Thread: Possibly my demo reel...

Adam Bailey - 2012 Demo Reel - Video Editor - YouTube

I couldnt get the embed code to work right... dont know what im doing.

I would say 90%of this footage is fairly old but who is looking for how dated the footage is? I need input on what I should do to improve this. How are my transitions? Is the material interesting? Sound levels ok? Do I need to work on color correction? I believe I am too close to the material to know any better or maybe I am just completely overlooking something.
Even bad feedback can be positive so....
Let me have it, and as always, thank you for watching.

I'm not sure what sort of work you are aiming to attract with this showreel. Is there a market in the US for this type of videoing. It should be about the right length at 2 minutes but I was hoping we where at the end just before the one minute mark, this would mean it wasn't totally engaging to me. BUT like I said who is the market it's aimed at.

Lots of good ideas and shots, I liked some of the stop/go, and especially the coming back from turning on/off the cam repetitions, (0.20-0.26) - inspiring for me

Expect this is a bit too sloppy for a pro reel, like Midnight says - what's the audience?

That does not answer your questions - like Midnight says, get these guys to tell you the worst 30-40 seconds worth, so it gets cut down to 1.30 and the good bits will stand up.

My first suggestion is the eating bits - nice idea - but too early in the piece to be so personal.

Thanks, like I said I believed I was too close to the material. This is why I am asking you strangers who maybe and probably couldn't care if I skydive with a grocery bag or a parachute. I am going to be honest as I expect anyone to be with me. Should I "cut down" on the amount of so many different cuts? The Choppiness of it?
I wanted to show my aggression with the fact that you do so much in the cab of the truck, you live eat and breath, and do paperwork, and sleep and spend holidays and birthdays, etc on the road, away from family and friends, and home.

The target audience? I am hoping to get someone somewhere/anywhere in the LA area to look at or notice me as a perspective/prospective runner or assistant in a post production facility. I need to get my feet wet and I will and expect to take an outrageously humungous pay cut to do it. I have been working on making contacts, learning Avid as well as other areas of the industry, reading books, finding out where the best places to live would be, making flight arrangements, and working 60-80 hours a week on average (away from home and stuck in hotels for 10-12 a day off time)... and I have to find time to sleep as well because driving a truck is scary when you are sleepy.

I want to convey a story in my demo reel as well as prove that I can create emotional feeling transitions etc because editing is about telling a story without words. Come to think of it, maybe I should take the sign that I zoom into and back away from back out. As well as the eating.. etc... I appreciate both of your inputs. Give me a week or so and I am going to try to shorten and post another reel.

Been working on it.... I've come up with an idea but give me your opinion - if the current state of my video being less than two minutes is too long, how short is too short for a demo reel?

A version I have in to works is now at 1:38 and I understand that normally the first 30 seconds is the most important. So the most intense part needs to be pushed directly to the first 30 seconds - correct? Theoretically or ideally? Or both?

So the most intense part needs to be pushed directly to the first 30 seconds - correct?

YES. You need to grab your viewers attention within the first 30 seconds or they may well leave. Then once you have got them hooked they will watch to the end. Like I did with your "Time to fly" Video.

By the way Adam why not try entering your Video in the "Win Camcorder sunglasses" Competition in my post today. I feel sure you could win.

I think the length of the showreel is mostly determined by the content but I wouldn't go over 2:30mins. A lot of your stuff is very similar ie you in your lorry, so this would limit the length unless you have more varied footage you can use. You have to be really honest with your self and take out ANYTHING which either looks poor quality or doesn't fit with the rest of the footage. If you look at my showreel you will see it's 2:20mins long but because of the variety of the footage it can take that duration. (well I hope so). If the viewer starts to get bored they will just stop watching.

With a showreel you have to be very self critical and leave out anything which isn't good enough, if you think it's just ok then it's not good enough for a show reel. You also have to somehow make the mixed bag of clips fit together, like you did with yours with the fast cuts in the lorry cab.

interesting.... thank you.
MBP - I did just take a look at your reel. It is very well done and impressive. I have been reading a lot lately including titles such as When the Shooting Stops by Ralph Rosenbloom; and The Guerrilla Film Makers Pocketbook by Chris Jones. Currently reading First Cut by Gabriella Oldham. It seems like every page I read I am being struck with new ideas or a "better" way to do things

And CaptionWorld - I guess entering my video into that sunglasses contest couldn't hurt. They look cool. Thanks for the vote of confidence!