Filmmaking Reel

Zachadoodle

Zachadoodle

Well-known member
I've decided to give another try at making a reel of my content.


I think it's okay, but I wish I could have done a lot better. I'll do better next time.
 
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I don't think you ever did take advantage of the promo code I sent for my stock footage workshop, did you? It would help with your shooting, grading, editing, and self-evaluation.
 
I recommend creating a custom thumbnail with your best shot rather than letting YouTube randomly select one.

You might be able to save some bad shots with post processing, but speaking bluntly, none of those shots are reel worthy, in that they wouldn't convince someone to hire you for your cinematography prowess.

Cinematography entails lighting, shooting at the right time of day, and good composition, not to mention proper exposure and white balance.

Learn the fundamentals, apply them, and never stop learning and striving to improve.
 
I say it a few thousand times a year to everyone during my journey here on the rock...watch YouTube.

Watch. YouTube.

This is the best way to learn about every single thing in life FOR FREE and see what the rest of the humans are doing.

You will learn, you will disagree, you will filter, you will everything.

Normally I would agree about fundamentals (everyone would) but at this point you also need another camera. The IQ is too old to "break into the film industry".

Here's a reel with one of the cheapest cameras money can buy, sometimes on eBay for ~$500, the Pocket 4K. This is what a reel (really a portion of a reel) should look like in 2024 if you want any kind of interaction for your services.

 
Perhaps Zach can eke more life out of the T2i with Magic Lantern RAW.

NorBro, I agree that the T2i doesn't stand up to modern cameras, but the upgrade recommendation might lead Zach to conclude that the camera is the issue, rather than his lack of knowledge and skill.

The 2011 Zacuto Camera Shootout illustrates what DSLRs are capable of, and while they don't stand up to 35mm film or an Alexa, post Shootout innovations like Magic Lantern, AI upscaling, and advancements in color grading software extend the viability of DSLRs. A reel with good composition, lighting, exposure, and white balance would give him a fighting chance of getting hired for a project for which he could rent a better camera.

I always recommend people start learning with the camera that they have, and since I don't believe Zach has mastered the fundamentals, I don't think a different camera would help him that much. A modern camera would allow him to function with less powerful lights, but not no lights.

Zach, I recommend that you self impose a requirement of consistently nailing exposure, and white balance as a prerequisite to upgrading cameras.

A COB LED, CPL filter, and grad ND are tools that you'll need anyway, and will improve your current shots at less cost than a new camera.

I am phrasing things bluntly for the sake of clarity, and hope you don't take my comments as belittling insults; it takes time and effort to develop knowledge and skill, keep at it, and learn from your mistakes.
 
I'm taking into consideration the advice I've been given here. I'm currently not buying a new camera as of yet nor am I going to try magiclantern raw. I do have a visioncolor or visiontech picture profile similar to raw. My main reason as to why I'm sticking to my downgrade is to learn the most I can out of making a good image with it, that way I'm much more prepared with the big cameras making the most out of it rather than the least. Guerilla filmmaking with as little as possible is my niche. I will try to find some way to get the things I need to get done with this camera. I'm going to try to prepare a better angle next time when I make an image. I've done some reading on composition and have discovered I can make a good image based on visual weight and balance, which I'll be trying next when applying the rule of thirds and center framing.

Thank you to everyone for your advice. I'm still improving taking baby steps, but I'll get there soon.
 
We def want to see you succeed, you seem to have the spirit.

But I still think the IQ has to be improved...at least eventually because it appears you are interested in sending this to people.

Exhausting a camera to learn as much as possible is perfectly fine because money doesn't grow on trees - but at some point the argument for learning and using what you have doesn't work anymore if the visuals are meant to be seen by potential clients for possible future financial compensation.

You can learn on a DVX100B to the moon and back but it would be almost impossible to be hired with a SD reel today by non-friend strangers (true SD reel, and not 4K or 8K exported as a 480p ad which looks better than native 480p).

I'd go as far as saying: if you took every single shot you had in your reel, exactly how it is, but could magically upgrade it with a modern 4K IQ (not scaling), better color correction, and less time holding the shot (in post) it would make a tremendous difference.

In my experience, the first thing almost every human notices about a video is how "clear" it is as they say (referring to IQ, resolution).
 
You need to open strong and close strong. Save your two best shots to be used as those positions in the edit.

Your opening shot is a completely uninspired angle of a bubbling glass of water that remains on screen for far too long. I think the majority of people will turn off the video before ever even getting to a second shot. So definitely go back to the drawing board and use an opening image that will capture attention, preferably involving a face or something that elicits an emotional response in the viewer.
 
I deleted the reel. I figured that if I'm going to sell myself I'd need to do it a lot more strongly than before.
 
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