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June, 2025

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Show reel first draft, please critique it up!

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cydwhit
Posts: 5079 - Karma: 43,075
I just put together the first draft of my first showreel. Since this is my first time doing this any advice would be super helpful. Make it to the end for skiing. I know there are a lot of you on here who are very good at this, so any help from you would be very appreciated. Thanks!

Password is show

Thanks and +k!
12 years ago
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7295 - Karma: 18,720
It has potential, you have some good shots but your trying to show far too much of your footage. It's way to long for a reel at the moment. Aim for no more then 2 mins until you have some pro work. Really evaluate your shots and choose the very best. Edit 1 min of just the very best shots. That way it rally makes you look at things and really work out what is good. If you then feel its to short add a couple more in but only if they really shoul be in there. There is nothing wrong with 1 min of amazing shots. It's better the 3 mins of good and average shots.
12 years ago
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sveinung
Posts: 105 - Karma: 74
Sunflaire, damn sunflair
12 years ago
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a.bott
Posts: 1355 - Karma: 438
*film burn
12 years ago
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7295 - Karma: 18,720
^ no flares not film burn
12 years ago
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a.bott
Posts: 1355 - Karma: 438
oh shit, yea theres a lot of those too haha
12 years ago
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T.CORC
Posts: 873 - Karma: 468
The shots were unreal, but the editing could be a little more flowy if that makes sense. Like the transitions from the nature shots to the skiing, biking, etc., could be less sudden. e.g. 1:06-1:09. Either way, the edit was sick. Nice job!
12 years ago
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cydwhit
Posts: 5079 - Karma: 43,075
Thanks guys! NS comes through again. Length wise I couldn't figure out a way to have the edit shorter and still use that song, what do ya'll think of that song? I have one friend who hates it. maybe change the song? I totally hear you on the length thing Tom, thanks for pointing it out.

Not film burn, haha, sun flairs, are they that annoying? I didn't really try for that hip flare look except for that shot in the beginning. Is it too much?

Also I completely agree on the smoothness issue, I just couldn't get it to flow better, back to the drawing board I guess...

Thanks to all and please keep the critiques coming!
12 years ago
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7295 - Karma: 18,720
Yeah there are a lot if flares. I don't like the one at the very start you can just see all the dust an stuff.

Song wise don't really worry so much most people may well watch it without sound any way. It lets you asses the shots better if you don't have a song over top. You can always edit songs though like cut out sections or just use part of a song, like I said it didn't really matter tht much.
12 years ago
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cydwhit
Posts: 5079 - Karma: 43,075
Thanks!
12 years ago
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eirikdl
Posts: 268 - Karma: 331
You must think more over the choice of clips, be more diverse. Don´t use many clips thats look like each other, for example the diving clips. skip the clips where you just show a object without nothing happening for example the campfire(before it burns) and the fence.

You have many great shots and i think you can make a good showreel with them, you just have to "kill your darlings"
12 years ago
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cydwhit
Posts: 5079 - Karma: 43,075
Ok, thanks for the input guys, here is take two, password is show2 :


What do you think? better? worse? stop trying?

Thanks!
12 years ago
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cydwhit
Posts: 5079 - Karma: 43,075
Anything?
12 years ago
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CheddarJack
Posts: 5203 - Karma: 7,380
That was a lot better. I'd take out a few more of the cliff diving shots at that one spot. Just put in the best 3 or maybe 4. When you have so many it starts to feel like an edit.
12 years ago
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cydwhit
Posts: 5079 - Karma: 43,075
Thanks!
12 years ago
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7295 - Karma: 18,720
Yeah better your still using a few too many shots. I would not keep all the shots together like you have them either. Ie don't just show the bikes then the clif ect. Try to mix similar shots to show that you can do things in differnt environments. What I mean is try to showcase certain types of shots. At the moment it feels like your showcasing edits you have done rather then your skill as a cinamatographer. I woul take out the windells shots the cloud makes it look washed out. Use maybe 4 cliff shots max. The biking works well I think. I would use less of the skier, the shots are quite repetitive and don't show many new things after you have seen a couple. Much better then before though.
12 years ago
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cydwhit
Posts: 5079 - Karma: 43,075
Thanks, I left shots in order because I was also trying to showcase my editing as well as my shots, I will mess around with it and see what it is like with more of a mix
12 years ago
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Mids
Posts: 406 - Karma: 1,283
I liked how you cleaned up the ending, it seems to flow a lot better now. The beginning was good but it kinda fell apart during the middle. Maybe if you where to take out some of the cliff diving shots that may help. Anyways, it's a lot better than the first one.

And I would change the placement of the Windells shot. I don't think you should take it out completely. Just change where you put it in the reel.
12 years ago
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cydwhit
Posts: 5079 - Karma: 43,075
thanks, where would you suggest putting the windells shot then?
12 years ago
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Mids
Posts: 406 - Karma: 1,283
There's two ways I think that you can approach this. If your trying to line up the mood of the video to the mood of the song, try to put the Windells shots right at the drop of the song. Take out the first shot and have the cloud scene fade to white. Then try to fade in another shot that uses a lot of white.

Or you could possibly slow it down and put it near the beginning and only use one shot.

Then again this is my opinion.
But, I do recommend that you play around with the Windells shots. Other than that I really like it.
12 years ago
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eheath
Posts: 61964 - Karma: 126,873
I feel like you're using shots based on the content, not on the value of the actual "shot". For example, you have 3 jump shots in a row at windells, theyre very similar. Lots of random plant shots and stuff, you only need one really, same with cliff jumping shots. Think of it as you want 1-2 minutes of your best shots ever lined up, regardless of content.
12 years ago
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cydwhit
Posts: 5079 - Karma: 43,075
Thanks, the shots based on content thing is true, I was just really attached to those windells shots, I will go cut some more, Thanks for the advice!
12 years ago
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