Summer Reels

Not to brag, but if there was a Nobel Prize for sample reel our DVD would be on the short list.

The content, I think, is pretty good but the form is what makes it great.

For the past year, we've been making seasonal reels. Since the high days of summer are upon us, I thought I'd share the centerpiece of our DVD.



A sample reel has to do several things. First, it has to display your work. If it doesn't do that one thing its useless. As a production company, that makes building a reel easier, because our work is the whole process. The process is encapsulated in the end product, so we can just show finished pieces.

In addition to showing your work, the sample reel has to tell people who you are. It needs to show your voice as a craftsman and individual.

For example, our DVD is very musical. We have several menus with different soundtracks. These selections offer an insight into our company's personality.

The design of our disk is uniform. Every part is coordinated with every other -the cover, the insert, the label, the menus. These all match the website, too.

The content of the disk is presented in a clever but not a difficult or obscure way. This encapsulates how our studio works when its functioning well. Personally, I don't mind being difficult or obscure. Brian tempers my urge (part laziness, part optimism) to keep things complicated, and our artists contribute points of view and ideas that help bridge the barrier between complexity and simplicity.

If anybody would like a copy of the full DVD, send me a note and we'll drop one in the mail.