Reel

[SSJR]

Finally I have made a reel. Please tell me what you think :P

 

http://evanlane.com/Reel.html

[freddie bonfanti]

sorry to be a bit blunt but i didnt think it was really interesting...the music wasnt the right choiche and most of the images were average, none of them presented challenging lighting or composition. yeah you shot on film but still im not impressed. i reckon your still photography is much better.

[Logan Schneider]

sorry to be a bit blunt but i didnt think it was really interesting...the music wasnt the right choiche and most of the images were average, none of them presented challenging lighting or composition. yeah you shot on film but still im not impressed. i reckon your still photography is much better.

 

Federico

 

I don't know where you learned how to critisize someone, but I suggest you work on it. Nothing that you said could be of any use to someone trying to develop their skills as a DP or for someone trying to make a reel. I have a feeling that you're not exactly Conrad Hall at this point in your career, so if you posted a reel you would not find the type of post that you made in any way helpful. Quite possibly it would be hurtful. If you mention a problem, have a suggestion for a solution. It's a good skill to have as a dp.

 

Evan

 

I thought that the reel that you put together was a wonderful start. There are some beautiful shots in it. I especially liked the ones from the period piece that had rich contrast, lit by windows from the side. In some of the other shorts there were some shots where the light felt a little too direct and overlit from the front. This could be helped by diffusion or pulling the actors away from the wall so that the light is not as direct and does not create unsightly shadows on the background. Most of all, trust your eye when you're shooting.

 

What I liked most was that it felt like many of the shots were definitely part of telling a story. They weren't just pretty. There was obviously information being delivered to the audience.

 

The reel is longer than it needs to be I think. I think that reels that dwell to long on each project feel like they don't have enough variety. I would keep it short. As for the music, if it feels right to you, it's right.

 

Logan Schneider

DP

Bozeman, MT

[Jon-Hebert Barto]

Federico

 

I don't know where you learned how to critisize someone, but I suggest you work on it. Nothing that you said could be of any use to someone trying to develop their skills as a DP or for someone trying to make a reel. I have a feeling that you're not exactly Conrad Hall at this point in your career, so if you posted a reel you would not find the type of post that you made in any way helpful. Quite possibly it would be hurtful. If you mention a problem, have a suggestion for a solution. It's a good skill to have as a dp.

 

Couldn't agree more! While your "criticism" may be real world it is most definitly is not constructive. You sound like a producer not a DP...Although I doubt you intended to come off the way your post did. Sometimes text is alot "colder" than spoken words...

 

 

 

Evan- First off, you have plenty of material to actually make a reel. That is good. Many people just shoot stuff for the reason to have a reel in the first place..!!?! However, there is still work to be done.

 

Recut it for more impact. Kind of like a movie trailer...Also, I agree it is too long. About 1.5-2.0 min. is long enough. I have to disagree with LostLog0 on the music, however. IMHO, lyrics do not belong on reels. Your images are telling the "story" of your talent, not the song. Every time I hear lyrics on a reel it makes me think of a music video. Maybe that is my shortcoming...Lay down some music with the same amount of emotion the cut/edit of your reel has. The images are going to range in emotional impact becuase they are from differing projects, so you have to find a pulse to guide you in your music selection. Your reel has the same pace throughout. This is not a must....You can build up like a crescendo. IE, longer shots in opening and shorter cuts upon ending your reel. Play with it more! Have fun! Remember that fun and learning can be had at the same time!!!

 

All-in-all you did a fine job! Don't forget those technical points LostLog0 made next time you shoot! As for the reel, there are no "real" rules to making a reel, except the length. Mess with it some more and then repost it for us. I would like to see it very much! Thanks for sharing and good luck...

-Jonnie

[freddie bonfanti]

well,

 

excuse me this is an open forum, and evan asked an opinion. if i post my work i expect people to be brutal and show me were im wrong to learn and get better. i just said what i said because i have seen other cinematographers work and that, im really sorry, wasnt on the same level. i understand evan is young and is learning like me but im sure he wont be put off from a judgement of a fellow student filmaker who is saying what he really feels. i just said what i thought was right, and i didnt mean to hurt anyone.

Edited April 18, 2006 by federico bonfanti

[Alex Haspel]

hi

 

well, what i thought watching many of the shots was that the lighting was rather flat, often coming from almost camera's angle.

and that's why i liked the shot of the peiod piece with the woman cutting vegetables or whatever very much, it stood out of the others, because i found that one extremely nice backlit.

 

but overall i found that your lighting was a bit too unrisky for my taste. ..

but maybe that's just because of my philosophy to better wrap with 15% daringly failed shots and 85% superduper ones rather than 100% of ok, but nothing too special safety shots. especially on rather uncommercial student-films. i think the learning effect is bigger whit a little bit of daring.

 

well.. that's about it.

this was my honest opinion, not ment to hurt anyone.

we're all still learning.

 

all the best,

Edited April 18, 2006 by haspel

[Logan Schneider]

well,

 

excuse me this is an open forum, and evan asked an opinion. if i post my work i expect people to be brutal and show me were im wrong to learn and get better. i just said what i said because i have seen other cinematographers work and that, im really sorry, wasnt on the same level. i understand evan is young and is learning like me but im sure he wont be put off from a judgement of a fellow student filmaker who is saying what he really feels. i just said what i thought was right, and i didnt mean to hurt anyone.

 

Federico

 

yes this is an open forum. I would just suggest trying to have a more constructive approach when you critique someone. People come here and put their work up so that people will show them ways to improve it. I'm not saying that you should say something is good that you didn't like. I'm saying that if you are going to say that something is bad, you should have a suggestion about how to improve those things. Also, I'm sure that you can find something about the reel that you like. Mention that. Find the things that are right about it. Show people what works so that they can build on that. This is an open forum, but it is a forum design to help people learn. If you just rip on someone's work, all you are doing is making yourself feel better at the expense of someone else.

 

Logan Schneider

DP

Bozeman, MT

[SSJR]

hi

 

well, what i thought watching many of the shots was that the lighting was rather flat, often coming from almost camera's angle.

and that's why i liked the shot of the peiod piece with the woman cutting vegetables or whatever very much, it stood out of the others, because i found that one extremely nice backlit.

 

but overall i found that your lighting was a bit too unrisky for my taste. ..

but maybe that's just because of my philosophy to better wrap with 15% daringly failed shots and 85% superduper ones rather than 100% of ok, but nothing too special safety shots. especially on rather uncommercial student-films. i think the learning effect is bigger whit a little bit of daring.

 

well.. that's about it.

this was my honest opinion, not ment to hurt anyone.

we're all still learning.

 

all the best,

 

I will try to be more risky next time :P

This was my first and second film shoots as a cinematographer. I am primarily a director and photographer I made the reel for fun. I have been trying to take on all aspects of film production and become every creative position so i can know how to approach different department heads and really become familiar with the different positions.

 

I am 21 years old, these are student films. I have much time to grow. A large portion of not being a risk taker is because I still don't know the lighting equipment as well as I should because I have been focusing on how to tell a story, not just to jack off to the beautiful image created just for the sake of making them beautiful. Overall I make narratives and as far as I'm concerned right now, Im focused on making those images tell a story. Yes interesting beautiful shots are important, but they come second right now, until telling the story becomes a second nature.

 

Thanks for your replies.

 

Evan

Edited April 18, 2006 by SSJR

[freddie bonfanti]

fair enough evan,

 

nice try to be kind and honest. your childish reply to my post "big men" in the "in production" forum shows that you cant take any sort of criticism and that you are definitely not mature enough to stand up for yourself...it was very silly to get my back like that and i believe other people on the forum thought the same. i was not trying to hurt you, and your pathetic attempt of revenge shows you what kind of person you are. fortunately the criticism came from you so im not that bothered

 

grow up, pal

Edited April 18, 2006 by federico bonfanti

[SSJR]

Look, these forums are not for arguing. Your obviously trying to coddle your own Ego by use of this site. I am trying to learn. I don't like your aesthetics and you don't like mine. I am glad it works out that way. we have our own tastes and so be it.

 

you need to grow up as well. I admit i do have so growing to do.

 

Evan

 

 

 

fair enough evan,

 

nice try to be kind and honest. your childish reply to my post "big men" in the "in production" forum shows that you cant take any sort of criticism and that you are definitely not mature enough to stand up for yourself...it was very silly to get my back like that and i believe other people on the forum thought the same. i was not trying to hurt you, and your pathetic attempt of revenge shows you what kind of person you are. fortunately the criticism came from you so im not that bothered

 

grow up, pal

[Chad Stockfleth]

Look, these forums are not for arguing. Your obviously trying to coddle your own Ego by use of this site. I am trying to learn. I don't like your aesthetics and you don't like mine. I am glad it works out that way. we have our own tastes and so be it.

 

you need to grow up as well. I admit i do have so growing to do.

 

Evan

 

 

Evan,

 

I thought your demo was good. Don't let the haters bring you down.

 

CP

[Guest JP Creatives]

Evan,

 

Why do you continually post things in "please critique my work" when it seems you are extremely sensitive to criticism?

 

I don't think your reel is terrible, but I agree that the lighting can be flat and often boring/unrisky. Yet when someone expresses this you explain you are just a 21 year old student working on telling a story and you don't know the equipment well enough, and you don't want to just get great images to "jack off" to, yada yada yada.

 

Maybe you should start a new thread called "please praise my work"

[Saba Mazloum]

I think if you change the song, and find a more exciting one would make it better..

[SSJR]

Evan,

 

Why do you continually post things in "please critique my work" when it seems you are extremely sensitive to criticism?

 

I don't think your reel is terrible, but I agree that the lighting can be flat and often boring/unrisky. Yet when someone expresses this you explain you are just a 21 year old student working on telling a story and you don't know the equipment well enough, and you don't want to just get great images to "jack off" to, yada yada yada.

 

Maybe you should start a new thread called "please praise my work"

 

your right Pivco. I apologize. I saw your trailer nice job on the olympians.

Edited April 19, 2006 by SSJR

[Owen Donovan]

This is a pretty good reel, there are some nice shots in it. The shot of the young girl moving through the reeds is fantastic. Alot of the shots from that period piece are nice but with such low light why so little contrast? I preferred the exteriors to the indoor stuff. The shots of the piano player on stage are nicely spot lit. However with shots of him inside the lighting is a fairly obvious 3 point scheme. Watch that key-light getting on the wall: when he is playing in the apartment there is a noticeably large shadow from the piano down-cast on the wall. No one would have a light source in that location. Unless it's supposed to be moonlight-then you should have diffused it. Learn to love that tuff white. I've read the whole thread and understand you are a student (I am too) so take this with a grain of salt if you want, but you should really try hard to avoid a three point lighting scheme it gives a VERY interview-like feel. For example the interior of the piano player in his room his face is reading a normal exposure when the light from the room appears to becoming from behind him. Now since there are no other shots of this scene i don't know if there is a practical located in front of him. But if there is I'm guessing the likelyhood is that it isn't head-high which is where the light appears to be coming from. If there is no practical which is my bet you could have used a kicker as a key light and a little bounce from your main light source behind him for fill. His mood does appear to be somber in the shot so I would guess less light on the face would enhance that. I would STRONGLY recommend removing the B&W shots of the hands making the sandwich! They just have no place in there. The reel is a bit long, and I'm not feeling the music with the visuals, though it is a nice Angelo Badelamenti sounding groove. BTW the composition of that shot of the girl walking the door in mid reminds me of a scene from Twin Peaks...You a Lynch fan by any chance?

 

Anyway this is nice student work I think you should adjust your reel because you can definately get more out of it.

 

Hope it helps

[rob spence]

I have to say I think you have some good scenes here...I agree the girl in the reeds is a wonderful piece of imagery...it would be great to see a finished piece of narritave by you . I do agree that the music track is too light hearted for, what appears to be, some serious footage...but you could easily change that.

Well done for getting something in the can.