Charlie Rodis Cinematography Reel - ID# 434

Riverside Brookfield
Cinematography
Entry Description

A compilation of footage shot and arranged by Charlie Rodis; ranging everything from short form comedies to cinematic scenes taking during live broadcasts!

Copyright Info

Recent Teacher Comments

  • 4/29 1:48 pm - This reel is doing a lot of super exciting things by opening up with fictional lit pieces and so on. When it moves into the RBTV streaming footage with chyrons on, I get a little bit distracted by looking at the material that's been broadcast. Nonetheless, it brings things together nicely toward the end where you showcase a lot of diversity of shots. Good job overall!
  • 4/28 3:02 pm - You’ve got some interesting subject matter here with the Megalodon footage, but there were some technical choices that held the reel back from the top spots. Specifically, using 'Auto Focus' on those long shots caused the camera to 'hunt' for the subject, which creates a flickering effect that breaks the cinematic illusion. Additionally, the edit felt like it cut off quite abruptly. The most successful entries in this category emphasize 'intentionality'—every shot and every cut should feel like a choice you made to showcase your skill. My best advice for reaching that next level is to get comfortable shooting in Manual mode so you are the one deciding what’s in focus, not the camera. Also, take a close look at the 'Editing' section of the rubric to ensure your next reel feels like a complete, polished story from start to finish.
  • 4/7 10:34 am - PROS This reel shows a refreshing willingness to take bold creative risks with color. The heavy use of high-saturation greens and deep, monochromatic reds demonstrates an understanding of how to use light to build a specific mood or atmosphere. Additionally, the shooter isn't afraid of unconventional camera placement; the low-angle shot looking up at the two figures creates an interesting perspective that immediately draws the viewer in. There is also a nice focus on textural details, such as the close-ups of the jerseys and jars, which adds a layer of professionalism to the B-roll. IMPROVEMENTS There is a lack of color contrast and exposure control in the footage. In the monochromatic scenes, the skin tones often get lost in the primary light color, making the image feel muddy. Adding a neutral or contrasting "rim light" in the lab scene would help separate the subject from the green environment. The red sequence leans too far into underexposure, causing a loss of significant detail in the shadows. Red is the least sharp light channel in video and can be very difficult to control. OVERALL This reel has a very strong and distinct creative voice. The shooter has moved past safe lighting and is actively trying to evoke emotion. However, they are currently letting the style overwhelm the technical substance. To get all the way there, balance the aggressive color choices with motivated light sources and better exposure management. Once they master the rules of lighting contrast, their experimental style will truly shine.
Judge 1

Positives: Nice spatial awareness with that climb-through shot. For your next project, focus on how a greater variety of camera movements and lighting can help demonstrate proficiency.

Improvements: The footage feels a bit rushed. Try incorporating different types of motion, such as panning or tilting, instead of relying on the same framing for multiple scenes.

Judge 2

Positives: Great use of lighting and composition from 0:03 to 0:30. Very clear understanding of the different requirements for product photography and narrative lighting, both segments look great. Edits are also well paced and create energy without overwhelming.

Improvements: The clips from 0:30 onwards seem to lack direction. While the shots do a nice job of "capturing" the action they do little to visually move the story forward. Lighting and exposure in this section also suffered with many shots being underexposed and grainy.

Judge 3

Positives: A strong part of your work is how varied it is! From what I see you have a visual language you want for each project. For a cinematographer reel and hopefully an aspiring cinematographer taking that next step to craft and image instead of capture it is what makes your reel great. You spent the time lighting and composing shots. Shots I enjoyed: The lighting and camera position at 00:13 & 00:17 The blur effect at 01:36

Improvements: I would be cautious with the music used in your reel, it tended to feel very one note. A reel should be about highlighting the work you aspire to do, if you don't aspire to one type of work don't show it. A small hack to making a reel feel more varied is mixing up music. I enjoyed watching the narrative work sprinkled into the reel but it felt odd being next to sports coverage. You can have both! But make the reel is cohesive with music that matches the energy of each shot to help sell your work.

Judge 4

Positives: 0:13 Good use of color and lighting. 0:21 good rack focus. 1:24 good choreography.

Improvements: 0:58 the person walking through your shot is distracting. either cut this part out or choose another shot. 1:13 this is a long take. shorten this clip. good luck!

Judge 5

Positives:

Improvements: