Advice about making demo reels

[TheBeastman13]

What workflows do you guys use when it comes to keeping demo reels over the years. Do you burn a physical copy onto a RW DVD and save it year to year, updating your video as you progress? Do you start from scratch each time you want to make a video? Also, do you save your projects onto one disc, and take media from that disc to use for reels?

Thanks for the insight and advice

-B Eastman

 

[Zwhaler]

I don't use optical media for demo reels, you ought to make one for the current years, then duplicate the project and add to it for the next year replacing certain scenes, etc. That way you keep track digitally of your demo reels and progress.

 

[Policar]

I don't shoot enough material to re-do my reel every year.

https://vimeo.com/105308946
pw: reel

I just save a FCP doc and swap out the music and some new shots and try to cut it shorter every year too lol. I'm not a pro, this is just a hobby but I still ask for money when I shoot usually (at least for the gear rental).

So as a working pro you might want to update your reel more often. But I save the FCP doc and a growing library of footage to draw from.

 

[TheBeastman13]

I don't shoot enough material to re-do my reel every year.

https://vimeo.com/105308946
pw: reel

I just save a FCP doc and swap out the music and some new shots and try to cut it shorter every year too lol. I'm not a pro, this is just a hobby but I still ask for money when I shoot usually (at least for the gear rental).

So as a working pro you might want to update your reel more often. But I save the FCP doc and a growing library of footage to draw from.

That's some great footage. You must have had some quality gear at your disposal. I'm just a college student so my footage is generic and novice-like

 

[needfx]

I don't shoot enough material to re-do my reel every year.

https://vimeo.com/105308946
pw: reel

I just save a FCP doc and swap out the music and some new shots and try to cut it shorter every year too lol. I'm not a pro, this is just a hobby but I still ask for money when I shoot usually (at least for the gear rental).

So as a working pro you might want to update your reel more often. But I save the FCP doc and a growing library of footage to draw from.

love the first scenes with the suited guy and the flashy old cam

I also think I've recognised the snowy after effects project with the lettering

all in all, I like your shots!

 

[acearchie]

I don't shoot enough material to re-do my reel every year.

https://vimeo.com/105308946
pw: reel

I just save a FCP doc and swap out the music and some new shots and try to cut it shorter every year too lol. I'm not a pro, this is just a hobby but I still ask for money when I shoot usually (at least for the gear rental).

So as a working pro you might want to update your reel more often. But I save the FCP doc and a growing library of footage to draw from.

Nice varied reel. Was this all shot on the C100? Some of it is incredible crisp and some of it isn't quite as much. Wondering if this is a stylistic choice in post or different cameras used.

That's some great footage. You must have had some quality gear at your disposal. I'm just a college student so my footage is generic and novice-like

Don't let your access to gear slow you down. At the end of the day filmmaking is about strong creative ideas. If you have good ideas people will provide you with the kit you need to make great things.

 

[Policar]

Nice varied reel. Was this all shot on the C100? Some of it is incredible crisp and some of it isn't quite as much. Wondering if this is a stylistic choice in post or different cameras used.

Thanks, some of the stuff I pulled off youtube and some of it is from dSLRs. A couple shots on the Epic, but at 1080p they're no sharper. 70% C100. Lots of soft lenses, sometimes intentionally soft. A lot of diffusion filters. If anything the camera is too sharp! The slow motion was from a special slow motion camera, but that was very soft. Need to try to get camera original from some of the dSLR/youtube stuff.

Don't let your access to gear slow you down. At the end of the day filmmaking is about strong creative ideas. If you have good ideas people will provide you with the kit you need to make great things.

That, and you can rent.

 

[midnightvii]

Awesome reel! congrats.

 

[rick3000]

I collect all of the content since the last reel, and convert everything to the same format (necessary if you are pulling from different formats). Unfortunately, I sometimes have to pull from YouTube or Vimeo for projects I was less involved with. I like to convert to ProRes, its a happy medium (in my opinion) when you have 4k RED and YouTube in the same timeline.

I then duplicate my FCP file, and start a new timeline and then edit the new content into clips, and combine/replace with previous clips from the old reel. It really depends if I have something really awesome and exciting to incorporate/feature, or if it is just an update. I then export, and save the old reel in a folder. I do not do anything with physical media anymore.

I don't worry about the reel too much, my latest one is a bit over a year old. A reel is not really necessary for my job, but I like to have one. I also still use FCP7.