As in any creative endeavor, it's best to think of where you're going and where you want to land, in order to determine the best way to get there. A young cinematographer just starting out usually has a limited body of work to choose from to create a representative reel, and there are limits to the production value, type, genre, and overall variety of the work. Choosing what to use is often determined by what you want to do: whether it be commercials, corporate or industrial films and videos, dramatic narratives, documentary shorts, or feature films and videos, for example. You may not be at a point in your development as an artist to be this specific, and you may not want to specialize in any one genre; but don't fret. In the past, cinematographers have cut separate reels for the different types of work that they might be seeking, but today, it is most common to create a DVD of your work that can be organized into categories and even include related work (such as photography, painting, or drawing) that will give your prospective clients a better idea of your overall artistic sensibilities.
So what does this clientele look for? More than anything else, they're looking for consistency and competence. Put yourself in a producer or director's shoes; they've got thousands of variables to juggle when putting together a production and making it work. Any good manager knows that they can't do everything, and there isn't enough time in the day to be everywhere at once and make every critical decision. So that person needs highly qualified people in key positions who can do important work on his/her behalf, consistently and reliably do the work, and make choices as their proxy. Furthermore, s/he is looking to the cinematographer, to bring ideas and creative experience to the project and to do it in a way that is elegant, as well as cost and time efficient.
To show a prospective employer that you can deliver work that is more than just pretty pictures or showy shots, look for sequences that cut together well, that tell the visual part of the story succinctly, efficiently, and in an aesthetically pleasing manner. Be sure to include sequences that are capable of an emotive response, even if it's out of context in a short scene. Because beginning cinematographers don't usually have a lot of material to draw upon, the montage cut to music is a convention that is used to create a lot of first reels. This is fine as a starting point, but think of a montage as only a point of departure. Be sure to also have a number of scenes or sequences represented on the DVD that are elements of the montage and label them as ?dramatic scene? or ?documentary sequence? or ?:30 second television commercial,? etc. This way, the client can look at your montage, if they choose, in order to get an overall impression of your work, but they can also reference more specific work on the DVD as well. As you build a greater body of work and perhaps become more specific in the type of work you're pursuing, you should consider jettisoning the montage in favor of a reel that showcases specific scenes and projects.
Remember that television commercials are truly short stories told in 30 seconds or less; even though documentaries are based in reality, they still convey drama, and the visual elements of dramatic work are sometimes the most evocative part of the storytelling process, as long as they are well integrated with the other dramatic elements. Don't forget sound and sound design. Unless you're planning on a career in silent cinema, now is the time to heighten your awareness of the critical importance of audio in supporting your meticulous visual work. Nothing negates the impact of good visual storytelling more than crappy sound!
A final thought on your reel. Keep it short and simple. Most producers and directors won't spend much time looking at each reel, especially if they're looking at a lot of them. Your packaging and presentation and the design elements of the DVD can be a very important part of why they choose to even look at your reel. Don't skimp on this consideration. Be sure to show your reel around to people who have opinions you trust, and especially to people who are willing to give straight criticism, unvarnished, in order to get a clear picture of what's working and what's not. Be sure to be as generous to other artists with your time and experience as your career progresses; it's this kind of artistic camaraderie and collaboration that makes our profession the special way of life that it is!
Peter Hartel is a full-time faculty member in the Film/Video Department at Columbia College Chicago. His filmmaking expertise spans post- production and visual effects as well as optical camera operation and computerized motion control.
