Narrative Demo Reel Test

[Ryan Patrick O'Hara]

So... I spent much of this last year 1st ACing big indie features (kinda big, I guess) and DPing commercials... so I don't have much to add to my already existing narrative demo reel. I think I've added two- or three new films to the reel, but more importantly I've shaved off time. My last demo reel was almost 6min long. It was a slower paced montage introducing one film after another. This time, I went more traditional and did a mixed up, faster paced and shorter duration. I feel like I lost the emotional aspects the longer form offered, but I gained attention spans.

I already have a short laundry list of things to do, but if there are any suggestions, please let me know! I'm really looking for input. Regarding length.... I may do one shorter, maybe around 1:30... but right now, let's assume I'm sticking in the 2:20 area I'm in now.

Remember, this is a demo reel test. I have my edit close to where I'm happy... so nothing is concrete and I can change anything... well except the song. I've kinda committed to that after all this editing... The edits need small adjustments for timing and etc... but if you see any let me know because i'm not the best editor.

Thanks!

 

[umuima]

looks good.

 

[randomname]

The vast majority of it looked great, I especially liked a lot of what you shot for the slasher looking movie. Here are a few nit picks:

I like your work on the sequence at :20 but I hate the soft edges, it makes it look very soapy, I would either try to get the footage without that effect or just take it out.

The sci-fi special effects looked really bad and were very distracting, I would take all of the shots with them out

I really liked the look of the movie at 1:40 and would like to see more of that and more of the scene in the rain

 

[Pedro_Iorio]

I really liked it. The pace is very good. I dissagree with the soft edges comment above, I'm sure it has to do with it the movie it was taken from, so I wouldn't take it out, it gives a dreaming look to the image.
But the only thing I would change would be the ending, I would cut the very last bit of the man crawling out of the car, just end it at the car on flames, gives it a better effect.

Nice work, man.

 

[Steve-O]

Nice work, exceptional photography, you have a great eye! Only thing that kinda bugged me was some of the type, why does Friday the 13th get a title and not the rest of them? Also, anyway to get a version of the film with the hispanic kid w/out the subtitles? This is completly subjective but I would consider a stronger opening and closing shot.

 

[UltimoJP]

Overall, beautiful work.

I felt the edits themselves were fine. The pacing felt good with the music.
I agree with the first comment about the shot at :20. I wasn't a fan of the "lens baby" look.
I'm not familiar with what you have shot, but do you have any more wides or establishing shots? I think that might add some more production value to your reel.

 

[Ryan Patrick O'Hara]

Some good advice.

I finally got the chance to re-visit this. I just did a re-edit, and I can't get the non-blurry edge footage, wish I could. Otherwise, I got rid of some bad vfx shots and made it shorter. It's now less than 2min!

What do you think?

 

[j1clark@ucsd.edu]

Some good advice.

I finally got the chance to re-visit this. I just did a re-edit, and I can't get the non-blurry edge footage, wish I could. Otherwise, I got rid of some bad vfx shots and made it shorter. It's now less than 2min!

What do you think?

Everything looked pretty good... but for me the music just didn't work. I don't know what would work for the variety of 'visual styles'... but perhaps some different pieces, more fitting for the shot, or series of shots, then some custom music editing...

 

[Stephen Mick]

Agree completely. The music was a distraction for me, but there's a great range of work there. Very nice.

 

[Patryk_Rebisz]

At first music was wrong but then i started liking it and now i feel it works very well.

You are posing a bit complicated question that we all have to face and as always there is no really good answer. I'm in similar boat like you - this year alone i shot 20+ commercials and barely any narratives. That said it looks like 2012 will be all about narratives (mostly because my feature-length making company is finally getting off the ground with financing in place)... Because of that i can tell you what I (with big I) will be looking for in potential DPs (here i need to clarify that as a director/DP my outlook will be vastly different then from directors, director/editors, director/producers etc).

I'll be looking for: unique framing (forget the 1/3 of the frame framing we know from TV); longer shots that take me through various spaces so i can see how you light using limited resources; interesting use of color; in-camera tricks; "wrong" lighting (so i can see how you deal with non-natural situations).

 

[Searcher]

I've always appreciated your efforts to help people on dvxuser. Great to see your quality work!

 

[sonofaresiii]

I'll be looking for: unique framing (forget the 1/3 of the frame framing we know from TV); longer shots that take me through various spaces so i can see how you light using limited resources; interesting use of color; in-camera tricks; "wrong" lighting (so i can see how you deal with non-natural situations).

just throwing this out there-- half of what you're looking for in a DP wouldn't/shouldn't really be a DP's responsibility. The framing is largely dictated by the director... as is the use of color (the director and art department would take care of that). In an ideal situation, the DP would have influence over these things... but ultimately, the DP is only offering suggestions. If you want interesting framing, as a director, frame it interestingly.

 

[Patryk_Rebisz]

just throwing this out there-- half of what you're looking for in a DP wouldn't/shouldn't really be a DP's responsibility. The framing is largely dictated by the director... as is the use of color (the director and art department would take care of that). In an ideal situation, the DP would have influence over these things... but ultimately, the DP is only offering suggestions. If you want interesting framing, as a director, frame it interestingly.

Not true at all. Most directors allow the DP the freedom to play with colors and framing, yes, it has to be OKed by the director but ultimately it's the DP that executes (and often suggest it).

Watch Pollanski's "Knife in the Water" then "The Repulsion" - both have strange framing but with the Knife the DP got it while with Repulsion he was told to go for strange framing but never really pulled it off probably because he wasn't feeling it... So ultimately, yes the framing probably came from the director, but the ability to execute it came from the DP.

 

[Ryan Patrick O'Hara]

just throwing this out there-- half of what you're looking for in a DP wouldn't/shouldn't really be a DP's responsibility. The framing is largely dictated by the director... as is the use of color (the director and art department would take care of that). In an ideal situation, the DP would have influence over these things... but ultimately, the DP is only offering suggestions. If you want interesting framing, as a director, frame it interestingly.

On all of those films, I worked with the director in pre-production and we thoroughly discussed each shot in the film, collaborated and decided upon framing and composition style, and executed those shots together.

Are you going to take credit away from an actors performance because the director told the actor to feel a certain emotion?
Are you going to take credit away from the editor because the director sat next to them during sessions and they edited the film together?

What some individuals on DVXuser don't understand is the term collaboration. The true nature of filmmaking.

My demo reel is for directors who like to collaborate. In case there are a few here who fell asleep during production roles 101 in filmschool, a director is the person with an overall vision. They direct the crew, much like they do the actors, guiding and encouraging their talents in the unique direction of their vision... not telling them how to do their jobs. The crew is made of working creative professionals, very talented professionals capable of almost anything imaginable. The director simply works with them to communicate the desired idea and feel, in which they will use their abilities to create something in a specific and distinct vision. A director will work with all of the departments, overseeing that they work in unison toward a common goal.


Of course my demo reel reflects the ideas and visions of directors. They worked just as hard as I did coming up with composition and visual ideas. The point is we worked together and this demo reel effectively shows that I can bring their visions to life with my abilities as a cinematographer. In fact, my demo reel contains the brilliant work of some SFX/VFX artists, costumers, actors, production designers, and more. I didn't make any of these images alone. I simply worked with them all to reach a unified vision of the director.

And the same goes for director's reels. What you see on screen is the combined talents of all those mentioned individuals, and perhaps mostly the cinematographer. You can look at a directing reel and simply just see the unified abilities of the crew... but if all those abilities are moving the image in one direction, toward a unique and effective visual storytelling device, than you can see the directors successful ability to get them there.

The director does not tell these people how to do their jobs, but instead works hard to communicate his/her vision for the particular film and then collaborates/facilitates with all departments to see that they work in that direction.

A director who simply tells a cinematographer exactly what to do, is not a director at all. That is a dictator. A director delegates responsibilities to his/her collaborators with the distinct ability to express his/her vision. Think about actors, that is the way directors work with crew. The director rightfully is a director, because they effectively collaborated and guided many talented and creative individuals (actors, DP, Art Dept, Music, Editing) in a very particular direction, that of his/her vision. That is the skill of a director. It's not making ever decision and telling people what to do, only allowing suggestions.

You may find some who work that way, and I'd say they will find it much more difficult to be successful.

Point is:
1) Director tells me their vision and ideas for the film
2) We work together to find the best visuals that work best to tell story
3) We make film.

 

[j1clark@ucsd.edu]

O

My demo reel is for directors who like to collaborate. In case there are a few here who fell asleep during production roles 101 in filmschool, a director is the person with an overall vision. They direct the crew, much like they do the actors, guiding and encouraging their talents in the unique direction of their vision... not telling them how to do their jobs.

It is reputed that Hitchcock never looked through a view finder on set. This sort of goes with an ancient anecdotal remark that I heard that Hitchcock would just draw pictures and hand them out for what he had in mind... therefore all 'framing/lighting/etc.' was done by others...

 

[Ryan Patrick O'Hara]

I don't want to derail this thread, as it's specifically not another director debate thread.

The point is... my demo reel reflects my abilities as a cinematographer to collaborate with a director and bring a unified vision to screen. A shared vision that is fractionally mine as well.

 

[j1clark@ucsd.edu]

I don't want to derail this thread, as it's specifically not another director debate thread.

The point is... my demo reel reflects my abilities as a cinematographer to collaborate with a director and bring a unified vision to screen. A shared vision that is fractionally mine as well.

That sort suggests something, that I don't know if your 'demo reel' as it is, communicates... I'd think a BTS type format, where you are shown working with the directors, from 'storyboard/verbals' to the resulting shots, etc. may communicate that more clearly.

 

[Ryan Patrick O'Hara]

That sort suggests something, that I don't know if your 'demo reel' as it is, communicates... I'd think a BTS type format, where you are shown working with the directors, from 'storyboard/verbals' to the resulting shots, etc. may communicate that more clearly.

^ All DP's should be collaborating in preproduction, etc . I feel like this would be sort of stating the obvious.