Monday, 26 April 2021

602 Update (Showreel Development)

For my informal and formal presentations, I wanted to end on my showreel. So, I put one together using the films I worked on this year. I included my basic, key-framed shots on the left and added the final outcomes on the right, to show how they worked in context, after inbetweens and effects were added.



Above was my first attempt. I haven't found any royalty free music to add just yet, as last year we were encouraged in a lecture, to avoid editing the clips in time with the beat. I figured if I leave the music until last (as we've been told employers watch showreels on mute anyway), it wouldn't subconsciously effect how I edited the clips together.

I'm worried my showreel is currently too long, and that some of the clips aren't up to par with the rest. So, I emailed the lecturers asking for feedback on what scenes to cut, if any. One lecturer got back to me and said to trim the clips down so the showreel is no longer than fifty seconds. They also advised moving my name and contact details to the start and if possible, incorporating my icon.

Another lecturer told me to lose the format entirely and only show the final outcomes with my contributions noted on the side, stating "... the content is fine, but the side-by side layout is confusing to view.". A different lecturer however, told me that they were impressed with the layout, as they believe showing the breakdown behind shots is important. They also disagreed about trimming the timing down, as they felt anything up to two minutes was perfectly okay.



Based on the feedback, I rearranged some scenes and removed others to try and reduce the timing slightly. I also added my logo to the start and end of my showreel, and changed my title from "Level 6 Animator" to "Character Animator" as a couple lecturers had advised me to do so.

I sent this to my classmates for feedback, and the majority felt the layout wasn't confusing and worked well. Once I was happy, and checked the spelling and order once more, I found some royalty free music to add.



What Went Well?

- I believe I found a professional and appealing way to showcase the final films I worked on this year all while highlighting my personal contributions.

- I was ready to drop out in my second year, and as a result, my showreel was lacking. It was rushed, poorly edited and filled with work I wasn't proud of. Whereas this year, I feel as though I'm leaving with a showreel I can proudly post online and send to employers.

How To Improve?

- Some of the feedback was contradictory, which is understandable considering each person would have their own preferences. Rather than worrying about pleasing everyone, in the future I will trust my gut instinct more.

No comments:

Post a Comment