Showreel HELP! Uni Interview HELP!

[RydCook]

Hello,

I got a letter from Bournemouth Arts Institute this morning saying i have an Interview! This is very exciting news, as they only take about 45 people from about 1000 applicants! So yeah i'm happy... but also worried! ha ha. I have to attend this interview, and bring a portfolio containing work i've done, including a DVD showreel.

Now i've started work on my DVD showreel, it has to be Aprox 5 minutes long. First thing i'm worried about is that the letter says the DVD should "Preferably show film or video drama" And although i've made many films.. i wouldnt say i've
ever made a drama! Random, yes, experimental, yes, stupid horror, yes, drama? nooo. Or does it mean it in general? Like drama as in, it has a story and actors with dialogue? (which only a few of my film's do, and they're so bad.. i'm worried about putting them in)

Secondly, how do i present it? My first thought was to have short extracts from my films (as most are over 3 mins) and maybe have a couple whole ones.. which are shorter. Is this the right way to do a showreel? If so what order? Chronological? Order of quality?

Should I include a 30 second animation i made? (keeping in mind there is no animation on the course) Should i include bits of my music videos?

If you haven't seen any of my work, heres what i plan to include in the showreel:

Twilight Harvest: 2 min extract from the start of the fight, to the end of the walk with the bass bit. too long? wrong bit?
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=cq-GChg02H0

Annoyed...: 30 sec animation film, should i include this?
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=zCWTk5iAdos

What I've Always Wanted: 1 minute film, include the whole thing?
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=tn4SHcGLgfE

Murder At The Skatepark: 10 min film, best bit to include? Considering i did lighting and camera work?
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=IfUnQ7KaDig

Esurio Admito: 4 min film, won a comp. which bit shall I include?
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=g-DyBPrvbMY

here are some bad, bad films i have made, not sure i should include any of it. If you see any redeeming features in these films, that would look good in a show reel, lemme know.

Distressed: uk.youtube.com/watch?v=nkByaQW6JSs

Gangster vs Cowboy (first ever film): uk.youtube.com/watch?v=OSZr6jeHJ1g

Small Town: uk.youtube.com/watch?v=T2jd6SbCqRM

Music videos:

Don't Stop Me Now: uk.youtube.com/watch?v=MqWJNks12TA

In Love: uk.youtube.com/watch?v=f8q4mcPAW_s

Let Yourself Love (Rough Cut) uk.youtube.com/watch?v=wsYenFabQNs

Any help appreciated! Anyone been for this sort of interview before? any advice?! Interview is on the 31st jan! ;D

[Gareth]

not sure if that Twilight harvest film is graded but I've just had a mess about with the colours and if you blow out the exposure drop the gamma and make it black and white it looks fucking evil, also hightens the production value, take the whites up to the point where the masks match the skin tone

If you've still got the original footage it'd definatly be worth a shorter two minute re edit, I think the footage has alot more potential, the very last shots fucking evil!!!

also when they first attack the bloke they run into him three times repeatedly not sure if this was intended for affect but in action stuff you should usually cut out the middle third eg. Pull back fist - fist hitting face

I'm sure if you recut it you can easily loose half the film, the sound designs good but a couple of non cheesy punches during the fight bit would be good, I'm sure with another edit you could make it shorter and alot better, also watch out with all the non aditive dissolves instead of four just have one, or maybe none, in every aspect of anything less is always more!


What I've always wanted - you should maybe cut down the first bit of eyebrow acting from the ginger lad and give it abit of a grade, also have you thought about sound design? when he slams the last card down and just general atmosphere to build the tension, have a look back through the rushes and see how you can up the tension, the more tense it can be the bigger punch the punchline will deliver

if you do decide to recut these two get in touch because I think I know exactly how to improve both the films, if you polish them both then they'll do for a showreel

As for the interview itself just come across as enthusiastic as possible, don't narrow yourself down to one specialism eg. "all I want to do is direct" talk about sound design, editing, special effects, writing, camera work obviously you want to be a director but try not to just talk about that, they'll probably ask favorite films and director apart from that I can't really remember what they asked at mine (it was three years ago) but I hadn't made any films what so ever I just came across as open minded and enthusiastic

oh and one more question they might ask- If you got access to any budget equipment crew actors etc. right now what film would you make, I answered a documentary about these mental rappers back home and I'm sure that won me the interview probably everyone else answered a hollywood blockbuster

just good luck, try and keep a cool head, but if your anything like me you wont get much sleep the night before the interview, remember your going their to learn so they aren't looking for anything more than enthusiasm and potential

however if you do decide to re edit those two shorts just think: you could be showing them two better short films than the first years made last year! especially that twighlight one,

[RydCook]

Thanks for the advice mate! I'm gonna give them both a good re-edit! I do agree with what your saying, if its shorter, it'll be better. I'd like a second opinion though, is this absolutely necessary?

Also what'd you reckon they mean by drama? Animation/Music videos, in or out?

Thanks for the advice on the interview Gareth, that "if you had crew etc" question is a gooden, i'll be prepared for that one now!

[RydCook]

Also may i ask what uni you go to gareth?

[stumpster]

rydd ive just been for an interview at edge hill today and had to take my portfolio and i took like written work and they seemed far more intrested in that but did look at the video i took with intrest

[Gareth]

graduated from the northern filmschool Leeds met last year, I definatly wouldn't recomend that place though it was a real uphill struggle all the way, I ended up just making films independant of the filmschool in the third year, but to be honest I lived the typical student life style for the first two years and only got my act together in the third

the real problem was the tutors, the guest lecturers where fantastic and I got on really well with them really inspirational and encouraging but as for the other lecturers, well you know the saying: those who can't, teach

I could come across as having a bad attitude for how much I'm bad mouthing the place but every film/script I've worked on since graduating real proffesional film makers have had nothing but good things to say, infact one of the script developing things I've been on was run by a bloke who worked on Romeo Brass!

what ever course you end up on just remember it's not about the grades it's about the body of work you leave filmschool with the degrees pretty much worthless to me!!!! if there's one word that'll get you anywhere its initiative, just look at how many shorts shanes made!

anyway here's one of my shorts if you fancy a look uk.youtube.com/watch?v=p9gFVYjduSE

[RydCook]

Okay completed the re-edit of Twilight Harvest here it is: uk.youtube.com/watch?v=et8JMxsLM2w

I'll start on the sound for the other film ASAP. Can't change any of the editing though as i don't have the raw footage anymore.

[Gareth]

yeah well done man!!! real improvement I think the B+W looks alot better

[Dazza]

If you end up at Bournemouth Ryd we will have to hook up in the future and shoot a film as I'm only just over an hour away from there.

[RydCook]

Thanks Gareth! Cheers for the advice.

Definitely Dazzab! Sounds aweosme. Was getting worried i'd be moving even further away from all the other northern forum film-makers. Really gutted i missed Coyle's last shoot. ;D

[Gareth]

ryd22 said:

Was getting worried i'd be moving even further away from all the other northern forum film-makers.

just thank your cotton socks you don't live in cumbria!! got 52 responces for my last star now post, since moving to cumbria I have 5!!!!! hahaha

[Gareth]

and aswell Ryd dunno if you want some reading material but I'll happily give you a list, I read alot of shite before finding something half decent,

edit: I've posted the list on the education section

[RydCook]

Excellent, cheers mate.

I've now added a it of sound design onto What I've Always... just a beating heart that gets louder and builds the tension a bit. A couple of cuts as well. But theres not really much i can do as i don't have the raw footage or the original edit. But it does look better.

Now i've added into my showreel final cut project, and it's made it widescreen. I like the widescreen look, makes it more professional. But as it wasn't shot on widescreen, it does stretch it a bit. D'you reckon i should keep it Widescreen and Stretched? or normal and not stretched? Considering i originally intended the film to be widescreen, i kind of like it. But will they just think "ooh he's just stretched that to make it look better" Am i worrying too much about this?

As well as those two films i'm going to include and extract from one of my older films which won a competition. What order should i put the films in? Best first? Worst first and then finish with the best? I mean they're all good. Twilight Harvest first though?

I've decided i'll take animations, music videos and everything else i've done on a hard drive. So if they ask to see more i've got it.

[RydCook]

Got it all sorted. The interview is this Thursday, WISH ME LUCK! The next 3 years of my life... and possibly the rest of my life, depend on it!

[RichK]

Good luck, mate. Tricky to know what order to put them in, I'd think probably best first. Then again, if I was on the panel watching various showreels I'd probably be making my decisions based on about the first 20 seconds of what I saw. So maybe put the one that has the most arresting beginning, at the beginning, if that makes sense.

Look forward to one day in the future begging you for a locations job on your feature...