Year 1 Showreel Work
Showreel Analysis​
In this Cinematography Showreel by Kaan Orgunmat, there is a clear variety of footage showing several aspects of the medium. The film starts with an opening wide shot of a hazed field, with coloured huts in the blurred background. As the cinematic music begins to heighten, a girl walks into shot and gazes across the field. The showreel then cuts to a glum shot of a man hanging his washing to dry. The use of lighting in this shot is interesting, as the majority of the shot is casted by a shadow, with only a small amount of light shining through a small window. Although this showreel focusses primarily on cinematography, it also showcases other aspects of film making, such as lighting, colour, and composition and framing. The overall purpose of this showreel is to demonstrate the cinematographer’s skills and techniques by showcasing some of their previous work. Many of these shots have been edited in slow motion, which therefore affects the pace of the video. Whilst the fast-paced music complements and contrasts the slow base of the video, it would have been interesting to have seen a slightly fasted paced soundtrack used, to understand whether it would appear more thrilling and engaging for the viewer. Personally, I think that this showreel is very effective as it demonstrates the filmmaker’s capabilities by presenting a wide variety of work. It appears that the video has been cleverly edited together by taking several shots, which are visually similar to one another, and inserting them at different points in the showreel. This allows the viewer to understand that the cinematographer has worked on a variety of projects, yet also appears to have a similar style throughout all of their work. One of the key techniques that stood out to me in many a shot was the clear focus on the eyes. The eyes are often a feature which are manipulated, and it is clear to see in this video that the filmmaker enjoys experimenting with this technique. If I was to make any criticism of this showreel, I would be interested in seeing a wider range of action shots. Whilst there is a clear range of shot types, many of the shots consist of a similar tone and mood. Therefore, I would have liked to have seen a wider variety of action and genre.
2. Roisin Baxandall Video Editor Showreel 2019 - YouTube
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Unlike the first showreel, this Editing Showreel by Roisin Baxandall, is of a much faster pace, and includes a variety of action shots. The showreel opens in an interesting way with a countdown shot from 3, cleverly introducing the footage. The overall prospect of this showreel is to showcase the work that has been done as a film editor. Therefore, the main aspects that need to be conveyed are mediums such as audio, colour, and pace. The use of audio in this showreel immediately captured my attention – whilst no dialogue from the scenes are used, there is a clever mix of both music and sound. The fast-paced soundtrack matches well with the fast paced shots. Furthermore, An inspirational, old-fashioned piece of audio has been used to overlay the footage. The motivational messages that can be heard throughout complement the high action sequences that we see. It allows the viewer to feel inspired and motivated. However, a down side to this clever technique is that I feel the audio levels were not mixed to the correct volumes. I felt that the background music was slightly too overpowering, leaving the dialogue to be drowned out. In order to make this showreel strong, I feel that the dialogue should have been the prominent source of sound. This being said, I really like the technique as it keeps the viewer engaged, and is a skill that I am keen to explore when it comes to creating my own showreel. In terms of Editing, which is the medium that the showreel is demonstrating, I think that it has been edited together very successfully. There is a wide range of techniques that have clearly been used; colour correction and clever transitions. There are also several in-shot transitions, which show the action either speed up or slow down, intensifying the moment. One of the main elements that works well in this showreel is the matching of the shots to the music. It is clear that the editor has chosen a recurring beat, in which they cut to a new shot, shifting the action at the same time as the shift in music. Overall, this showreel is very effective and clearly demonstrates the editing work that has been done.​
3. Filmmaker Showreel | Jamie O'Gorman - YouTube
This cinematography showreel by Jamie O’Gorman opens in a dramatic way, presenting shots of fire and medieval fighting. By using this type of footage, it immediately captures the viewers attention and draws them into the film. Naturally, this scene is paired together with a piece of intense music, amplifying the dramatic situation. However, this mood is soon shifted into a much calmer and tranquil genre of footage. A wide shot of an empty beach and peaceful waves changes the tone and immediately shows the viewer of the filmmaker’s capabilities. The vast shift between the two different types of shots gives the impression that the cinematographer is able to film different sequences of different genres whilst being able to understand and set the correct mood. Like many, the showreel doesn’t follow any particular, one narrative, however, it does showcase brief sequences from seemingly different projects. For example, there are several shots of different types, clearly the same location, but presenting different objects and focusses. Each new set of shots is marked with either a fade or light leak transition, clearly showing the difference between the pieces of work. The pace of the showreel is of a pleasant speed, not too fast, yet not to slow as to implement a lack of interest. I think that this showreel is successful in terms of the content used and how it is displayed. However, I think that it would prove useful to have the medium title presented at some point throughout the reel. At no point does the reel actually tell you whether it focusses on cinematography, editing, or colour, for example. The viewer can make the educated guess that the film is not based around VFX work, however, it shouldn’t be left to the viewers interpretation. By conducting this research, I have learnt of the importance of having a title to clearly show employers what your job role involves. Overall, I enjoyed watching this showreel as it was able to present a good variety of work and I was kept engaged throughout.
