Quick 5-10 Minute Film Ideas to Build a Showreel

[leroytrolley]

Hi

I would like to hear your ideas for making some 5-10 minute films to build up my showreel very quickly.

I may have an opportunity to work in our media department, but the type of films I used to make were the "Adult" variety!! and I don't think they would help my application for the job.

I have put together a 10 minute tour of my city, with the help of my 6 year old daughter "A child's eye view of my city". I have also made a montage of old home movie stuff set to music to make it look like a music video.

I only have a camcorder and tripod for equipment, so I am just looking for ideas that I can shoot in 1-2 days and edit with Premiere Pro CS3. I have a HND in Multi-Media that I gained 8 years ago, and I am now desperate to get back into media.

I hope this does not come across as lazy. I do have other projects on the go, but I was hoping that I may get a few more inspirational ideas from you guys to give me the edge!

Many thanks for your help and a great forum.

Leroy

 

[Kim Welch]

Building My Reel

Building My Reel

Thanks for the compliments. My thoughts are that you want the best for your reel and that a reel is what you show for professional work. The reel is a sample of your work you show to prospective clients, directors, studios... or employers. I am not sure the home movie type stuff is going to land you a gig. I don't know what your level of understanding is or what kind of work you want to do.

If it were me I would try to get as many talented people to work with me that I could. The way I see making motion picture is very collaborative and like chemistry or like how a good stew has all the right ingredients. You need to get or train good people that work very well together or have chemistry to make a great motion picture. I would get focused and serious about what kind of work I want to get first and then go from there. You want to use the right equipment, a good camera operator or cinematographer or both and good scripts while working with a good writer and good actors... At any rate I think a rethink might help you do better than with your daughter shooting home town home movies. However there might be a market for that but be sure and do some research before you invest.

 

[leroytrolley]

Thank you.

I think what I am really looking to do is to show that I can EDIT, I can USE PREMIERE PRO, I can MIX SOUND, I can MAKE TITLES etc etc.

I'm looking to show that I can use software, not necessarily shoot the film.

Leroy

 

[Flexxville]

If you want to show your editing skills you can take a movie and make a trailer that totally showcases not only your talents but your creativity. Just make sure you are honest with who you present it to saying what you did and your purpose for doing it.

 

[leroytrolley]

If you want to show your editing skills you can take a movie and make a trailer that totally showcases not only your talents but your creativity. Just make sure you are honest with who you present it to saying what you did and your purpose for doing it.

I like this idea!! Many thanks

 

[Kim Welch]

that is a good idea

that is a good idea

Very good idea.

 

[NicoleME]

Commercials can be made within 1-2 days so you can try to make commercials with some variety to them.

 

[jodymichelle]

These are all great ideas. I like Flexxville's idea. To expand on that, you can look for student and/or indie films that need an editing hand, and offer to create their trailers for them. Multi-purpose it and submit the trailers to fake-trailers contests. You might place in the contest or win an award for your work, and this is a cool thing to have in your reel/resume.

Another idea is to offer help to actors who need help getting their reels created, edited, and/or converted for web.

I like NicoleME's idea. To expand on that, create online video ads for your reel. Multi-purpose it -- by submitting them to online video contests. There are free ones out there that are free to enter. You might place in the contest, win a prize, or win an award; then, add that to your reel/resume.

To expand on the ideas above s'more, use royalty-free stock footage to create 30-second video ads. Who says you have to re-invent the wheel completely?

For royalty-free stock footage, try:

Artbeats:
http://www.artbeats.com/

Footagehead:


Footage of the World: