ASK & DISCUSS
INDEXComposer showreels, what do you look for?
8 years, 7 months ago - Tim Benjamin
I'd like to understand what producers and directors (and not forgetting editors) look for in a composer showreel.
Let's say I get in touch, I want to work on your new film, etc - and I send you my showreel (mine is at https://timbenjamin.com/showreel - I don't mean this as a plug, but it's necessary for the discussion).
However, I write for various things: films, library music, tv, ads, etc. Not only that, but I also write in two genres - orchestral/classical, and electronic music (which is definitely not "dance"-type electronic, and is hard to define clearly). Moreover, I also do a lot in the arts / classical world, which may or may not be relevant.
So here's my problem. What do you producers, directors, editors, look for? You are short of time and want me to get to the point quickly - so how best do I do that for you, given that I've got two distinct styles and I write for various mediums?
(And if you are able to make any specific points about my current showreel layout, I'd be very grateful for that, of course!)
Tim
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8 years, 7 months ago - Dan Selakovich
If there's one thing I hate, it's showreels. There's no good way to judge with just snippets of actors, editors, composers, et al. Things need a beginning middle and end, so a short or a sequence (several scenes that form their own emotional story) from a feature is highly preferable.
With that in mind, I really like your page (and your music, BTW). I think you did it right. But, hey, that's just me.
8 years, 7 months ago - Tim Benjamin
Thanks Dan - I do agree, and I wanted to show some kind of ability to be sympathetic to the picture and to create an emotional feel - not really possible with lots of little snippets one after another is it? I'm glad you think I'm on the right track, (and thank you very much for your kind words about my music, that means a lot from you!)
8 years, 6 months ago - Dan Selakovich
@Tim Benjamin Yikes, I think I just blushed!
8 years, 6 months ago - John Wate
Hi Tim - I had a look at your site - great stuff. Actually what you put out there is great; it illustrates your range, skills and your preferred "tone". That's all good stuff. One thing I often look out for is if the composer can deliver something that is easily identifiable to use as a "signature melody" in a film. Something that sticks - and I don't mean commercial jingles - but like something that you immediately fall in love with - something you can hum right after you watched or listed to it. That's not easy. This could be the theme for the movie, the theme for a character or an abstract theme - whatever the subject. There are many composers who can deliver great moods, but finding someone who can deliver a theme / melody (it can be super simple) that is unique and right on the mark is often a hard find.
8 years, 6 months ago - Tim Benjamin
Thanks John, that's really useful (and very kind of you). I know what you mean. One small problem I have is that I write quite a lot of library music, where they (usually) specifically do not want a strong theme, but I also want to appear attractive to a broader range of people.
I do naturally like to write a good theme though, so perhaps I'll make that a bit more prominent. Indeed I've recently done a film which needed exactly that - a strong, romantic theme (which hopefully I've delivered) - just waiting for the release so I can add it to the showreel...
8 years, 4 months ago - Vicenzo Bosa
Hey Tim,
First of all, I really like your work. Congratulations on succeeding in your craft.
I once had the same question regarding showreels.Knowing how to display your work is a concern that everyone should invest time in.
As opposed to what Dan wrote, I don't think showreels are bad. It really depends on how you look at them and what you work with. If you have several long videos of your work, people might just watch 60 seconds and move on to the next one.
Here is where the showreel becomes handy: for me, a showreel is more like a greeting card. You get a quick look/idea of the person's work. This already discards people that aren't very good in what they do or that don't have the style you have in mind. Let's say you're looking for a composer, but you watch his reel and you don't like his approach to the emotional moods, the music is badly mixed, uneven levels throughout the reel, etc. You wouldn't feel inclined to work with this person. This applies to any craft. If you're looking for a photographer, are you going to spend 30 minutes looking at their entire portfolio, or would you rather take a quick glimpse at their best pictures in order to judge if they are compatible with what you're looking for?
Now, if you take a quick look at the reel and it seems interesting, then you go ahead, contact the person and take a look at whole projects in order to truly judge their work.
I work with sound effects. What I tend to do, specially if it's a series, is edit a short video with the best scenes of the episodes where I think my sound was interesting and 'ear catching'. In the description, I put the links to the whole episodes in case the person who is considering hiring me likes what I displayed and wants to see the whole picture.
I hope this helps,
Best Regards,
Vicenzo Bosa.