DP Demo Reel

RyanT

RyanT

Veteran
Hey guys,

Thought it was finally time for me to cut together a reel. I just started to notice that I actually have enough footage for something decent, so I thought I'd share it with the world.

This is the second cut so far, but I'm still having problems with it. I'm thinking it needs more of a progression, but that would involve making it longer, which would ultimately in turn make it boring. Something I'm trying to stay away from.

Anyways check it out, see what you think. Tell me if I suck or not :evil:

http://www.rdvproductions.com/Films/Reel2007.mov

Thanks!
 
just my opinion....

pros

it looked clean

the commercial shots were cool

liked the mobb guys pulling out guns

liked the b&w footage - was it a commercial?


cons

some of the shots were uninteresting like the woman taking out the trash, the woman coming out the bathroom, the grass & flowers shot

the first thing i thought when i saw the shot where the woman is crying in the car is that somebody just poured a cup of water over the windshield or something to make it look dramatic. maybe because all the water beads looked like it had been raining hard just happened and then there's this one little drip rolling down the windshield all of sudden, i could be wrong, lol

the music sounded kind of hokey to me, like somethig made with garageband or Acid loops

your last shot seemed like another one of those 'let me just stick this in here because it's got movement' shots



based on what i've seen i'd say your strong point is commercials. again this is just my opinion. if somebody asked me if you "sucked" i would definately say no. there's some stuff out there that really SUCKS, lol. yours doesn't.

good luck.
 
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My theory on what's important to a DP reel is lighting. You need to show off that you can accurately give the illusion of a source light and the only shot that showed that was the gun scene. The drummer scene was flat...the background is lit but he's in the dark, take it out it makes you look bad. Anything that makes you question whether you should have it in a reel or not should never be in the reel. You want the BEST you have.

I always compare DP reels to one that a friend of mine out in LA has: http://mattwalla.com/reel.html and he's taught me a lot about how to light, what settings work best, etc. If you want to make a reel look good then purposely go out and shoot random scenes to show off your lighting.

Camerawork means nothing if you can't see it.
 
There are a few good shots in there, but there's a lot of bad ones too. The shot where the two are on the couch wearing sunglasses the background it super sourcey and too hot. Then the next shot is out of focus.

I agree about the windshield, but it doesn't bother me. The woman crying seems to drag on,.. is she crying all day everywhere she goes?

And the black and white with one color screams cliche` to me. I mean it was cool in Schindler's List like almost 15 years ago. Now it's used by every wedding video company there is.

Although I'm raggin' on you,.. you got a good start. Keep shooting and really analyze your shots. If it looks like it was shot on a miniDV don't use it.

I liked most the drummer footage, except that one shot that's flat.

Keep it up, you're almost there!

- Greg
 
I've cut a few reels in my day. My only advice, is put best stuff forward and leave the rest out. Better it be 60 seconds of gold than 3 minutes of well, you know.

The shots I found most compelling where the Overhead on the Drummer, The Cross, The Woman with Rain on the Window, and the Guy in front of the projector. The shots you start out with look amatuer and shouldn't be in a DP reel.

Also, keep in mind even though it's a DP reel don't put any shots with visibly bad performances. Remember it's directors and producers who review it, not DPs, so bad talent in front of the camera despite your lighting and camera makes you guilty by association.

Go through your footage and find more on par with the images I mentioned and start your reel with them. Don't get so hung up on lighting/lenses but instead the images the genuinely have emotional and dramatic impact. This is what gets directors creaming their jeans, because a DP these days is becoming more and more responsible for coverage and framing. Not to discount technique but I'd rather have the closeup of Robert Blake looking out a rain soaked window in "In Cold Blood" than the wonderfully lit and technically involved night exterior scenes from CHUD 2. Now it may be too early in your career but anyone famous definitely goes a long ways. I makes producers or agents think your legit.

http://timnaylor.com/reel/timnaylor-reel.mov is a link to my showreel. Maybe it'll give you some ideas. It gets me work, though it does need some re-editing. Interesting note is I find the Vanessa Williams footage the least interesting from a DP's perspective but because Ugly Betty is riding high, this footage gets me work. Go figure.

Also, if you don't consider yourself a hot editor, you may want to consider not editing it yourself and getting someone who's completely objective to do the edit. And do your best to only put in images that move you. And if you can't find them, cheat. I've cut in some footage from movies I shot that I deem unwatchable crap but was able to find that rare moment where the talent isn't "acting" and for a brief moment look legit. Most shorts have bad actors, but I find when I roll before "action" and after "cut" you get your best moments. Not to piss on directors, but in the indy world they got the job because they stole it from their parents. Another story altogether.

Tim Naylor - DP
www.timnaylor.com
 
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