BS Cinematography Reel - ID# 52
Glenbrook South
Cinematography
Entry Description
This is a cinematography reel that was entirely filmed in Chicago highlighting the beauty of the city. Permission to use "Never Enough (Piano Version)" by TWO LANES.
Copyright Info
Recent Teacher Comments
- 4/19 2:54 pm - What you have here could be used by the Chicago Park District to highlight the beauty of the city. Great use of that tool and the use of Sunset as your practical light. In terms of an overall reel, this portfolio Lacks variety and only shows your skill at shooting landscape. Continue to work I'm crafting a portfolio that is diverse and its breadth and depth that highlights both your practical lighting and Creative Vision as a filmmaker.
- 3/2 11:05 am - Pros - Very strong work overall. The theme of Downtown Chicago made it feel like a tourism add one would see on TV, which speaks to the quality of your imagery and you skill in controlling daytime exterior light. Time of day selection for you opening shots was superb; use of the setting sun in conjunction with the naturalistic soundtrack made is feel like an early morning walk. Great texture at 0:04, 0:10, and 0:29. Strong compositions throughout, many of which achieved great depth (0:35, 0:40, 0:46, 0:48, 0:57 to name a few). Cons - Not much to discuss here as this was a very strong piece. You have so many dynamic shots with great depth and contrast that cause others to feel flat and dull ( bottom third of 0:06, subject of 0:17, 0:31, 0:55). The warp at 0:22 is too much. The majority of your night exteriors were very strong but some get a little muddy. Your skill shooting in uncontrollable light is on full display here; would have been nice to see your artificial lighting work as well.
Judge 1
Positives: • Excellent use of architecture & 'frame-within-frame' technique to create beautiful compositions using your surroundings. • Lighting is very well utilized from beginning to end, in both daytime & nighttime shots. You've done your due diligence and showcase great potential as a cinematographer.
Improvements: • Lots of slow shots & still compositions- would be nice to see more movement, both handheld and/or steadicam/gimbal work to really sell yourself as a versatile DP. That said, what you have here is seriously great • While the overall reel is great, you'll have more opportunities as a DP when your reel shows a wider variety of projects- this is a great piece but basically reads as a single project with beautiful shots of Chicago
Judge 2
Positives: The quality of lighting throughout the whole piece was clean and not over or under-exposed. The use of different angles provided a variety of perspectives. There seemed to be a natural progression of time from daytime to evening and that was conveyed through lighting along with different aspects of the city. The use of natural sound was a great touch.
Improvements: I would have liked to see more variety in the shot composition (ie extreme close-ups) instead, most of the shots were wide. The piece could have benefited from more movement as well such as zooming.
Judge 3
Positives: A 'life in the day' of Chicago's beauty and quiet energy was unveiled in a simple but effective manner. I liked the progression of the elements unfolding throughout the day's events. The day light on the buildings and the citiscape revealed an architectonic texture that was energetic and vibrant without being too overwhelming. The use of the soundtrack ('Never Enough') was brilliant. The subjects blended well with the cinescape and the aural tranquility of the instruments. Chicago can be a cacophony of music, noises and discordant sounds sometimes but the use of the quiet piano piece elevated the senses to offer something that was more contemplative and visually powerful. Excellent. The best scenes were the reveal of the highway through the steel fence as it opens on to the Chicago skyline and the dolly shot that reveals the Chicago marquee during the afternoon sunlight.
Improvements: I think cuts from one scene to another could have been accomplished with a fast transition in some places, rather than a match cut; the cuts sometimes lost its sense of place a microsecond too early or late and seemed a little off at times. The music composition could been a little slower on its entrance. The slower scenes could have been slightly more 'sped up' to follow along with the apparent speed of the fim , especially when the moment needed some levity and a lighthearted approach.
Judge 4
Positives:
Improvements: