My 2007 Demo Reel at DVinfo.net

Cole McDonald · January 8th, 2008, 04:32 PM

Here is my first attempt at an actual demo reel, let me know what you thinnk...good and bad. We can't improve unless we're willing to have our work get beat up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpGSylHJ4kw

Daniel Alexander · January 8th, 2008, 04:52 PM

Hey Cole, some excellent shots there. Your work looks very professional, however i do feel the showreel could be put together in a way which delievers more impact as i feel some of the shots last so long you could almost forget your watching a showreel and think you've landed yourself half way through a short film. The frst 20 seconds or so felt very well paced and exciting, i was hoping that kind of pace would be maintained throughout. Overall though, beautiful images.

Cole McDonald · January 8th, 2008, 05:40 PM

Thank you. I'll see about pacing up a bit. I wanted a couple to play more though otherwise you'll just see snapshots...is this the wrong mindset for a reel? Perhaps if I were to create a Reel for each of the areas? I'm trying to sell all of my services in one reel, perhaps that's too broad a scope.

Daniel Alexander · January 9th, 2008, 01:13 PM

I don't think it's too broad a scope at all, however alot of successful showreels are just short snap shots of well composed images. In my experience I've seen clients ask for 2 types of showreels, the first being a compilation of your previous work in short clips all in one place just so that they can get a feel of what the quality of what your work looks like, and then the second type of showreel where a client would want to see entire projects which are similiar to what they are hoping to have produced for them so that they can see exactly what they are paying for.

I know after working so hard on projects it's hard to break it up into tiny clips that don't bare no reference to a story or plot, but remember a showreel is'nt trying to relay what your individual projects are about, more of what your projects look like. With some of the excellent shots you have their i believe you could have a stunning showreel.

Alex Milne · January 10th, 2008, 05:24 PM

Yeah, you definitely should get rid of the dialog and tighten it up a bit. Are you demonstrating the actor's skills or yours?

Also, what's a "lighting cameraman." I'm being sarcastic. You might want to put a comma or a slash between the two, unless of course there is such a thing as a lighting cameraman.

Cole McDonald · January 11th, 2008, 12:40 AM

The lighting cameraman is a wink to a heated discussion we had a while back over at inindie.com (formerly canoncinema.com, formerly xlcinema.com):

Warning, the contents of that thread may make your blood boil, but it was a really good debate with strong convictions on both sides and a relatively ok rhetorical structure...it just sounds like we're really pissed at each other.

I'm on there as knightly (my moniker most everywhere but here - as this is a real names forum). I enjoyed the exchange throughout, so the text, although it really does sound angry...isn't.

Last Warning...your eyeballs may bleed from the exchange (interested yet?)!

http://inindie.com/iris/showthread.php?t=1152

Ram Shani · January 11th, 2008, 01:17 AM

i think that you need to make it short and chose how you want the reel sale you as a dramatic director as fx artist or corporate director

there are same great staff there you just need to shade light on them

Cole McDonald · January 11th, 2008, 02:21 PM

As I currently wear many hats on my productions, I have to market myself as a full service filmmaker. My area doesn't have the infrastructure built up to support just one or the other. I'd love to be able to concentrate on just my cinematography, but the industry here won't uphold my indulgences...until that point, I'm a jack of all and have to market myself as a full production house.

January 8th, 2008, 04:32 PM	#1
Cole McDonald Trustee Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Sauk Rapids, MN, USA Posts: 1,675	My 2007 Demo Reel Here is my first attempt at an actual demo reel, let me know what you thinnk...good and bad. We can't improve unless we're willing to have our work get beat up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpGSylHJ4kw __________________ Web Youtube Facebook

January 8th, 2008, 05:40 PM	#3
Cole McDonald Trustee Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Sauk Rapids, MN, USA Posts: 1,675	Thank you. I'll see about pacing up a bit. I wanted a couple to play more though otherwise you'll just see snapshots...is this the wrong mindset for a reel? Perhaps if I were to create a Reel for each of the areas? I'm trying to sell all of my services in one reel, perhaps that's too broad a scope. __________________ Web Youtube Facebook

January 11th, 2008, 12:40 AM	#6
Cole McDonald Trustee Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Sauk Rapids, MN, USA Posts: 1,675	The lighting cameraman is a wink to a heated discussion we had a while back over at inindie.com (formerly canoncinema.com, formerly xlcinema.com): Warning, the contents of that thread may make your blood boil, but it was a really good debate with strong convictions on both sides and a relatively ok rhetorical structure...it just sounds like we're really pissed at each other. I'm on there as knightly (my moniker most everywhere but here - as this is a real names forum). I enjoyed the exchange throughout, so the text, although it really does sound angry...isn't. Last Warning...your eyeballs may bleed from the exchange (interested yet?)! http://inindie.com/iris/showthread.php?t=1152 __________________ Web Youtube Facebook

January 11th, 2008, 01:17 AM	#7
Ram Shani Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: tel aviv israel Posts: 107	i think that you need to make it short and chose how you want the reel sale you as a dramatic director as fx artist or corporate director there are same great staff there you just need to shade light on them __________________ ram shani-cinematographer www.ramshani.com

January 11th, 2008, 02:21 PM	#8
Cole McDonald Trustee Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Sauk Rapids, MN, USA Posts: 1,675	As I currently wear many hats on my productions, I have to market myself as a full service filmmaker. My area doesn't have the infrastructure built up to support just one or the other. I'd love to be able to concentrate on just my cinematography, but the industry here won't uphold my indulgences...until that point, I'm a jack of all and have to market myself as a full production house. __________________ Web Youtube Facebook

January 8th, 2008, 04:52 PM	#2
Daniel Alexander Major Player Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: West Midlands, UK Posts: 320	Hey Cole, some excellent shots there. Your work looks very professional, however i do feel the showreel could be put together in a way which delievers more impact as i feel some of the shots last so long you could almost forget your watching a showreel and think you've landed yourself half way through a short film. The frst 20 seconds or so felt very well paced and exciting, i was hoping that kind of pace would be maintained throughout. Overall though, beautiful images.

January 9th, 2008, 01:13 PM	#4
Daniel Alexander Major Player Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: West Midlands, UK Posts: 320	I don't think it's too broad a scope at all, however alot of successful showreels are just short snap shots of well composed images. In my experience I've seen clients ask for 2 types of showreels, the first being a compilation of your previous work in short clips all in one place just so that they can get a feel of what the quality of what your work looks like, and then the second type of showreel where a client would want to see entire projects which are similiar to what they are hoping to have produced for them so that they can see exactly what they are paying for. I know after working so hard on projects it's hard to break it up into tiny clips that don't bare no reference to a story or plot, but remember a showreel is'nt trying to relay what your individual projects are about, more of what your projects look like. With some of the excellent shots you have their i believe you could have a stunning showreel.

January 10th, 2008, 05:24 PM	#5
Alex Milne Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Springfield, Massachusetts Posts: 63	Yeah, you definitely should get rid of the dialog and tighten it up a bit. Are you demonstrating the actor's skills or yours? Also, what's a "lighting cameraman." I'm being sarcastic. You might want to put a comma or a slash between the two, unless of course there is such a thing as a lighting cameraman.