I have honestly struggled to make a showreel if I'm being totally honest. So, I a glad I found this YouTuber (DSLRGuide) who explained how he made his showreel and I had an example to go from.
These videos (despite the fact I'm not a cinematographer), really helped me in terms of how to set out my showreel and what kind of music to use. For example, in these videos, DSLRGuide suggests to make the movement in your clips move with the music instead of cutting to the flow of the music, the reason being, the cuts will be more noticeable. Therefore, I tried to do that. It was also suggested that you keep the audio of some of your clips in the showreel instead f using just music as it will show the full potential of the project. Below are the four cuts of my showreel that I have made. The first two are not going to be used or sent off to any universities. However, depending on what kind of length the universities want my showreel to be, I will send them one of the two last ones (one is around five minutes long while the other is two and a half minutes). First Cut:This is the first cut I did of my showreel. Despite the fact I believe I did a good job making this after struggling to put something together, I can see several faults with this cut of the showreel: - The cuts of the clips flow to the music instead of the movement of the clips flowing to the music. - The reel comes to a very abrupt end. - The transition in between the first music track and the second is very abrupt and noticeable. - Some of the clips were very bad quality, such as the clip at 0:33. - Some of the titles (stating my roles on the projects) were incorrect. Therefore, in my future cuts of my showreel, I will try to improve those areas. Second Cut:Overall, this cut is similar to my first cut. However, I changed the music tracks so they didn't change or end so abruptly. However, this second cut defiantly still has the majority of the faults I mentioned when talking about my first cut. Therefore, these need to be fixed. Final Cuts:
Above you will see my two different final cuts of my showreel. They are very similar as the regular showreel is basically the same as the first two and a half minutes of the extended showreel. However, I only made this cut of the showreel to cater to some universities that asked for shorter reels. I still think this cut shows off my work in the best way possible within the given time frame. Granted, my extended reel may display more of my work but my regular reel still show off my work in the best way possible. I also fixed pretty much all the problems I previously mentioned: - Throughout most of the reel, the music now flows with the movement within the clips instead of the cuts between the clips. - The reel no longer ends so abruptly. It fades out instead. - The transition between the first track and the second is much smoother. - The clips I use in these finals reels are of good quality and not pixelated. - I corrected all the titles, where my roles in each of the projects is stated so all the information is correct. Overall, I believe that my showreel(s) turned out very well. However, there are a couple of things I could improve if I had more time: - I would possibly use a different music track/music tracks as the two tracks I used were rather difficult to get my footage to fit to. - I would have created more projects prior to making my showreels so i would have had more footage to choose from to use. However, overall, I think these showreels turned out very well and should get me places in universities should any universities ask for my reel. Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGRDJn4IyhQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOsglnnDXiI http://dslrguide.tv/how-to-make-a-showreel/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLNYnTIlX78 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o609VJ0txCk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB3pTe416S0&t=141s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7EUmAQzJfY
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I have finally completed my UCAS application, it has been sent and I have chosen my fir and insurance choice.
In the end, I chose to apply to (in order of choice): - Film Production at the University of Salford - Film and Television Production at the University of Hertfordshire - Filmmaking at Manchester Metropoliton University - Filmmaking at Leeds Beckett University - Digital Film Production at Ravensbourne University I eventually received offers for interviews and showreels. I was asked for a five minute long showreel by Leeds Beckett University, I was asked to attend interviews at both the University of Salford and Manchester Metropoliton University. After the interview/showreel process, I began to receive offers. I received all conditional offers. I received an offer from the University of Hertfordshire and to get in I would need 104 UCAS tariff points. I then received an offer from Leeds Beckett University and to get in I would need 128 UCAS tariff points. Next I received an offer from Manchester Metropoliton University and to get in I would need 112 UCAS tariff points. Finally, I received an offer from the University of Salford and to get in I would need to get a merit grade at the end of my current course. However, I ended up with drawing my application from Ravensbourne University, the reason being, I came to the conclusion that I didn't particularly want to live in London. In the end, I decided to firm the University of Salford as my first choice and I chose the University of Hertfordshire as my insurance. Overall, I am happy with my choices as both universities I have chosen (my firm and insurance) I would be happy to attend. However, I defiantly would prefer to attend the University of Salford. This unit has defiantly helped me. I have learned a wide variety of skills that I will defiantly take on and use in the future. I have learned how to create a professional standard CV, how to approach both university and job interviews and I have learned kind of what I want to do with my life for the next few years. Overall, I believe this unit has been a success as it has helped me achieve all of these things. Eventually, at the end of the UCAS application process, I decided to apply to the following universities: The University of Salford, Manchester Metropolitan University, The University of Hertfordshire, Ravensbourne University and Leeds Beckett University. Below are the universities I applied for and the entry requirements I need and I will write about why I chose to apply for that university. I will be writing about these universities in choice order (first university=my first choice). University of Salford:Salford is defiantly my first choice university, due to it's great quality equipment, location and course structure. However, I will need to get my grades to get onto this course as over 900 people applied for Film production at Salford this year. The grade I need to get into Salford is a Merit however. I am feeling confident I will get the grade. However, I am aware that I will have to work very hard and ensure everything is recorded on my blog. University of Hertfordshire:Hertfordshire is my second choice university. the reason being, the course is rather broad and will give me the chance to change my specialism should I want to. There is also very easy access to equipment. However, after talking to some current students, I have discovered that the first year of the course is rather basic and may not challenge me enough. However, the grade I need to get into Hertfordshire is a Merit. I believe I will achieve this grade. However, if I achieve a merit, I will also get into Salford and therefore, i would choose Salford over Hertfordshire. Manchester Metropolitan University:I would consider Manchester Metropolitan to be my third choice. The reason being, the location more than anything else. The course looks okay and the campus looks very nice but is very difficult to navigate. Therefore, I would not really want to go to this university as the campus is hard to navigate but I would still be in Manchester and therefore, there would be some good job opportunities there for me. the grade i need to get into Man Met is also a Merit. I am confident I will achieve that grade. However, as I previously stated, if I achieve a merit, I will get into Salford and therefore, will choose Salford over ay other university. Leeds Beckett University:I would consider Leeds Beckett to be my fourth choice. The reason being, Leeds isn't the idealistic location for me as I would like to be in Manchester due to the abundance of job opportunities (despite the higher scale of competition) . However, the course at leeds Beckett is interesting and offers a study abroad option and work placement. The grade I need to attend Leeds Beckett is a Merit. So, once again, I will more than likely choose Salford over this university as the grade to attend here is the same as Salford. This is something I have always wanted to do and therefore, I am applying here should I change my mind about the first three universities. Ravensbourne University:I consider Ravensbourne to be at the bottom of my list. The reason this is at the bottom of my list is because it is in London and therefore, living in London will be very expensive. however, despite the fact that competition is fierce in London, it still has so many great job opportunities. Also, it has amazing travel links, both national and international. The course at Ravensbourne is well structured and the campus is right in the middle of London. It is twenty minutes away form etch city and right across the road from the O2 Arena! However, the main thing holding me back from attending Ravensbourne is the sheer scale of Lodnon and it's prices. The grade I need to attend Ravensbourne is also around a Merit grade. However, despite the fact the course is great, the pure fact that it is located in London and that London in very expensive is what puts me off. Overall, I believe that Salford University is the best place for me as it has good travel links, the course is well structured, the equipment is of a high standard and you have easy access to it. The accommodation is also very nice (despite the fact it is a bit expensive) and the location (MediaCityUK) is perfect for me. Therefore, it is my first choice. However, Hertfordshire could also be an option as the course is great, t is close to London (for job opportunities) but not in London so won't be as expensive to live in. However, I really want to be living close to or in Manchester as I really love that particular city and therefore, Hertfordshire is my second choice. Source:
http://staff.salford.ac.uk/cms/resources/uploads/images/image_bank/1473754822-salfordlogo_rgb__web_72640x360.jpg http://www.mearso.co.uk/logospotter/images/herts.gif http://www.pro-manchester.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/MMU-New-Logo-block_BW.png http://www.thebigidea.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Leeds_Beckett-purple_268.png https://s3-eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/centaur-wp/designweek/prod/content/uploads/2016/06/06160225/1_NB_Rave_Logo-889x500.jpg http://www.salford.ac.uk/ug-courses/film-production http://www.herts.ac.uk/courses/film-and-television-production I actually ended up going through 9 drafts of my personal statement before I sent off my final draft. However, so little changed in the last few drafts (spelling mistakes, re-wording, etc. that I am just evaluating my final draft now. I attended the UCAS fair in Manchester recently. This experience defiantly helped me in choosing which universities I want to apply to. I collected information and prospectuses from the following universities:
- Screenology, Bristol - Falmouth University - University of Edinburgh - University of Reading - UCLan (University of Central Lancashire) - University of Glasgow - Bournemouth Arts University - University of Creative Arts (UCA), Farmham - Manchester Metropoliton University - University of Wales - SAE - Ravensbourne University - Edinburgh Napier University - Leeds Beckket University - University of Salford - University of Hertfordshire - Blackpool University - York St John University - University of Cumbria - University of Suffolk - Lancaster University Overall, I think this experience has defiantly given me a good idea of where I would like to apply to. I think that after attending the four open days I have at: The University of Cumbria, University of York, Lancaster University and University of Edinburgh, all four of those universities are ruled out due to a variation of reasons. However, after this UCAS fair the places I would most like to apply too at the moment are: - University of Salford - University of Hertfordshire - Leeds Beckkett University - Ravensbourne University - Manchester Metropoliton University Overall, these choices I beleive are the best ones. The reason being, they all have something I like about them and I think I would be happy Over the course of this unit, I have been asked to attend two interviews. One at the University of Salford and another at Manchester Metropolitan University. To prepare for these interviews I did several things. The first thing I made sure of what to have both versions of my final showreel on a memory key in case the people interviewing me asked to see a showreel. You can see both my extended showreel and my regular showreel below:
Another thing I did in preparation for my interviews was to have a copy of my up to date CV with me, both on my memory key and a paper copy. This would help me show what experience I have already had within the industry but also what experience I have also had outside of the industry (part time jobs, school history, etc.).
Something else I did to prepare for my interview was to have both a digital and paper copy of my personal statement with me. I also tried to memorise parts of my statement as I knew I would be asked about my statement (at least if I was in a one on one interview). I also made sure to have my official college and GCSE certificates just in case I was asked about my education history. Overall, all this prep insured my interviews' success. I received offers from both fo the universities that asked me for an interview. The fourth university open day I attended was at the University of Cumbria at the Brampton Road campus in Carlisle. Unfortunately, I did not get the opportunity to get any pictures or videos at this open day. The Campus:The Brampton Road campus is a great campus in my opinion and the facilities seem very good. The campus is very beautiful too as it is in a countryside location compared to most other universities. The campus is very easy to navigate and the library has a lot of good facilities. Accommodation:I did not get the chance to visit the accommodation on this open day unfortunately. However, from what I have seen online and form what my friend (who has seen the accommodation), the accommodation at Denton Holme student village and on Brampton Road are very nice as they are relatively modern, have good facilities and are all round comfortable to live in. The Course:As you can see from the video above (which is the arts courses promo for the university), this course seems rathe impressive since they seem to have made several great projects. However, I have had a look at the course's page (Film and Television) on the website and it looks fine but it looks very like every other Film and TV course I have seen. The reason I am reluctant to apply to the University of Cumbria however is more due to the location. The Location & Opportunities:Unfortunately, I do not think Cumbria has the right opportunities for the industry I want to go into as it has been very hard already to find opportunities in film and tv so far. Also, I have lived in Cumbria my whole life and to be honest, I want a change. Therefore, this location is not right for me. Conclusion:Overall, I do not think this university is right for me. the reason being, it is in Cumbria and I have lived here all my life already and it is very difficult to find opportunities in the industry, especially in the ares I want to go into. Sources:
https://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/images/uoc_logo.png https://www.cumbria.ac.uk/media/university-of-cumbria-website/content-assets/images/rhd/slides-478-x-376px/Brampton-Road.jpg http://www.cumbria.ac.uk/media/university-of-cumbria-website/content-assets/images/rhd/slides-478-x-376px/sliders-BR1.jpg http://www.cumbria.ac.uk/media/university-of-cumbria-website/content-assets/images/rhd/slides-478-x-376px/sliders-FS1.jpg http://www.cumbria.ac.uk/study/courses/undergraduate/film-and-television/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30wqavou97g Overall, considering the fact I have never written a personal statement before, I think this draft is rather good. However, I am aware that it exceeds the 4000 character limit. However, I think I have included everything I needed to include. I used the planning questions to help organise my statement and I also sued my 'personal profile' form my CV to help me along. First Draft Feedback:After getting my first draft back, I have been told the improvements I have to make. Overall, I have been told that the content in my statement is good. However, I use the word "I" too much. I also use the word "I'm" a few times when I should be using "I am" instead. I also went on a bit of a tangent in the penultimate paragraph, while going over the character limit. However, I have been told that I have an "excellent CV of work and experience". Below is a picture of my first draft with the annotations I received: Overall, I had a good first draft. However, it's just some small mistakes I have to fix like spelling and the use of "I". Apart from that, I think this draft turned out pretty well.
First Draft:Second Draft:Final Draft:Overall, I have made several drafts of my CV over the course of this year. However, my first draft was all over the place and the information was not organised very well. My second draft is a document taken from my LinkedIn page and therefore is up to date but I prefer to have an up to date word document aswell. My third and final draft is my final CV. I have all my information listed and set out in a professional and clear manner. I tried to keep it down to one page too. Overall, I am happy with my final CV and would be comfortable handing it into any job interview should I go to one.
Selecting a university to apply to is obviously a very big decision to make and therefore, it is a good idea to have set criteria to help you find a university you could potentially attend. Below is the criteria I have for selecting a university. The Course:- The percentage of practical to theory work: I'd prefer the course to consist of mostly practical work rather than theatrical. The reason being, despite the fact I love writing (scripts, storylines, etc.), I would like to be working on a set as much as possible. - How much class time you have: I'd prefer to have a course where I am having classes often but still have time to work outside of class as I feel I work better outside of class time. - Class sizes: I'd prefer to be in a class with less people as I think it will give me more of a chance to contribute to the class and should give me more of a chance to get assistance from a professor should I need to. - Equipment/Kit: I would like to be on a course where we have easy access to equipment. The reason being, I don't own all my own kit and will defiantly need to borrow form the university. I would like to have a decent standard of equipment to sue form year one onwards. Extra-Curricular's & Job Opportunities:- Study abroad: I would like to go to a university that offers either a semester or year abroad where I can study in a different country. - Work placement: I would like to be somewhere, where I can have a semester or a year and do a work placement in the industry. This would help me a lot as I would get a taste of what the industry is really like and would give me a good chance to form some network connections. - Job opportunities: I would like to be somewhere with job opportunities as I am aware that I will defiantly need a part-time job alongside my studies so I can live comfortably. - Societies: I would like to go to a university that has some societies. I am unsure as to which societies I would like to join, so I'll just say that I would like to go somewhere with a wide variety of different societies that I could join if I wanted. Lifestyle & Travel Links:- Accommodation: I want to go somewhere with decent accommodation that is in a safe area. If I don't feel comfortable in my accommodation, I will more than likely not be overall happy as I will need to feel "at home" while I'm at university. - City/Countryside: I would ideally like to live somewhere in a city. However, I would like to be somewhere that is easy to get to a rural area from. - Travel Links: Travel links are extremely important for me. The reason being, I want to be able to come home easily and for as little money as possible. I want to be somewhere, ideally, near an airport and near a train station. I think most big cities have this. However, I would like to be in a city that has an international airport as I am unsure as to where my family will be moving to while I am in university and I want to be able to visit them easily. - Student Union: I would like to be somewhere with a welcoming and organised student union. I believe this will help me settle into university a lot as it will help me make friends if I am going to events and it will help me feel more comfortable. Overall, this is what I would like to have at a university if I wanted to attend it. I understand that it will be difficult to find universities that fit all of this criteria. However, I a hopeful I will find somewhere that is right for me.
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About17 year-old Creative Media Student, documenting my work throughout my second year. Archives
January 2017
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