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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

Alex Walker said:
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?
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I actually meant :47 where that shot was meant to have back light even if it's cheated with a mirror... (and normally I'm anti backlighting 'cause it's over used, but in this case it would really help bring some focus to the girl. Of course, just hitting her with some light in the front would do it as well, but I think that isn't the mood you wanted, so a little natural rim light would have helped. As for :48 - I don't think I'd have the car shot on the reel at all. I'm not sure what comment you're making in the shot... it seems more like a covering the action than a story telling shot.
 
Scott Crawley said:
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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The orange tint is, as the description on vimeo states, intentional. But you've got a point! Should have some reference shots that look normal too. I've been really into warm colors on those projects, but you're absolutely right. And thanks for the tip about the poster. All appreciated! :) Thanks! Will check out that book you mentioned too, btw.
 
(By the way - in regards to a question I got - I review reels pretty randomly - it depends when they show up and my schedule right at that moment. If If I've not commented... I simply didn't look at it.)

Andy Jarosz said:
Alright, here's mine:
http://vimeo.com/19082111
Standing by to be grilled.
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Andy - try to shoot some older people so people don't prejudice that you're young... mostly because in addition to your work being filled with young people only, you also have a young styling and I'll try to point out some elements which stand out.

Also - I would promote for having more art direction / production design as that will really help give you something to shoot.

Very first shot. - Sort of a wash of color and light... the background could be keyed lower than the guy. There seems to be multiople lights kind of creating a "we didn't really light this except for turning on various lights" look. And the angle has a slight angle down vs. being straight on him or dynamic.... so I'm looking at this shot for a choice you made and not seeing one. That is similar to comments I made earlier in this thread, but with you I feel the shot angles also are amorphous.

:14 - guy on black... but the light is just right on one side of his face... maybe it works in context but it seems remarkably plain for a reel.

:17 - shot has some character - seems like it could be a decent shot in context of a comedy or something. Has a good comedic feel.

:19 - what you're going for you are not achieving and so it looks self conscious and odd vs. romantic or nostalgic. Seems like a kid in the backyard on any day dressed up.

:27 - By far the best shot on the reel with the car drive by shot. It has energy - you are making very strong choices. The lighting is a bit washy and uninteresting, but the shot makes me feel something and that's what more of your shots need to do.


But you get the idea from there. I feel you need to think about where you're putting the camera more often because it seems like it's at tripod default height or some height it's set to, maybe yours, and not the scene. With lights they need to be less sidey - every shot with lighting has this strong strong side light.

Basically I'd encourage you to really challenge yourself every shot and say "How do I really connect with the story here and on top of that make sure you know right away this isn't just a home video."
 
Thanks man.

You've picked out a couple of what I knew were the worst shots in there (the first one, the one with the kid) so right away I knew those would be picked apart first. They're older as well.

As for the art direction, subjects, and angles--well, all the result of no-budget filmmaking, and I know those are lacking as well. They're the main things I try to improve.

As for my obsession with sidey light, no comment. We have a love affair together and I love how it creates shadow across a persons face.
 
Andy Jarosz said:
Thanks man.
You've picked out a couple of what I knew were the worst shots in there
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Then don't put them on the reel. Never show anything you have to make excuses for. The first DP I ever hired I hired because he had one incredible shot on his reel. There were only like six shots, but one was so nice and the others were all good. It was a little naive of me I guess, but I think most people in the position of hiring new DPs are going to be a little naive and probably a lot more so than I was. Anyway - the point being the whole point of reel making is to not have anything on the reel that will cost you the job. i won't hire people all the time just because I see one thing and think "wow, if he thinks that's worth showing, we do not share the same aesthetics."

Andy Jarosz said:
As for the art direction, subjects, and angles--well, all the result of no-budget filmmaking, and I know those are lacking as well. They're the main things I try to improve.
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For building your reel, I would really push your director and producer to texture up the worlds and if you are the director and/or producer, you need to do it yourself. Art direction can be free. If's just a matter of aesthetics. find someone of your friends who seems to have an eye for quality - someone in the art department who is doing sculpture work or someone in the theater department doing crazy cool sets,, whatever it is... someone you respond to and learn from them 'cause they will bring texture to your world. It's amazing what cheap little additions of stuff can do for shots.


Andy Jarosz said:
As for my obsession with sidey light, no comment. We have a love affair together and I love how it creates shadow across a persons face.
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But you don't want to seem like a one trick poney. If someone doesn't want super sidey light then they're not going to hire you.


And remember, don't take things I say too personal. It's all in the spirit of encouragement - but encouraging people to push harder. otherwise, there is no point in a critique. Plus someone reading but not showing might find it interesting.
 
I'll throw mine up for critique.

http://www.vimeo.com/17434517

Shot on Red, 5D and even some XH-A1.

This reel is a few months old, and a lot of the material that looks videoish (not filmed on Red or 5D), is going to be replaced with newer footage from the Red when I sit down to do my next reel.

Thanks all
 
Peter Mosiman said:
You're crazy Chris. You have a well rounded reel, with some interesting shots, and some really nice lighting. You are far from sucky!! =]
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sorry... it's been a bad week and I'm a bit low in self confidence right now. For some reason I haven't been getting the jobs I'm asked to bid on and it's making me crabby. I don't think I'm all that bad.... just not what people want to use I guess.
 
Chin up man, it's getting competitive out there! Are you getting out-classed or out-bid, do you think?
 
When things are slow, self assign. Pick up some beauty shots, do a passion piece, and beef up the reel. When your confidence and exuberance return, so will the work.
Best Wishes
 
christopher witzke said:
I suck... and every day I'm tempted to sell all my motion gear and stick to stills.... but here's my reel.

http://www.chriswitzke.com/reel.html
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Chris - think about dividing your reel into "looks" and each "look" as a section. I think it would be helpful from a sales perspective because instead of it looking like it's all over the place it would be showing your work as very calcualated look creations. that way the exec or producer or director looking at your work will understand more easily "oh - he's a guy who can this or that or that.

Yes, cinematographers know that's silly 'cause you can do lots of stuff, but that's not how the world sees it.

I think you can lose some stuff off your reel as well because it's a little long I thought - but that might just be because the organization was not there.

Some of the farm stuff stood out at me - that stuff might be first on your reel.
 
Mark Allen said:
Chris - think about dividing your reel into "looks" and each "look" as a section. I think it would be helpful from a sales perspective because instead of it looking like it's all over the place it would be showing your work as very calcualated look creations. that way the exec or producer or director looking at your work will understand more easily "oh - he's a guy who can this or that or that.

Yes, cinematographers know that's silly 'cause you can do lots of stuff, but that's not how the world sees it.

I think you can lose some stuff off your reel as well because it's a little long I thought - but that might just be because the organization was not there.

Some of the farm stuff stood out at me - that stuff might be first on your reel.
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Thanks for the feed back.... and sorry I was such a Debbie Downer.... I'm very grateful for the work I get and the life style it affords me. I'm a bit ashamed of myself for acting a bit Varuca Salt.

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference. Right?

Great advise regarding a bit more structure rather than random. I saw a thread on Roger Deakins site where he said he prefers to see scenes with dialog in a reel rather than random bits with a music track. I guess I head in that direction.

Thanks again....
 
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