Quote: bigfella @ March 3 2010, 6:51 PM GMTAnd I still don't like the jacket.
There is nothing I can do about the jacket now.
Acting Showreel Page 5
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Quote: James Cotter @ March 4 2010, 11:42 AM GMTThere is nothing I can do about the jacket now.
Send your showreel to The Mill and have them Rotoscope it out frame-by-frame. Should only cost you a few grand.
Quote: David Bussell @ March 4 2010, 11:59 AM GMTSend your showreel to The Mill and have them Rotoscope it out frame-by-frame. Should only cost you a few grand.
I can do that for you, unfortunately I can only comp in tank-tops with the arms of a black man.
Will that suffice?
Quote: David Bussell @ March 4 2010, 11:59 AM GMTSend your showreel to The Mill and have them Rotoscope it out frame-by-frame. Should only cost you a few grand.
I don't think it's worth the effort do you?
I actually really liked it. 
Wasn't expecting it to be so good from all the fuss.
I'd be too scared to even use a fake gun in the street. Did you miss off the bit at the end where the real police took you down?
Quote: zooo @ March 4 2010, 12:27 PM GMTI actually really liked it.
Wasn't expecting it to be so good from all the fuss.I'd be too scared to even use a fake gun in the street. Did you miss off the bit at the end where the real police took you down?
Thank God someone liked it!
It was quite weird after doing that because seconds later someone I haven't seen for years came up to me and said hello and was talking about a few of my earlier projects he saw on the net.
After viewing, James website I immediately realised that this a completely pointless thread, because anybody capable of creating that site is never going to follow any advice, no matter how sound or accurate it might be.
Whether that's a good thing or not, I have no idea.
Hi James,
I really liked your first attempt at a Showreel. I've got a couple of actor friends and they're forever tinkering with theirs to get the best results.
I've stated before that I think you are a good actor and just like everyone else, I don't think this current iteration of your showreel does enough to showcase your talents.
It might be worth breaking out the vid-jo camera and doing a few bits in a noise friendly environment. Maybe tackle some different characters with different emotions - sadness, pathos, Welshness, etc.
Jeremy Spicer, the bloke covering himself in petrol and Crispy Duck really stood out. Have to agree with everyone else - dump the clips with the shitty sound quality and the bits with you stood around in the background.
Spicer and Harris and Doyle seem to be your strongest work so far, so if you can build on that, you should have a good showreel in a few months time.
Good luck!
Quote: steven @ March 4 2010, 12:50 PM GMTAfter viewing, James website I immediately realised that this a completely pointless thread, because anybody capable of creating that site is never going to follow any advice, no matter how sound or accurate it might be.
Whether that's a good thing or not, I have no idea.
I'm sorry but I don't really get what that is to do with the showreel. Okay sometimes I don't agree with what someone has said but a lot of the times on here I have taken the advice at put it in to practice. I generally care about my work and all the feedback, contrary to popular belief I don't just think I'm God's gift if I did why would I come on here for. I know even if you do brilliant work people on here will pick holes out of it and I think that's great because if I wanted people just to be yes men round me I wouldn't ask for help.
Quote: Empty @ March 3 2010, 4:07 PM GMTMarc P beat me to it - this is not remotely of a high enough standard, either the acting or the film/video. It's not broadcast quality I'm afraid, so you'd be wasting your time and money, and possibly ruining future better chances, by sending out examples of your work when, by your own admission, the material is not you at your best (writing or acting). It's not an example of what you are offering people, therefore it does not work as a showreel. As you are still at college, why not wait? You always seem to be working on something new. Wait til you've got something which you know nails what what you have to offer.
This is not to say you will never achieve that, but, as even you recognise, you're nowhere near achieveing that yet. Why run before you can walk? Why burn a bridge now with someone who will see the name James Cotter on a DVD on his desk (or whatever) and will say, "not him again".
This business is hard enough. Don't become a nuisance before you become interesting.
It will not help you in the professional industry.
It will not help you get roles in TV or radio.
It will not convince a producer to cast you as something, because it doesn't show you doing anything for which you might be cast.
You asked for critique, so there it is. Now go and grow into yourself and come back as the best thing since sliced bread.
I'm a mere no-one, but my advice is free.
Broadcast quality. I don't want to broadcast it. It's a showreel I made in about two hours from a few of my projects over the last couple of years all made on no budget so of course it's not broadcast quality.
Well if this is me admitting I'm not that good then here it goes. Unfortunately this is me at my best (so far) and I don't know what you've seen of mine which is better then what is in the showreel. I'm not being 
but I would really like to know because I will put that clip or what ever it is.
I've been making media project now for five years this is my first showreel of some of the best bits from the five years. How much longer should I wait until I make another showreel?
I'm glad you have given me your honest feedback and I appreciate it but to be perfectly truthfully I don't think I'm going to get dramatically better then I am already so I don't really know what to do with your feedback.
Call it a compilation or a montage of some of your favourite bits and it will be fine James. Calling it a showreel means you are putting it out to secure work on a professional basis. And if you don't want to be judged on that basis, which is fine, don't position yourself as such. It's okay to be a student, it's something to be proud of and you'[re there to learn I guess, so get on with that and making more stuff and when you finish (in a couple of years time I guess?) You will have a lot more material for your portfolio.
Quote: James Cotter @ March 4 2010, 2:38 PM GMTBroadcast quality. I don't want to broadcast it. It's a showreel I made in about two hours from a few of my projects over the last couple of years all made on no budget so of course it's not broadcast quality.
Well if this is me admitting I'm not that good then here it goes. Unfortunately this is me at my best (so far) and I don't know what you've seen of mine which is better then what is in the showreel. I'm not being
I've been making media project now for five years this is my first showreel of some of the best bits from the five years. How much longer should I wait until I make another showreel?
I'm glad you have given me your honest feedback and I appreciate it but to be perfectly truthfully I don't think I'm going to get dramatically better then I am already so I don't really know what to do with your feedback.
Look, do what you like and good luck. You don't listen, you keep bumping your own threads, and you don't accept anything but praise.
I know you don't intend to broadcast this, but as you said you were going to use this "showreel" to interest professionals in your abilities, then sending them what amounts to a home video of students showing off, you are damaging yourself before you're ready.
You say this is you at your best and you won't be getting much better (you actually said "dramatically better", which considering your ambitions, is funny, but I don't think intentionally so). If you're not intending to get better then why not send this out now? You don't need us. Send it out and good luck. I truly wish you the best.
I asked you to tell me what you wanted to achieve with this montage. You made three statements. I am telling you this will not do what you want, why it won't, and how to give yourself a better chance. By all means ignore the critique and prove me wrong. Simple as that.
I wrote plenty of detailed feedback yesterday, giving you my advice. It's straightforward. You say you don't know what to do with it? It's simple, take it on board, or ignore it. My name is not attached to your projects, my rep is not in the balance. It's entirely you. You feel what you're doing is right, so do it. Honestly, just do it. I could be wrong, you know. Has been known. I'm a nobody.
You are the only man here, however, who is justified in having an Empty profile!
Quote: Empty @ March 4 2010, 3:10 PM GMTHonestly, just do it. I could be wrong, you know. Has been known. I'm a nobody.
Quit teasing him, Coogan!
It's not Coogan!
It's his Carer.