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Why You Need A Professional To Edit Your Demo Reel

4/29/2015

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By Nicholas Pinzon
Picture
Art is subjective. Demo reels aren’t, not entirely at least. There are certain standards that professional directors, producers and casting agents look for when they watch reels.  In short, a demo reel is a careful video assemblage of the footage that best characterizes you as a film or television professional. This collection of work will represent you in two ways; in the most obvious way, it will speak for your talent, what you are able to do as an actor, TV host or personality, cinematographer,  etc. But in another perhaps less evident way, it will also denote your level of experience and professionalism. A demo reel isn’t only showcasing your craft, it is telling people whether or not you have the experience of working with professionals and at a professional level. Even if your individual performance is great, an amateurish reel might tell the employer that you don’t have enough career practice to work on their production.

Just like you could ask your brother who just bought a camera to shoot a scene for you and your cousin who has a mic to do the sound, you could also decide to edit the reel yourself. But you will undoubtedly take the risk of appearing unprofessional. A good reel, one that captures your individual essence and personality, requires skilled editing and cutting. There’s a reason why they give Academy Awards for film editing. Anyone can load up their laptop’s editing software and put clips together, but a good film editor will give the reel character and dynamics. Additionally, there are numerous questions and challenges that an amateur will struggle with and an experienced reel editor will solve in seconds. For example, how long should my reel be? Should I put in my amazing performance at the community theater? What format should I export to? Am I competing too much with another actor in this scene? How do I handle different aspect ratios? Should I hold off my best scene for last or should I open the reel with it? Am I using adequate labeling? Are there any technical errors that I don’t notice but might turn a more experienced watcher off? 

A high quality reel is an essential investment towards your career, and choosing the best editor to work with is crucial.  Reel editing should be collaborative as it involves a high level of trust. You want to work with someone who not only has experience with editing but more specifically with editing reels. A high quality reel editor will objectively look at the footage you have selected and help you choose the material that best serves you. He will look at the visual quality in each clip, and of course, your performance in order to craft a visual experience that exemplifies you - even perfecting technical aspects of the footage like color or sound that are not at the level you want to display. At Award Winning Reels, we specialize in producing and editing reels for actors, TV hosts, and TV personalities who want to present their individuality and talent in the most professional way. In the case that you don’t yet have the quality of footage you wish you had, we will also write, produce, and shoot professional level scenes tailor-made to showcase your true potential. Ultimately, A compelling reel is an asset that can boost your career and propel you to the next level. 

Enjoy some examples of acting demo reels cut by Award Winning Reels Here. 

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Our Favorite Samples of Branded Content.

4/20/2015

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By Nicolas Pinzon
cultivate_a_better_world_chipotle
There is not an exact recipe that makes a branded content campaign successful; the best campaigns produce content that complements and exemplifies the individual values in each brand. Content can be inspiring, fun, informative or all of the above.  We love the following examples not only because of how they move us, but because of how they epitomize their brand in every aspect of the experience.  

Finding Understanding: this touching video about a hearing-impaired girl in search for like-minded friends embodies Starbucks’ vision of creating communities.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxDx3y1t9Ts

Real Beauty Sketches: In this 3-minute short film by Dove, a forensic artist exposes how women can forget how beautiful they truly are.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpaOjMXyJGk

Girls Can: Cover Girl, a cosmetic company that could be seen as superficial, challenges this perception by empowering their clients.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmmGClZb8Mg

Do More: Various brands that employ large numbers of people show how much they care by promoting a raise in the minimum wage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTZ1Gk5qU3M

Journey to the Extraordinary: In an almost poetic narrative, Holliday Inn conveys how proud they are of being part of our individual journeys. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=80&v=glO0wuSkpJU

Meal for a Meal: In this wonderfully creative and philanthropic form of advertisement, Virgin Mobile pledges to sponsor one meal for one hungry Australian for every picture of food posted with the hash tag #mealforameal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwLMW2Ii-G0

Best Buds: Matching its brand effortlessly, this short tells the story of two buddies, a horse and a puppy, who, like Budweiser, create more friendships.  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAsjRRMMg_Q

Chipotle: Chipotle is in a class of its own. With a webseries, an internet game, and two short films, chipotle constantly reminds us that they are the more natural, healthier option in the most fun and inventive ways. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5_D0rdqeAs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUtnas5ScSE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMfSGt6rHos

Jeff Gordon Test Drive: In this comical prank a famous Nascar driver epitomizes Pepsi’s fun spirit by taking a car salesman for the ride of his life.  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5mHPo2yDG8

A Generic Brand Video: Finally, Dissolve, a company that licenses stock footage, created a hilarious mock Brand video to showcase their footage. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=148&v=2YBtspm8j8M















 

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Branded Content: The Future Of Advertising Is Now.

4/13/2015

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By Nicolas Pinzon
Picture
Do you like commercials? Most people would answer “no.” There is the occasional commercial that makes us laugh, or think, or smile, but most of the time, we are not particularly glad when they come on. That’s why we choose to pay for HBO, Netflix or Tivo. We don’t like commercials because they represent the moment in which the entertainment stops and the advertising begins. With the advances in technology and new ways to view content, audiences now have more options than ever to skip advertisement and still arrive at entertainment. So how can a company effectively spread its brand and message in a world where people are no longer forced to watch commercials?

Companies now have a greater responsibility towards their audiences. In order to reach their desired customers, businesses must create content that not only informs the viewer about the product but also entertains and inspires them enough to voluntarily seek the content. Companies need to produce immersive experiences that generate curiosity and create followers so that the content becomes a part of the conversation in both the virtual and actual worlds. In other words, businesses need to blur the lines between advertisement, entertainment, and editorial content in order to create an experience that serves both as an advert and a piece of content media that people would willingly arrive to. This new style of publicity is referred to as “Branded Content.”  

There are some amazing examples of Branded Content that have propelled businesses and captivated audiences. Chipotle, a company known for its lack of television advertisement, aired a four-episode web series on Hulu called “Farmed and Dangerous.” What makes “Farmed and Dangerous” great as a piece of Branded Content isn’t only the fact that it is entertaining, but also the fact that the entertainment is directly related to the product Chipotle is selling. The web series explores the dangers of unnatural farm practices and the company offers a natural food product. At about a million-dollar budget, the series required relatively little money compared to a TV campaign, but it called for a great amount of creativity, ingenuity, and professional know-how.  

In the late 90s, Kahlua, a Mexican coffee-flavored liquor, took part in arguably one of the most effective pieces of Branded Content with the movie “The Big Lebowski” in which Jeff Bridges’ character, the Dude, ambles through the film sipping on the product. More than just product placement, the film and the Dude embodied the relaxed, eccentric, yet cool essence of the liquor. Banking on that success, Kahlua and Bridges have recently partnered again to make an awesome short noir film, “The White Russian.” This 4-minute experience is valuable to a viewer because it is interesting, engaging, and frankly, really cool; and it’s valuable to the company because it expresses the ideas that they want to convey.  That is the ultimate goal of any company creating Branded Content.

The challenge that companies face is creating content that feels like a genuine satisfying experience and not a gimmick. To achieve this, a real expertise in storytelling, writing, filmmaking, and marketing is required. Working with the right production company that specializes in this revolutionary form of advertisement is essential. Branded Content is not only the way of the future, but also a fundamental tool for right now. 

At Award Winning Reels, we are filmmakers committed to telling stories that are engaging, stimulating, and thought provoking, and now we are excited to launch our department of Branded Content where we will work with companies to create content that speaks to the essence of their brand and the themes and values that it stands for.   

The White Russian - A Kahlúa Production 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f283Jwt2ePo

Chipotle - Farmed and Dangerous Official Trailer: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5_D0rdqeAs

About the Author:
Nicolas Pinzon is a filmmaker and storyteller currently enrolled in UCLA’s Professional Screenwriting Program. He has a B.A in Arts and Humanities with a concentration in both Music, and Gender and Sexuality.  



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    Authors

    Anastasia Roussel is the head of Development at Award Winning Reels and White Swan Films. 

    Nicolas Pinzon is a filmmaker and storyteller currently enrolled in UCLA’s Professional Screenwriting Program. He has a B.A in Arts and Humanities with a concentration in both Music, and Gender and Sexuality.  

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