Camera Operator Reel - Feedback appreciated

Aneurysm

Aneurysm

Active member
Hey all,

Not sure if this is the right place for it, but I wanted to post my camera operator reel here to get some feedback (at current I bill myself as a camera operator, as my experience with various lenses and certain lighting set-ups is limited)

http://www.vimeo.com/14952604

Let me know that you think.
 
Chromeboy, that's 4:3 SD video.

Aneurysm,

I do make a portion of my living as a camera operator, so I feel like maybe I can give you some advice. I think you've got some potential in the reel, but it needs a bit of work before it's going to have a ton of clients knocking at your door. Please don't take this as being too harsh - I'm just trying to break down my thoughts on shots as much as I can, so you can actually work on it, rather than getting an unhelpful "I don't like it" response.

My first thought: Remember that first impressions are everything. Your first shot doesn't speak to me at all! It's shaky, it's a little soft, and it's super close in on some kind of non-descript plant. It may have had an important purpose in whatever purpose it was for, but it doesn't show me that you're a competent camera operator, or that the projects you've worked on are notable. So, first off, cut in something to grab a viewer in the first 10 seconds. A producer's time is worth money, so you might only have those 10 seconds to win him over.

Beyond the first shot, there are some things you need to work on too. I think you really need to step back, and look at your shots objectively. You may know that you only had 3 minutes to grab this shot and you didn't have a tripod and you got the day-saving shot, but a person hiring you can't see that. Your shots have to speak for themselves. Remember that as a camera operator, the things you should be showing off are that you're a stable handheld shooter, that you can make smooth movements on a tripod (or other supports), that you have a good eye for composition, and that you can hold focus (at least in the video world, where you'll be pulling your own). Also, you want to make it look like you have a ton of experience, and at the level you want to be working at.

I also would ask Chromeboy's question about what kind of gigs you're going for. About half of this reel seemed to be dramatic pieces, and about half seemed to be newsgathering. Much like you wouldn't show gory horror films to a bride-to-be wanting a wedding video, showing run-and-gun news footage to a DP wanting a cinematic feel wouldn't win him over. Consider 2 reels - different clients look for different things. Or, consider cutting down to one reel of the type of jobs you really want to work in. Sure, I do the occasional wedding, but my website doesn't even mention it, because while it may be work I do, it's not work I want to do.

In terms of the individual shots, I found some problems with the basic criteria above. A few shots that were on a tripod seemed to jerk left and right or not be locked down, some of the handheld shooting was quite shaky, there was one shot where I couldn't even identify the subject (walking past a wall of what look like boxes?), and there were a few shots that were soft. Think about the cost/benefit for each shot. Will this shot wow a producer or a DP to such a degree that it's worth having in there, or could it turn them off of hiring me?

Think about the production values of the things you've worked on. While some of the newsgathering footage may be good to show that you're versatile, it also could make it look like you're not working on high-end productions. In the news world, it's about getting a shot. In the production world, it's about getting a shot and making it look pretty too. Since I'm not caring about the content in a reel, the shots had better be pretty! Also, in lower-budget film work, production values (in terms of sets, acting, special effects, etc...) can be low. Think about how all of this reflects on you as a shooter.

Finally, some of your compositions need work. A few of your shots are dead center in the frame, with a lot of "dead air" on the sides, and also on the top. Some center-punching of subjects is okay, but remember that you really want to show off the eye for framing you have.

Phew, now that that's over with, and you probably would love to hunt me down and bludgen me with your DVX, here's the good stuff.

I do think you have some great material in there. The black and white shot looks good, even if the composition is towards the center. The blue-tinted shot is really solid - I'd start with that. The band and concert footage looked great - that's another sure keeper. The stonehenge-looking rock and the mountain shot were also good. The interview shot with the kid holding up the HALO pass looked alright, maybe not appropriate for a more cinematic reel, but not bad. While the footage of the painter is a little shaky, it still looks okay, though again, not too cinematic. Dig through your projects, I'm sure you've got more footage to work with. You'll be thankful for it in the end.

I hope this helps, and I apologize to anyone who's had to read the whole thing! Best of luck with your career!
 
You sure that's 4:3? It looks so square'ish.. everything I see is 16:9 now: my monitor, my TV, and all the videos I make. maybe I have been looking at 16:9 for too long...
 
Wow. Tomthemacman nailed it in a commendably charitable manner. Lots of great advice there for anyone looking to build a reel. Thanks for taking the effort !

And I'd like to say thanks to aneurysm for asking the question. It takes more than a little guts to hang your work out there in a forum like this. I'm also curious what market you're striving for and would love to see your revised reel.

Thanks & best wishes to all.
 
Thanks for the in depth critique tomthemacman!

In looking over my reel again, I realized that a majority of the shots that comprise it were shot on a monopod, which while quick to set up fro events and docs, is not the best solution for stable shots. I feel like investing in a shoulder rig and/or a ball mount tripod would be good ideas. Any advice on specific models/brands would be appreciated.

I put both on set and event/documentary clips into the reel to try and showcase my versatility, but I see your point about considering what a potential employer would be looking for. 2 reels might be best, but at current I have substantially more event/documentary material than on set/cinematic. Maybe I'll put up a cinematic reel once I get my AF-100 and have a chance to shoot with it.

Thanks again for your feedback!

--J

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/member.php?7690-tomthemacman
 
AF100 ?

I dont know how rich you are but why not a GH2 or T2i and for example a decent tripod or maybe some lights - I think you can build a decent reel with a cheap cam properly handled

I am quite well off (after 10 years of very hard work at this game) but buying peripherals just for my DSLRs has nearly cleaned me out

In developing your work the best thing you can do is avoid getting poor, that way you can spend TIME, shooting what you want rather than earning to eat

S
 
I'm not rich, but I have been saving for a new camera for awhile. I was originally going to go for something like the GH13 or the 5D MkII, but then the AF-100 was announced. Without going into all of the details (which have been amply covered in the AF-100 forum), it has everything I want with none of the drawbacks.

morgan_moore said:
...but buying peripherals just for my DSLRs has nearly cleaned me out

S
Click to expand...

And that's the other reason I don't want to go with a DSLR, though I'll probably be getting cleaned out myself, especially if I opt for any sort of rod system.


morgan_moore said:
In developing your work the best thing you can do is avoid getting poor, that way you can spend TIME, shooting what you want rather than earning to eat

S
Click to expand...

Well, yes and no. I'm not poor, but my full-time mind-numbing day job doesn't really leave me with all that much time to actually do what I want (shooting, editing, etc.). This leads to a lot of burning the candle at both ends.
 
Well there are two things to consider

- what you will actually spend on a camera kit, lav mics, mic, $2500 proper tripod, slider ? second head for slider ? lights ? leads, spare leads, monitor, monitor arm, rails, FFocus, lens gears, shoudler mount, spare batteries, digital media, more digital media, decent wide lens, other primes, zoom etc

the only real saving over a pimped DSLR is the lack of need for a sound recorder - im not dissing the AF100 at all - nice cam - but this game costs real cash to do well enough to have a decent professional Reel with nice smoth practiced purposed camera work

- actually taking some unpaid time off and shooting - my biggest break - when I stepped up my standard involved two weeks in the sun

S
 
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