatient.
 
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Scott Crawley said:
The machine parts and tools are well exposed, contain interesting and dynamic light, have good depth, movement and composition. Stock quality, I think. The only nitpick is the reflection of your operator.

Have you considered breaking up the off speed shots, and moving some or all of them into the reel some? Folks want to get right into your stuff, and get an overview quickly. Wow them within 10-30 seconds. While your slo-mo shots may be nice, they are not "wow". I appreciate ramping up and building mood and interest, but I fear you may not be grabbing the viewer sufficiently. As it is I feel it is slow to develop. That is my feeling anyway; impatient.
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I'm glad you like that shot. I actually had time to light it and experiment with it. im pretty happy with it too.

Good points ( above ). Thanks again for the feedback.
 
Excellent, thats actually similar to what my rep said. For the shot at :48 how would you recommend drawing attention to the red car were I to shoot something similar again?




Mark Allen said:
That's an interesting one, Alex. there aren't things I feel that jump out as bad or problematic as much as some other reels, but I also feel that there is nothing that is showing you adding something special.

For example...

:19 - Okay that's a shot and it's not bad, but you know the guy is at the exact same range as everything else in the shot, so your eye doesn't immediately go to him.... just sort of washes over the shot. Even a mirror or something hitting him with light would give it a look.

:48 - another shot that has no light hitting them anywhere creating a point of interest - it's sort of a wash.

1:03 - another one

1:06 - another one

I don't have time to comment much more - but wanted to give the biggest impression I had which was that I felt like maybe you were too hands off as a cinematographer and would like to see you get more active in leading my eye in the ways that painters learn to lead the eye across a shot. Make statements with the shots.

And, again, it's not that I am saying it's bad, but I feel like it needs to work harder and get more involved/active to get to a top commercial style level.
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Welcome To Oz by Vincent Versace has good info on leading the eye. The techniques are all still photography, but the included principles still apply.

Christian, I prefer to see natural skin tones dominate a reel, but otherwise it should contain at least one shot without a color cast. If I don't see one I am left wondering if the cinematographer is capable, particularly when so much of the reel is orange.

Get thee to a grading suite, my son. That would be my advice. Oh, and the poster frame should be representative of your absolute best, your contact info, or black. Is that frame your best?
 
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