What Makes a Good Director's Reel?

[Manfred Lopez]

I was wondering what the focus should be. Is it high production values shots first? famous people? camera moves? Great acting? Does anyone have examples they are willing to share?

 

[Demetri Zuev]

Depends on what area of the biz you are targeting. But great acting and great concepts are two of the most important things. Don't get carried away by putting too many cool shots in there that are cool because of cinematography only, cause you'll end up with you combined DPs reel. All the shots should be cool but the focus shouldn't be solely on their coolness.

 

[Manfred Lopez]

But great acting and great concepts are two of the most important things.

I've been watching a lot of director reels on vimeo and a lot of them seem to be cool cinematography shots set to music. I would agree that acting should be paramount. I'm still trying to find good examples of how concept can be portrayed in a reel.

 

[Demetri Zuev]

I've been watching a lot of director reels on vimeo and a lot of them seem to be cool cinematography shots set to music. I would agree that acting should be paramount. I'm still trying to find good examples of how concept can be portrayed in a reel.

This video that I'm sure you've seen is a great example of a great concept - https://vimeo.com/147173661

You can cut any part of that video into a reel and it will still be obvious that its' director has a very interesting mind and approach to things. The shots are great but ultimately it's the concept that kills it here and that is what illustrates a director's vision for potential clients.

 

[Nelson Maits]

I agree depends on what area you want to work on, It would be great to have one scene to explain everything, whatever you do make it short 2 minutes is too much I recommend 1 minute with just 4-5 scenes.

 

[Antony Newman]

CANADA.

Wow.

AJ

 

[Manfred Lopez]

This video that I'm sure you've seen is a great example of a great concept - https://vimeo.com/147173661

That is a cool music video. But it's not a director's reel. I'm also more interested in narrative-type stuff. How do you convey dramatic directing in a one minute clip?

 

[Hans von Sonntag]

Manfred, in TVC-land reels are a thing of yesterday. Bookers and producers sent the agencies selected TVCs of various directors that make sense in a certain pitch situation. Form there a shortlist is created and the remaining directors asked to write director's interpretations. The director's interpretations and selected TVCs are sent to the client with an agency recommendation.

In this part of the industry no one wants to see a reel anymore.

Hans

 

[Demetri Zuev]

But it's not a director's reel.

No it's not, it was an example of a great concept that you can see even when an excerpt of the video is put in a reel

 

[Demetri Zuev]

Manfred, in TVC-land reels are a thing of yesterday. Bookers and producers sent the agencies selected TVCs of various directors that make sense in a certain pitch situation. Form there a shortlist is created and the remaining directors asked to write director's interpretations. The director's interpretations and selected TVCs are sent to the client with an agency recommendation.

In this part of the industry no one wants to see a reel anymore.

Hans

That's an interesting insight, Hans. Do specs count at all?

 

[Christoffer Glans]

For the most part, a directors reel shows brands, artists and the level and amount of feature films you've made.

If you are aiming at directing commercials, the brands are more important than how good it looks. If you have big well known brands and a lot of them it says something about the trust these companies put into your ability to deliver and that also shows production companies that if they hire you, you will be able to handle the job. Getting a director that has directed commercials for say a company like Apple, you know you have someone that will carry the production and all the pressure it has.

If you are aiming at high level drama for TV and feature films, you need to show that you have worked with big names. If they see that you have done a lot of stuff with well known actors and directed not just one film but a few, that carries a lot of weight.

If you are aiming at music videos, the same goes for that, the artists.

A directors reel has less to do with your ability to direct, stage or your vision and more to do with brands, actors and artists really. Sad but true, companies judge you mostly by your past collaborations than your skill.

 

[Manfred Lopez]

Manfred, in TVC-land reels are a thing of yesterday. Bookers and producers sent the agencies selected TVCs of various directors that make sense in a certain pitch situation. Form there a shortlist is created and the remaining directors asked to write director's interpretations. The director's interpretations and selected TVCs are sent to the client with an agency recommendation.

In this part of the industry no one wants to see a reel anymore.

Hans

That is good to know. Thanks for the insight!

 

[Manfred Lopez]

A directors reel has less to do with your ability to direct, stage or your vision and more to do with brands, actors and artists really. Sad but true, companies judge you mostly by your past collaborations than your skill.

I had a feeling it would be something like this

 

[Eric M Hurt]

A directors reel has less to do with your ability to direct, stage or your vision and more to do with brands, actors and artists really. Sad but true, companies judge you mostly by your past collaborations than your skill.

Perhaps, but the company that might hire you will want to see full :30 second spots you've directed. The fact that a director has worked for large companies USUALLY implies they know what they're doing, otherwise the production company pitching them wouldn't do so. If you have a solid short film, that can be a good director's reel IMO. Obviously spec spots as well. Get some emotion on the screen, not just pretty pictures.

 

[Paul Leeming]

My answer for what makes a good (narrative) director's reel - watch the movie(s)!

For me, direction is about telling an emotionally compelling story, such that you are moved by the end of it. No two minute reel is going to convey this in any shape or form.

Cinematography? Sure. 2 minutes of beautiful shots that show your abilities.

But for directing, I judge it solely on the story, and how he or she conveyed it to me and made me feel.

My 2c as a director making narrative films

Cheers from Berlin,

Paul

 

[Christoffer Glans]

My answer for what makes a good (narrative) director's reel - watch the movie(s)!

For me, direction is about telling an emotionally compelling story, such that you are moved by the end of it. No two minute reel is going to convey this in any shape or form.

Cinematography? Sure. 2 minutes of beautiful shots that show your abilities.

But for directing, I judge it solely on the story, and how he or she conveyed it to me and made me feel.

My 2c as a director making narrative films

Cheers from Berlin,

Paul

That only works for fiction. In order to get a job as a feature film director you need to have shown through a number of short films that you are capable, but also that you have been trusted to direct by well known people and actors. This applies less to your own screenplays, but still needed. As for getting jobs as a commercial director or music videos and fashion, the brands and names you worked with are more important.

I've yet to see someone get a feature gig by just making one or two short films. The usual path of fiction directors is to work their asses off for a couple of years trying to get their project into greenlight. A short film is not a short cut to a feature deal, hard work is the only way, hard work at the connections you have in the industry.

The truth is that connections is the only real thing that matters. I've seen people with a lot of talent and great ideas go into oblivion while people with shitty screenplays and no talent gets all the glory, just because they had the connections.
So if you REALLY want to work as a director, get connections, go to parties, befriend people with more connections and so on. If you have great ideas and talent, then good, but to get that talent and ideas into action, you need to play the social game. Anyone who disagrees with this have not worked long enough in the industry. It's the sad truth about it all.