making a reel of just interviews?

[Jeff]

wondering about making a reel of just interviews but can't quite grasp how I'm going to make it aesthetically interesting cutting in an out of unrelated dialog. Any ideas or links to examples?

thanks, jeff

 

[sjschall]

Hi Jeff,

Maybe a bit more insight will help people answer. Do you have a specific purpose for a reel of just interviews? A reel should generally showcase a variety of your work, which would include other types of shots as well. It would definitely help keep it more interesting.

 

[Jeff]

Two ideas and I'm just throwing this interview reel around in my head at the moment. Work that is only looking for interviews, not glamorous I know and maybe footage to be included within another's project or the client is only looking for the sit down interview and that's it.

Second because the internet allows one to send a link to a page I can have multiple 'reels' and can create reels for specific subjects so I'm not boring a client viewing cool footage of a short when they only want to see that I can light and sound record an interview. Finally in all honesty I just don't have enough corporate B-roll footage and projects that can put together a full corporate reel incorporating the interviews as well.

Any ideas or should I hold off until I can make a true corporate reel?

thanks, jeff

 

[Policar]

Shoot some b-roll on spec, maybe? I agree with having shorter (30-40 second at longest) and specific reels for different clients. You don't need a lot of b-roll to make a 40-second reel, which is all most clients will watch anyway.

I have this same problem. Have done a mix of stuff and my reel doesn't cater to any particular audience, but I don't have enough for four different reels yet! Haven't gotten any work off it since I cut it, only work based on owning a camera, but I haven't really been trying that hard lately:

DP Reel on Vimeo

For this year, I'm cutting more like you suggest... three or four short, targeted reels and links to footage I've shot that I have clearance to post. But I think just interviews is a bit limited; I'd find some basic b-roll if possible. Find a crane and shoot a couple establishing shots, do some simple some time-lapse, just look at corporate reels and what b-roll they have and then copy five or six shots. Put some music so the words themselves become irrelevant and if you don't have enough b-roll throw some titles in. Shooting for any particular genre is a Catch 22 unless you network feverishly or have connections... if you need to shoot on spec, shoot on spec but do it smart.

 

[sjschall]

Good advice has been given here . . . another thought, sometimes I just point people to pieces of work on my website instead of a reel. For example, a client who is just looking for an interview can watch a couple finished pieces that are mostly interviews. That way they can see the whole work, and it will be more coherent than multiple different parts put together into a reel.

 

[Policar]

Good advice has been given here . . . another thought, sometimes I just point people to pieces of work on my website instead of a reel. For example, a client who is just looking for an interview can watch a couple finished pieces that are mostly interviews. That way they can see the whole work, and it will be more coherent than multiple different parts put together into a reel.

+1