Demo Reel - Drew Suppa

Just found this after posting in your other thread. I will take a look and give you some feedback later today. You really should look into another place to host this, YouTube just sucks for quality!

How about watchreels.com?
 
The first two shots are excruciatingly long. I think I understand the intent- calm before the action? If so, two locked down shots without much movement within the frame make me antsy straight away. Try finding some nice dolly shots you'd like to show off in their entirety if you'd like a slow intro.
 
Seems someone wants their MTV.

Sorry, that was the first thing I thought of. Too often today, people become impatient with a shot that lasts for more than 15 seconds. That's kind of a shame... some of the most beautiful cinematography ever shot was done in the old, "pre-MTV" way... before uber-short cuts were overused and abused.

Take anything ever shot by Vadim Yusov. He's one of the best DPs this world has ever seen, and I bet nearly no one on this site has any clue who he is.



The opening sequence is Dearheart's Bakery. At the beginning and again at the end, I show edited sequences to show how my stuff cuts together, which is very important to production houses. I agree that it's long, but there's purpose behind it.
 
So, is the 640 version up and running?

I didn't have time to watch the YouTube version earlier today and I just got home now (typical 14 hour day) after a number of trips back and forth between two different casting facilities. I really hate LA traffic after about 2:30 PM, all the a-hole drivers seem to hit the road at the same time.

So, I would love to see a nice high res version of your reel. Any chance of that?
 
I love Sigur Ros, I love this song...

it doesn't seem to fit your reel. I didn't stop watching it because of the bad compression or the long shots, but because the music wasn't right. The image and the sound were clashing.

Good to see some footage from Dearheart's though. Keep it up.
 
MySpace rejected the video because of the copyrighted song. I told them I wasn't selling their album in any way, but to no avail.

Anyone have a place I can host a higher-rez version?

It's interesting that the song doesn't fit with the reel... that's the first comment of the sort I've recieved. I actually cut the reel to that song.

The timing is off because of the crappy compression, though. Maybe that has something to do with it?
 
SUPPATIME said:
Seems someone wants their MTV.

Sorry, that was the first thing I thought of. Too often today, people become impatient with a shot that lasts for more than 15 seconds. That's kind of a shame... some of the most beautiful cinematography ever shot was done in the old, "pre-MTV" way... before uber-short cuts were overused and abused.

Take anything ever shot by Vadim Yusov. He's one of the best DPs this world has ever seen, and I bet nearly no one on this site has any clue who he is.



The opening sequence is Dearheart's Bakery. At the beginning and again at the end, I show edited sequences to show how my stuff cuts together, which is very important to production houses. I agree that it's long, but there's purpose behind it.
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If you'd like us not to provide constructive criticism, please state that upfront. I really appreciate everyone who posts content here, it drives the forum, so even if you would not like suggestions, that's fine with me- I'll continue to watch. However, I think it's unfair to reduce the tastes of another user and deride them as "wanting their MTV." My favorite movie of all-time is "Rope," which is shot to look as though it was one, continuous shot. I can handle long shots. However, the beginning of the reel was, as the other poster put, excruciatingly long. If there was anything to make the shot interesting, anything, it'd be bearable.

I also understand the importance of showing your work edited together, however, getting up from a bed and walking from a room is neither visually exciting nor a complex edit to pull off; start with something more impressive. I followed your thread about Dearheart's Bakery every day, and I know you have some amazing footage from there- why not use something else?

I would also agree about the disjointedness of the music. Washed-out images of war or people crawling out of the ground don't seem to mesh well with it. I think a different track could really add value to the entire piece.

Again, (I think) everyone here wants to help each other improve; I hope that is what I am doing. I do not even begin to pretend that I could do better work, you clearly have shot some amazing footage, but I can provide my opinion as to what I would prefer, and you can take it or leave it at that.

I'm 17, and I hate MTV.

JC
 
I agree and this is not a narrative - it's a demo, and ad for your work and we get the image in those opening shots, looooooooong before you cut.

There's no story telling reason to hold those cuts that long because there is no story and after my eye has had to time to rove every inch of the frame and comeback and start over again, you need to cut.

Opening shots - too long to hold my interest. Take the note or don't. And don't put your stuff up if you don't want notes.

Maybe without youtube compression those shots would be so gosh darn breathtaking that it would justify the length of the cut. But I highly doubt it, and no that's not a knock on your cinematography.

I saw her sitting on the bed. I saw what you did with the light. And I'm like "OK" is there going to be a camera move or something ... and then you tilt down slightly.

Your opening bored me.

Either this is something to promote yourself with or it's not.

You can go with the "this shot is so gal darn beautiful that it warrants being held for 15 seconds approach" and hope people agree with you.

Or you can wow us with the next image and leave us wanting more.

This is not art for art's sake. It's a showcase, i.e., and ad, and ad for you.

I like some quick cuts, and I like Citizen Cane and Gone With the Wind and Laurence of Arabia. But that girl sitting in that bed is no a wind swept dune on a giant movie screen.

I'm 34
and I can take or leave MTV on a video by video basis.

Jack
 
King Cole said:
If you'd like us not to provide constructive criticism, please state that upfront. I really appreciate everyone who posts content here, it drives the forum, so even if you would not like suggestions, that's fine with me- I'll continue to watch. However, I think it's unfair to reduce the tastes of another user and deride them as "wanting their MTV."
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I honestly do appologize. It was meant as a joke, as it was the first thing I thought of, and i went off on a tangent only because I love the DP work of Vadim Yusov.

Again, if I offended or made it seem like I didn't find your opinion valid, I am sorry. That wasn't really my intent.

I cut my reel to this song mainly because I like the song, and the long intro and exit sequences were cut long to show my strengths with lighting, as none of that light was natural.

Jack Daniel Stanley said:
Opening shots - too long to hold my interest.
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Point dually noted.




And it seems I really offended some of you guys with my MTV comment... didn't know that would strike such a hard cord within this forum. I appologize.





That being said, I have a better-compressed version up now. It's no bigger than the last, but at least it looks closer to the actual video than the horrible compression of YouTube.


http://homepage.mac.com/illuminatorinthedark/iMovieTheater1.html
 
Great looking images, but like the rest of the people, i too feel that the opening was too long. No musical qualms though
 
I just need to try de-caf probably.

Funny thing about the internet and how things get misinterpreted.

Maybe you could try some long dissolves there at the opening to keep the edit to the song but maintain some visual movement.

Sorry if I came down to strong.
 
Since this is a site with a high percentage of cinematographers, I'm sure many will agree that the long, unbroken take is a wonderful thing, provided we're given something absolutely fascinating to watch. Case in point, that shot of the girl isn't quite the levitation scene from Solyaris. Granted, it's your demo reel, so feel free to ignore my input, but don't assume obscure name dropping changes the mind of those to whom you're trying to advertise.


SUPPATIME said:
Seems someone wants their MTV.

Sorry, that was the first thing I thought of. Too often today, people become impatient with a shot that lasts for more than 15 seconds. That's kind of a shame... some of the most beautiful cinematography ever shot was done in the old, "pre-MTV" way... before uber-short cuts were overused and abused.

Take anything ever shot by Vadim Yusov. He's one of the best DPs this world has ever seen, and I bet nearly no one on this site has any clue who he is.
\
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I'd have to agree. with the opening shot, youre thinking "ok, this is really nice...good lighting...set design...umm...hmm...ok...alright...this should have cut by now...maybe somethings going to happen...oh...she lays down a little...ok seriously this should have cut"

I think for a demo reel, LESS is ALWAYS more.

I'm glad I made it through the opening, the rest of the reel was great.
 
Jack Daniel Stanley said:
I just need to try de-caf probably.

Funny thing about the internet and how things get misinterpreted.

Maybe you could try some long dissolves there at the opening to keep the edit to the song but maintain some visual movement.

Sorry if I came down to strong.
Click to expand...

Ditto for me. I apologize.

At the risk of beating a dead horse, I will maintain that the beginning is too long. If I were you, I'd take more of a "risk" later in the reel, you don't want to potentially turn folks off in the beginning.

Overstatement, it's a bit of a problem of mine...

JC
 
Hahaha.

At least we all have good senses of humor.

I agree with you guys that the opening is long, but my rationalle was that it's a long intro to the song, and most of the footage I had set aside to be in my reel would have been relatively fast-paced and quickly-cut (see the rest of the reel and how it flows together and with the music, and you'll know what I mean).

I probably should have stated that this reel is not complete, as I'm shooting 3 other shorts in the next 3 months that will be included in this reel.

I wanted to start off with a cut-sequence because I hear directors, producers and old-timers (yeah, that's right) that too often in DP reels, the audience (i.e. people who cut the paychecks) don't get to see enough of how a DP's work cuts together.

Sure, lots of people can do good lighting, and more can frame a shot well... but how do they cut together? Does the lighting match, or provide some other form of continuity? How does a cut from one angle within a scene interact with the next? What does the cut convey, and how will it affect an audience emotionally?

These were questions I attempted to answer (and obviously failed miserably) by cutting 3 shots together in a chronological and linear fashion. Hell, in the final film, these shots aren't even grouped together.

So, in my own opinion... it's not that the sequence is "too long", but rather, there's so little going on that it becomes "too boring". Anyone else agree?

I guess I've lived in central Florida too long and assume everyone is an idiot and needs LOTS of time to process information. Ha... I'm wrong there, too.

So, in a few months, I'll have a new reel with new footage added... and you guys will be interested to see the insane thing I'm attempting to do.. shoot a 7 minute World War II film as a one-er... starting with the steadycam operator parachuting and landing in the fighting zone (this is tentative, and I know I'm insane, but I have a steadycam op who's a daredevil... so we'll see how that goes).

Look for an even more detailed Day-By-Day in the months to come.

Any other suggestions for my reel? Is there too much black-and-white? The stuff with the two male detectives in the bar was originally shot in color on Super-16... should I use the color version?

Keep it coming guys... it's much appreciated.

And Vadim Yusov shot Andrea Rubliev amongst other films... his understanding of composition, exposure and camera movement simply blow me away. Sorry he is obscure... he's badass, so check him out. 8-)
 
the overall length of it was two long. probably be better off to cut it down to 2 minutes of your BEST stuff, which shouldnt be hard since you have a lot of good stuff in there. Demo reels are all about a quick look at what you can do. Not too many producers will sit through a 5 min long demo reel if they have another 100 to go through.
 
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