Oh dear - I need to do a showreel

**irishmark** · 09-13-2005, 04:56 PM

Right I have a meeting next Week at Guerilla in Soho.
They want to meet me to see if I'd be a suitable member of their freelance team but they've asked me for a showreel - not hugley important so it doesn't really matter if I have one or not but I'm thinking I probably should have one.

Now here's the thing - I have cut many mnay MANY showreels for other people in the past (although mostly actors) and when it comes to doing my own reel I have actually tried it on several occasions and failed. - I dunno why. It just seems really hard to do my own one, I can never get the clarity I have working on other peoples'. It's probably cause of my proximity to the work.

Can anyone give me any ideas on how to approach myself diffrently????

**Marc Peters** · 09-13-2005, 05:06 PM

Not wanting to state the obvious, but you already have the building blocks... it's a case of putting them all together. I've seen some of your work and it looks fab.

Essentially you'd be making a show reel of show reels

. Without suggesting you be too formulaeic (erm not correct spelling), why not grab your better showreels and brainstorm around those. Ensure you pull out a cross section of various techniques and accompany to a suitably varied piece(s) of music which would help emphasise the change in sytle and mood.

Write a list of all the qualities your videos possess and the skills needed, and chose video that exemplifies this. You can then work on putting them together coherently. So your work flow would be:

Brainstorm Qualities > Choose Portions of Video > Select Music > Start Edit (and don't be linear!)

**Andy Lockwood** · 09-14-2005, 03:48 PM

Big yourself up too. I had a meeting today that I discussed with Marc last night. I followed his advice and made no bones about the fact I am clearly the most creative editor who ever walked this Earth.

It worked. They love me. Now I just have to deliver (groan!)

**irishmark** · 09-14-2005, 03:53 PM

hang on a min -i thought that was me!!!!

**irishmark** · 09-14-2005, 09:45 PM

I'm thinking of not bothering. - They said it was not essential so will take that at face value. - They've seen my portfolio so it's fine. I just cant see myself having the time to get it done plus seeing as I dont have a camera here I wont be able to digitize the material.

Arrogance and blind faith in myself is the way to go!!!

I'll prob end up doing one at a later date so this post will be returned to!!

**Marc Peters** · 09-14-2005, 10:00 PM

Good news Andy! Mark, you could be right. Producing a rush job may do more harm than good.

**CMS_Edit** · 09-15-2005, 11:09 PM

Indeed, as my showreel shows!!!!

Id suggest taking along your best piece of work... you only really need about 30 secs of really sexy stuff just to show them your for real...

I do know exactly what you mean about the time though...!!!

Ive been thinking recently whether it would be worth spending a couple of weeks putting something really special together, that way you could add each new peice of work to it... keep it as a work in progress... Problem is Id never get the time to spend 2 weeks solid!

**irishmark** · 09-19-2005, 05:34 PM

Right - I sort of hashed this together this afternoon. Tell me what you think.

CMS: I'm might just use my bored video as I think this reel is a bit pants.

http://www.mediachill.com/irishmark/TV/showreel.htm