My demo reel

I just completed my first demo reel, and I'd love your thoughts and suggestions. Should I drop parts, add something?

big (30 Mb)- [www.jamesnweber.com]
small (11 Mb)- [www.jamesnweber.com]

Thanks!

----
www.JamesNWeber.com - Socially Aware Media

and introducing-
www.FCPTutorials.com - One source for all Final Cut Tutorials

Looks pretty good. I think it moves a bit too fast -- the Color Correction segment is almost indiscernible to me. Leave us some time to look at the before and after.

One definite note: Change the font on the subtitles and the lower 3rds. It looks like the default Lucida Grande all over again, and that puts the piece into the leagues of about 50,000 YouTube videos done by do-it-yourself amateurs. If you want simple, use Impact or Helvetica Bold.

I also do wonder whether you should do a reel in the first place...I only saw two titles. If you only have two, perhaps you'd be better served just using those completed pieces as a reel? Prospective clients, producers etc. do notice when you don't have a lot of titles on there.


www.derekmok.com

For some reason this sounds like a silly question but i have to ask.

How much of work stuff can I put in a demo reel? I have personal stuff I can put in but I'd like to put in dome work stuff (e.g. events, short vids) too.

I'd also like to know what are you looking for when watching a demo reel?
I supposed I can show 20 cross dissolves and a fade out or two...LOLOL

Since I also handle the camera what types of camera work should I show?

If this sounds vague it's because I'm drawing a blank on how I should start putting it together.
(imagine watching footage of paint drying) hahahahaha

Pretty cool. Love some of the shots- the colors kick ass, the transition with the sparkling shot of the river works for most parts (it's a good thematic element), except that it's a little long on one of the interviewees. The overall flow is pretty good (slow down a lil at the beginning, as derek mentioned). A few parts might need some work, though- in that multi-frame shot near the opening, there is a lot of voices, and we don't know who's talking or what they're saying (i don't understand spanish). If you're trying to show that you can cut both in both english and spanish, it would be nice if you could see the talking heads there, or maybe an english and a spanish voice like they were having a dialogue...

And yea, the ending shot might need just a bit of work- expand or crop off that thing on the left of frame. It might not show on standard 4:3 tvs, but it's an unrecognizable shiny object on a web video. Also it occurs at the end of the video, just before your title shot.

On the sound design, I'm not so cool on the funk track. Doesn't really blend so well with the synth strings and it doesn't work so well as a transition beat between two segments. For audio transitions, try to go for a unique processed sound instead (or a unique, distinct sound). At the ending title shot, the point is to try to raise that into a climax, not make it look like the beginning of another video.

hope that helps.

Thanks guys- I'm working on v2 of this, slowing down the color correction stuff.
Like Philly, I'm not sure of what to put in the demo reel. @Derek- I have more than two titles- I just wasn't sure how much to include. The longer segment at the end is from Fuerza, a 30 minute piece, so I thought I'd just include a smaller segment, and then it was quickly longer than I thought people would want to watch.

Also- I'm not a pro colorist- should I not include the color correction parts?

My goal for this demo reel is not to show that I can color correct, I guess. I'm wanting to show that I'm competent, and I can take a (certain type of) project in stride. That type of project, more specifically, is "A socially aware video in more than one language (English and Spanish, mainly) in different cultures."

What kind of structure should I use to show this? Should I use one longer piece, like what I have currently, or should I use shorter parts of more shows? Should I do shorter parts with things like Color Correction and 3D graphics?

I guess my biggest problem is figuring out the message I want to get across.

> I'm wanting to show that I'm competent, and I can take a (certain type of) project in stride.

Then I'd say, don't show colour correction. Show something "seductive" -- content, energy, innovation, diversity. Nobody I know hires an editor based on ability to colour-correct. Online editors, maybe, but not editors. Just as an editor's reel shouldn't show any material where the talent only did camera -- you don't dilute the presentation of your identity on a reel. You make a separate DP or colorist reel. Or, stick the DP and editor reels on the same DVD by all means, but make them separate buttons/tracks.

> What kind of structure should I use to show this?

Always "calling card" first, always more recent first unless the more recent work is not as strong. Otherwise it's a pretty free thing, no such thing as right or wrong. However, always aim to wow in the first 30 seconds; that might be all you have to grab people.

> should I use shorter parts of more shows?

Are your other works strong? If not, then don't include them for the sake of having more pieces; give people the one strong piece as a reel instead. Or cut a "showroom" version of that show down to one to five minutes and show that. Two titles on a reel is a bit awkward -- not quite enough to show breadth. If you want a multi-title reel, go for at least three.


www.derekmok.com