DP Reel

As a DP, a lot of hard work goes into achieving the final product. Whether it's planning a shot, organizing, or filming, it takes time and effort. That work just sits there unless something is done with it. That's where reels come in. A DP reel should above all showcase the hard work of an individual. It should feature the best characteristics of their work. It should highlight their strengths. It should catch your eye, and make you want to go out and work with the featured DP right away.

After looking through a lot of reels and seeing what other people have accomplished, I found some reels that I enjoyed more than others. Although the shots are generally very simple, it caught my eye with it's color


DP reel from Joel Roewer on Vimeo.

This is another reel that I liked. Just like the one above, the color really stood out to me. Also, the variety of shots was appealing.

Geoff George - DP reel from g s george on Vimeo.

Just like some DP reels can be very attractive and visually appealing, others can be the opposite. While some reels may not be compelling to certain people based on pure visual preference, there are things that generally make a reel less appealing. If the reel runs too long, the viewer might lose interest. If the shots don't vary enough, there might not be enough material for the viewer to see the DP's full potential. Sometimes if the pace of editing doesn't match up the pace of the shots, it might feel off. There are a number of things that might contribute to a less compelling reel.