Could I get some feedback on my cinematography reel? 99% shot on T2i

M

MikeBlatt

Active member
Howdy there folks,

I put together some footage from my summer not too long ago and decided to call it my reel. I usually shoot for fun but I'm looking to start making some money in freelancing and also get some scholarship money for a film school if possible (currently a senior in high school). Let me know what you guys think. Also, is this good enough to help me get some merit scholarship money for a film school/help me get into film school? Most are too expensive and I'd love to keep pursuing filmmaking.

Anyways, here it is. Let me know what you think.
 
Short answer: no.

Things I liked:
- The skiing is a special skill that most cinematographers and shooters don't have experience with. Nice. Do more of that.
- The edit was well timed with the music

You are young and people think you can do anything. Capitalize on this perception and go strong after the big things and people may give you chances that they wouldn't someone else. Make things as best as you can. Work like Benjamin Franklin. Make more demos/projects/shorts whatevers and tell people what you are into. Try to get in with big names as early as possible. Don't be afraid, but be humble in your attitude, and big people will give a kid a break. Use those experiences to grow and schools will want you too.
 
I'll throw in my 2 cents...

Cut this down to about 30-45 seconds. There is decent content in here, and I reflect the comment above that the skiing shots are what you really have going for you. That is not a common skill - operating a camera WHILE skiing - and the shots of the skiing are definitely more interesting than the shots of two kids walking from A to B. Cut all of that out.

I subscribe to the school of thought that reels should be no more than 2 minutes, unless they really bring strong, powerful, diversified content to the table that warrant a longer reel.

A reel should exemplify three things:

  • Your unique style
  • Your range, be it project types (narrative film, doco, music video, video art, TV, sports, weddings, event video, what-have-you), scenarios (high key, like a romantic film; ENG/doco/event video, like the nice skiing coverage you have; dimly lit night, like motivated moonlight; etc.), or specific shots (a great dolly/crane shot, awesome handheld work, aerial, underwater, skiing)
  • Your experience - The little complexities of camera movement, lighting, and framing that show the extent of your capabilities. Also, it is usually best to include shots with more actors and production design - if the shot is good by cinematography standards first and foremost - because this communicates you have worked on projects with a budget. That's something that may not seem important to you, but it means a lot when potential clients are looking at your work and all they find are two kids and a skateboard. Nothing against skateboarding - I have seen some mind-blowing skateboard videos and wanted to be Rodney Mullen when I was a kid - but pick shots that show the experience you've had on different sets or projects. The first two bullet points should supersede this one, but it's something to keep in mind.

It is perfectly OK for your reel to be 30-45 seconds long, for the same reason your resume may not even be a whole page. It's the content, not the space it takes up, that matters.

You could totally make an impact with the footage you have by cutting it together faster, working the music and sound design in a lot stronger - tight with the edit. Put your best shots first, cut between them fast, and then end on something strong, leaving me wanting more.

Lastly, you won't start making money at this right away. Everyone and their dog has a DSLR now. That saturation of gung-ho individuals means jobs can be harder to find and may pay less. You'll have to work for free first, most likely, before you can start making money. It can suck and it's a grind, but it's worth it if you really want it.

Film school can be expensive, yes, but I highly recommend taking out federal student loans. You do not have to pay for them until 6 months after you graduate. It is debt, but the best investment you can make is in your education, and if you work hard enough, you will be able to pay it off easily. Once in school, work on as many sets as you can - if the film industry is the route you want to go, that is. If you have doubts, revisit your goals.

If you concentrate on being the hardest working individual while in school, people will notice. It doesn't take much. Anyone can be smarter or more talented than you, but no one can outwork you unless you let them. That is advice that was handed down to me, which I have lived by. It has paid off very well.


OK, so I dragged out this post. Good luck with your reel. Keep shooting. Keep working. You are privileged to be in the midst of a technological boom in the film world, with a newer, better, more affordable camera coming out every day, and with a plethora of helpful community websites like DVXuser. Take full advantage and keep working!


Cheers.
 
I'd like to see the skiing in slomo like the one skateboarding shot. Also, I'd like to see you grade some or all of the footage. Some shots looked straight out of the can.

Shorter too as well. Nice work.
 
WhiteMonkey said:
I'd like to see the skiing in slomo like the one skateboarding shot. Also, I'd like to see you grade some or all of the footage. Some shots looked straight out of the can.

Shorter too as well. Nice work.
Click to expand...

My reel is nothing special and I have loads of work on it to do as well, but my two cents:

- I agree with WhiteMonkey about the grading - some of the shots look too raw and I'm sure grading will bring some of the detail there that just seems washed out right now.

- You have talent in the skateboarding/skiing sports category...but I think more importantly it looks like you ACCESS to it...you understand the sports, anticipate the action, can establish a nice repertoire with the athletes...I think you can definitely create a separate reel for this kind of stuff and tap into that market...people in Brooklyn and LA are probably always looking for this kind of stuff to promote clothing or boards, etc. Its a sub-culture that has gone mainstream but still likes to look underground (thanks to Nike). In short, it'd reach a lot more people than you think.

- I think you know what kind of shots needs to go, but if you don't, I'd say a lot of the pans up and down..."kill your babies" as they say....you may like a shot and it looks great because you got the dolly or pan right, but if the shot doesn't say anything then just get rid of it.

- Again, I'm working on my reel too but just giving you feedback that other people told me that applies to yours as well.

- I'd love to see just a boarding/skiing reel, that would be sweet

Nice work. I'd love to see something shorter, to the point, it'll have a stronger impact. You're young which is your best tool right now...work hard...work everyday...you still have time to grind something out that's even better than you have now...lose sleep over it, fight the good fight and get that scholarship money.
 
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