talkmagic.co.uk

Hi Guys,

After 8 days of trudging though endless hours of video footage, I’ve finally finished my new showreel.

The finished version was 10 minutes, far too long, so I’ve ruthlessly and unhappily cut it down to 7 minutes, but it still needs to be shorter by at least 2 minutes. However, I can’t decide what to cut out.

To this end, I’m hoping that a few of you might be kind enough to look upon it with fresher eyes than me and point out any clips that you might think irrelevant, boring, repetitive, unimportant or other. I need to be even more ruthless in my editing, but don’t want to accept responsibility

Hopefully enough people will pick out certain points that my ego has missed!!

Any feedback, would be very much appreciated.

The link is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuO87ApR3FU

Regards

Dave Bonsall

Great work as always Dave.

I really dont know what you can do here? as you have so much great footage, it would be difficult to choose. All the reactions are strong and all the effects included are great.

I usually cant stand long showreels but watched that all the way to the end.

I would almost leave it as it is? If I had to pick all the bits to keep it would still be well over five mins long.

Just my opinion, but I would leave it mate.

See you in Blackpool.

Lee.

I think that you established yourself (well) within the first 45 seconds. The viewer (agent/booker/whoever) is going to have made up their mind by then. I doubt there's any harm in giving them more. They may not watch it but the work has been done now so leave it in. Or fade out after 45 secs and provide a link to a second video.

IMHO, as always.

T.

I think maybe split it into two could work?

One with all the TV credits, and maybe one with weddings, private, and corporate work.

Just an idea? I still think its fine as it is tho. It bounces along at a great pace with plenty to keep the interest.

Thanks for your feedback guys, it's very much appreciated.

Lee, you know I very much respect your input too. It is so difficult to cut back, that's why I'm asking advice. I know I need to chop it up. Maybe I'll split it in two as you say.

I've had a bit of great advice from some of the guys at the Bunny too.

A few more hours at the editing suite and a lot more head scratching needed me thinks!!

See you at Blackpool Lee!!

You need to add the following:

1) spandex outfits

2) Some dancing and staring into the camera

3) facial hair sculpted in a mysterious fashion. Add in edit using paint

4) More FIRE

5) Change the music to "It's a kind of magic" by Queen

6) a cape


Now with all those added the already great video (watched through twice) would turn it up to 11. Glad to help!

greedoniz wrote:You need to add the following:

1) spandex outfits

2) Some dancing and staring into the camera

3) facial hair sculpted in a mysterious fashion. Add in edit using paint

4) More FIRE

5) Change the music to "It's a kind of magic" by Queen

6) a cape


Now with all those added the already great video (watched through twice) would turn it up to 11. Glad to help!

lol, you nutter!

I would do a shorter intro and reaction shots as one video (around 2 mins max) and keep the full length promo video as it is .so if they want to watch more they can. Also you have to consider not everyone has fast connections to the Internet and won't sit and wait for a long video to download.

All the best

Tony

greedoniz wrote:You need to add the following:

1) spandex outfits

2) Some dancing and staring into the camera

3) facial hair sculpted in a mysterious fashion. Add in edit using paint

4) More FIRE

5) Change the music to "It's a kind of magic" by Queen

6) a cape


Now with all those added the already great video (watched through twice) would turn it up to 11. Glad to help!

You don't produce "The Magicians" on the BBC, do you?

Great reel, unfortunatly it is way to long, more unfortunatly it is also really good so it is hard to know what to cut. My 2 cents, (4 with inflation)


The first flash in the hand where the music slows down, get rid of it.

Linking rings, great job no doubt, get rid of it.

Card on ceiling, great effect, audience loves it, get rid of it. (the pan up the ceiling is too slow, any faster and you would get dizzy, and think about it, so what? There is a card stuck on the ceiling without the whole routine around it there is no effect.

At the wedding, keep in the bulk of the reactions, get rid of over half the comments of 'he's amazing' looks contrived, bookers will decide if you are amazing, and they will look at audience reactions elswhere, they don't need to be told by somebody you filmed that you are amazing, could be your family for all they know. Get rid of most of those.

As was stated earlier any agent or booker is going to know if they like you in the first 45 seconds or so. A music producer may listen to the first 3 bars of a song and make a decision. Entertainment business is cut throat.

Reel is very professional looking just in the quality of the filming, so right off the bat you are ahead of the game.

Really the whole thing is great, just too long for an agent to sit through.

Hi Dave What a great video. If you feel that you need to shorten the videoI would suggest removing the clips where the same people crop up again and again..

Like one of the other comments I rarelt watch these sorts of video all the way through but I did this one and thought it was great.

Nic

With the card on forehead thingymagigymabobbymabob(Ill stop now ),maybe you could cut all but say two of those clips. But apart from that I can't see anything to cut, great video!

bmat wrote:Great reel, unfortunatly it is way to long, more unfortunatly it is also really good so it is hard to know what to cut. My 2 cents, (4 with inflation)


The first flash in the hand where the music slows down, get rid of it.

Linking rings, great job no doubt, get rid of it.

Card on ceiling, great effect, audience loves it, get rid of it. (the pan up the ceiling is too slow, any faster and you would get dizzy, and think about it, so what? There is a card stuck on the ceiling without the whole routine around it there is no effect.

At the wedding, keep in the bulk of the reactions, get rid of over half the comments of 'he's amazing' looks contrived, bookers will decide if you are amazing, and they will look at audience reactions elswhere, they don't need to be told by somebody you filmed that you are amazing, could be your family for all they know. Get rid of most of those.

As was stated earlier any agent or booker is going to know if they like you in the first 45 seconds or so. A music producer may listen to the first 3 bars of a song and make a decision. Entertainment business is cut throat.

Reel is very professional looking just in the quality of the filming, so right off the bat you are ahead of the game.

Really the whole thing is great, just too long for an agent to sit through.

I think these are all fair comments, but I particularly agree with the points about the card on ceiling and the wedding comments...

Pretty ace though...

Thank all for your valued input regarding this.

I've now spoken with several clients whom I've become friends with after bookings and also to a few new clients and not one of them said it was too long, some even said it could have been longer, so I'm going to keep it at it's current length for a bit and speak to some more clients as bookings progress and do a bit of 'market research' on it.

If I do end up cutting it down, then I have a good idea now of what must go.

Thank you all!

Dave Bonsall