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"Reels for Cinematographers - An Agent's Perspective"


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Christian, thanks for this. I am definitely guilty of a lot of the suggestions here. I disagree on the level of music, in that I actually do think it is important to create a rhythm and energy. I see a lot of DP reels that can be downright boring/too slow, often due to music. Then again, I am not a big time agent or producer.

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On 5/13/2020 at 2:14 PM, Andrew Skalak said:

Christian, thanks for this. I am definitely guilty of a lot of the suggestions here. I disagree on the level of music, in that I actually do think it is important to create a rhythm and energy. I see a lot of DP reels that can be downright boring/too slow, often due to music. Then again, I am not a big time agent or producer.

To be fair I’ve seen a lot of reels I turn off in the first 20 seconds because the music is incredibly obnoxious and does nothing to tell me about the cinematographer except they have terrible taste in music. 

That being said I agree music helps but it can’t just be your favorite song, choose something that heightens the imagery and lets you be almost narrative. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Andrew and Shawn are both right, in that there is not right or wrong way other than you gotta be true to your vision. If you are all about loud and obnoxious, then be true to it.

I do what I like almost 98% of the time. And if it turns people off, so be it. If you can't be true to your art, then what have you got? If it is not your natural way, then it is just an act. You are just trying to be someone else for the $$.

Now, if you are just starting out, then you may have to bend some. But if you want to develop a personal style, then it is good to stick to your vision as much as you can.

Edited by Daniel D. Teoli Jr.
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  • 4 months later...
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Just yesterday I stopped bothering to host my own website because it does so little for me.

These days it's all about social media, and if you aren't a socialite, you're screwed.

Not, I hasten to add, that I'm really trying to be a cameraman anymore*.

 

* I'll take what's going, though.

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On 11/6/2020 at 11:23 AM, Florent CURK said:

Hey !


On that Idea, I always loved this Show reel (I'm not related or affiliate in anyway with that guy)
It's his point of view of a guys who don't like showreel ! ?

Documentary boy, not a DP..

 

For me, it is a bit too quirky and YouTuber-style. I suppose for a director reel something in this direction could work, but if the test is still "grab people in first few seconds" this would put a lot of clients off. It feels to me more like he is telling me about what kind of filmmaker he thinks of himself being rather than simply showing the results. Not to harp further, but it is also a rather extreme example of a someone being a jack of all trades, as after watching I can't really see what work he is really trying to get (or what he is really good at), just that he has "done it all" before.

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