The Composition of a Solid Reel

While I could not say before this week with absolute certainty what makes a real solid, I feel that after class this week, it is far clearer to me. To have a solid reel, you don't have to have loud music with your video cut to every bass drum or snare tap- it is more about showing that you can tell a story visually while demonstrating your technical skill in other areas. For example, Henry was able to show his proficiency for storytelling and tonal consistency with his color correction of the "Barney and the Martians" scene by desaturating some of the bright colors and giving the shot a more antiquated feel. David Sikes was able to accomplish the same aesthetic feel in his low-angle piano shot. A good reel does more than just show what a filmmaker can do- it is a visual representation of the filmmaker himself. For example, Levon was able to take come pretty standard subjects and make them far more captivating by his choice of framing and composition. These are just a couple of examples of what makes a reel solid, and I can say with absolute certainty that without this class, my future reels would be lacking in direction, though now, I can confidently cut together something to be proud of.

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