Need your help quick!

D

Dan_Lahav

Well-known member
OK here's the skinny... I signed up for an internship at NBC down here in San Diego for this summer. I got a call today from them saying they wanted an interview and to bring a demo reel in.

Now my question is, how the heck do i make a demo reel with so little material? I barely shot anything besides my little short and some other stuff that i'm not particularly proud of. I dont even know how to make a demo reel! Can i use copywrited music? Any help would be greatly appreciated... the interview is only in a few days and i dont have time to go out and shoot a masterpiece!
 
Re: Need your help quick!

You're screwed. Forget it. Get the Accounting Degree.

:D

I'm not the foremost expert on DEMOREELS but take all of the footage you have shot and pick the best examples of your work (I know I saw some really nice shots in your short) and put it all together with some pleasing music; I personally suggest not using any kind of HIP music as you never know what the taste of the interviewer is. You might think it's cool to have some RAVE music but if this dude hates RAVE music then that might reflect badly? Perhaps some Jazz or Earth Style (Jungle stuff or World)

Come on Dan! I know you have the skills! Also, after compiling what you do have, you mention you have a few days still? Run out and get some quick pick ups.

Also, don't forget about that MV we did! It's on my site if you need some! ;)

Thats my 2 cents without being the authority. You only need a few minutes worth and this is an internship NOT the VP of OUTLAND PICTURES! :D
 
Re: Need your help quick!

Hey Dan,

Relax. That short you did was great. Shoot a few other things tomorrow to add to your short and don't sweat it. I'm hiring an intern (for my boss's podunk little company) and his demo real didn't have anything as great as your short. I could tell he had a good eye and talent, though. Your submission will be great.
 
Re: Need your help quick!

Thanks a lot for your support guys. They completely caught me off guard with the demo reel. I guess i should have known since it is one of the biggest news stations down here in SD... Do you guys think it's okay to flat out place my piece on DV and submit it? I dont think im going to intermix footage since i really dont have enough. I cant imagine having a punk band music video intermixing with a short film about a stalker..lol. I guess i'll just introduce each piece I created individually and worry about making a "real" demo reel when i have more footage shot and experience editing (in which im a complete newb to both). What do you guys think?
 
Re: Need your help quick!

Sounds good, Dan. As I said in the May Contest thread, using unlicensed music in demo reels seems to be tolerated, so go ahead... and if they grill you for doing it, let us all know. ;)
 
Re: Need your help quick!

There's a chance that they'll frown on a DV entry. You'd probably be safer with DVD, VHS, or the station's broadcast tape of choice.

You'll find that some stations won't frown on a DV entry, but be safe and check it out because some stations won't even watch a DV entry. That's just the way they are. They're stuck in their "pro broadcast tape" mentality, even if it's crummy 1 inch like a station in my town. And to them, DV isn't pro, even though it can capture the same quality as DVCAM and DVCPro25.
 
Re: Need your help quick!

First off major props on the interview.
Secondly, I haven't seen your work but can guarantee, based on the fact that you even care if its good enough, makes it better than the vast majority of crap they have to watch.
Cut the best pieces you can, shoot some more if you have time. A quick posting on an acting board mentioning an urgent for a reel that's going to NBC should get you plenty of talent in a hurry.
Do the best you can, send it in, light a cigar and sit back.
 
Re: Need your help quick!

Don't worry, if you have a good short film, it's probably more than most of the photographer staff there has, but be careful, TV news is an evil temptation for filmmakers.  You get to shoot with cool equipment, you get to edit.....  Early in my career I knew several aspiring filmmakers that went into tv news for a summer job to get "into the business".  10 years later they had worked themselves to the top news photographer spot, complete with emmy nominations, but had never made a film, never had a vacation, worked 60 hours a week, and were so far in debt that they dare not quit.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not dissing the news photographer business, I'm just saying that it's not filmmaking.  It's a relentless task to churn out stories every day, and the burnout factor is high.
 
Re: Need your help quick!

Thanks for the advice guys. I checked and they said that they could view DV tapes just fine. Now I have everything set, and i'm wondering before i print to DV tape, is it customary to add color bars or anything at the begining of the tape? Thanks!
 
Re: Need your help quick!

UPDATE:

I went in for the interview; quite nervous as you'd expect. They showed me around the studio, broadcast and editing rooms, introduced me to the anchors, cameramen, etc etc. and i was amazed by all the fancy equipment. Hundreds of thousands of dollars+ worth of equipment all around me. It was quite humbling.

Anywho, the interview went really well (except for the fact that the lead editor quizzed me on the names of the 9 supreme court justices...but that's another story). They accepted me for the gig right after the watching the demo reel. I was stoked! Thanks for all the help guys!!

BTW now that NBC and Universal Studios have merged...im hoping to get myself in THAT door next he he  ;D
 
Re: Need your help quick!

whoo hoo! dan tha man got w/ the nbc plan! congrats to you! now try to convince them to use some dvx's for some news events! 8)
 
Re: Need your help quick!

The internship was yours before you even knew it.

TV stations don't waste time interviewing someone if they don't think you're already qualified.

I've yielded to the temptations of working for a TV station which Filmmaker58 spoke of. I worked at one for 5 years.

It's not so bad a career choice if that's what you end up doing. At least you get to work with new and high-end gear.

Of course, this could be a mere stepping stone in your path to career fulfillment as a filmmaker.

I'm assuming that since you were asked about the Supreme Court Justices, then your internship is actually in the news department?

Perhaps they just wanted to verify that if you're applying for a news department internship that you're savvy and are up on current events, etc.

Anyhow, congratulations!
 
Re: Need your help quick!

boo-
I actually saw a couple guys in the studio toying around with a DVX! Looked like one guy was explaining something about it to another. DIdnt get to talk to them since i was taking the "grand tour," but hopefully I'll bump into them later!

Also, the job i'm doing is basically news editing. The lead editor said "if you can edit news, you can edit anything."
 
Re: Need your help quick!

congratulation Dan!
there are some talents in this forum.. Dan is absolutely on of them!!!
i was thinking the other day.. how obvious it is, that in 10.. maybe 15 years from now, the good old dvxusers fellas will shine in the sky the film industry.. then we'll all remind ourselves the times of lurking in this forum, asking about the "click", sharing our first steps, frame grabs and fears...
wait and see!!! :D
 
Re: Need your help quick!

Frikin Awesome man!

Get in there, kick some ass and let me know when you're running things.
I've scripts I want to sell ;D
 
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