Filmmaking / Directing : Directing Reel Feedback by Ryan Shovey

Hi - I watched your reel. I think you should leave out the sequences with the young girl possessed in the bedroom and the guy at the desk staring at the photo. All the other sequences seem much more professional. And the camera work/acting is much better on the other ones as well. I liked the montage at the end - very nicely done. It showcases different styles and looks great. Maybe the beginning graphics/sounds are a bit much. But really good job overall! (It's just my opinion - but you don't want the super low budget stuff to be in there - or the stuff that looks student or amatuer.)

Hi Ami, Thank you for your feedback! I'm glad that overall you enjoyed what you saw. Are you suggesting that I remove the shots of the possessed girl completely? Both of them (including the one in the montage)? Those were very low budget/no budget, but they are also my most recent, haha. My question is, should I keep them somewhere to show my latest? Or does the rest of the scenes stand on their own well enough without the additional footage? Than you again! Really appreciate it.

I think the shots with the girl in the bedroom (both of them) and the guy at the desk are weak compared to the rest and I'd take them out. You want it to showcase your BEST work. Even if it was more recent. You wouldn't show a bad acting role on your actors reel - you pick and choose the BEST clips. I think it is stronger without those, and I wouldn't add anything else - it is already long enough I think to give someone a good idea of your directing abilities. See what others say too, it's just one person's opinion. Thanks!

Hey Alle, Wow, thank you for the well thought out response to my material. Just to clear a few things up, and just a couple because I don't want to make excuses for my work, this is my latest reel, just edited over the weekend. I reached the video on Vimeo instead of making a new upload, so that it updates everywhere the video is embedded. So, yes, this is the Sept 2014 edit. You hit the nail on the head with the opening clip, entitled Cecilia. I had no one to handle the set design, and there was no budget for really anything outside of food. It was me as director, DP, camera op, etc. and a friend to help assist camera/gaffing and another to hold the boom. So, understandably, that is a severely low budget short. I really respect your in depth analysis of my motivation as a director with the actors and camera movements. To be honest, I haven't heard this type of brutal honesty of my work, so it is greatly welcomed. Here is a link to my website, which has most of the films you see in the reel. www.CreepyCoolPictures.com The only one missing is the one with the thief (Help Wanted) which is a spec comedy pilot, and so far the producer had not allowed permission to pub locally release it online, yet (no matter how much people ask for it). However, if you would like to see it, I could send you a private link. The other films are as follows in order as they appear 1. Cecilia 2. The Audition (I'm interested to hear your opinion on this one, as you were asking great questions about what she's walking towards, and why the guys call out "pretty girl". ) 3. Help Wanted 4. Hunter (was meant to be the opening to a feature film that never finished financing. Still possibly in the works, though. So, it really does not have a complete story. It was simply the opening, pre-credit sequence. Just a little backstory.) Then mixed in the montage are Zeik's Bad Day and Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart (Student graduating film) And, you guessed properly, I did edit and provide all visual fx in all of these films. In fact, my day job/trade is in post production. Directing is my passion, and I would absolutely love to take you up on the offer of working on smaller pieces and being challenged as a director in motivations for the camera and actors. Any advice given would be incredibly appreciated, as I work hard at trying to learn everything I can about the craft. Thank you again. -Ryan

Ami, That advice is very much appreciated. I really respect your honesty. And, of course, I know it is your opinion, but it seems to come from a place of actually trying to help in my original request. Thank you again. -ryan

Thanks, Alle. That would be fantastic. Definitely contact me whenever you are out here. And a skype meeting would be great as well for any potential ideas. As far as with me reel now, are there any suggestions that you can give me towards getting my work out to potential producers, financiers, and the like in order of being hired to direct? I am very interested in doing projects like music videos and commercial, but my main passion is definitely narrative material. Any advice would be great! Thanks again.