Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of this industry, is that after you pass the giant hurdles of getting a job and successfully executing your duties on set, is the fact that some projects never see the light of day.
And no, I’m not acting disappointed that every feature I’ve shot hasn’t made it to the big screen. We all know that theatrical distribution is a blessing that very few films get to enjoy. I’m talking about those projects that never make it to the final sound mix or color correction phase. I like to call this stage, purgatory (and no, I’m not religious). These films get stuck in the late (and quite costly) stages of post-production for a variety of reasons. A select few emerge from this limbo state after years of abandonment, while others will remain on a few hard drives around town never to be seen by the public.
In some rare cases, it is a blessing in disguise. Perhaps you took a job because you really needed a paycheck and it wasn’t your best work, but more often than not (at least with my luck), the stuff that you really want to share with the world is held hostage by production for various reasons. Believe me when I say that I’ve heard every excuse in the book. At the end of the day, it is unfortunate that a simple act of sharing a hard drive with some QuickTime files can be so hard to orchestrate.
Most of the time, it isn’t a malicious act. We are busy people.
Every so often, it is such an uphill battle getting footage that you have to resort to a service like Zamzar or ripping footage from DVDs. Lots of my friends do it, but I can’t stand the compression and quality hit that comes from 3rd party or standard def sources. After all, a reel is supposed to showcase your work and using anything less than master quality clips serves you no good. That being said, I’ve seen big-time cinematographer’s reels and there are occasionally clips clearly ripped from television. Since nobody has time to After Effects the KTLA bug off the corner of the video, it remains.
Little things like that make me feel comfort that I am not so different from ASC members. It is also infinitely frustrating knowing that the footage-for-reel-game will never cease.
There are films that I shot years ago that I still can’t gain access to, which seems ludicrous. There should be a statute of limitations for all footage: after 2 years, actors and crew may use clips for self-promotion. That seems like ample time, right? It’s not like us creatives are looking to bootleg the film and cut into your profits: we just want to show the world the fruits of our labor. On smaller projects, I’ve even tried to get a clause like this inserted into my contract…
My impetus for writing this entry is to say that I recently got footage from the EPIC 3D shoot we did last Spring and it has made its way into my reel (big thanks to Steadicam guru, Dennis Noyes, for great notes). So please check that out, and feel free to apply Left Eye’s advice when you really need footage from production: you can’t be too proud to beg.
Do you have any funny/tragic/enlightening stories about battling production for reel materials? I’d love to hear them in the comments section!
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I’ve run into actors at social functions I’ve cast in various music videos and commercials and they ask in passing if they can get a copy for the reel…often this conversation occurs long after the initial hyper-marketing blitz and media buys have had their run…and the first question I always ask is “Dude, why didn’t you call me when it was airing 19 times a day – I”d have happily given it to you the day we delivered our masters and it went to air…WHEN YOUR MOST RECENT WORK IS CURRENTLY in front of eyeballs and there’s a chance somebody will have recently seen something you’ve appeared in”…the first thing actors and key crew need to be more aware of is HOW to cut their own reel and not be afraid to pick up the phone and ask. If we believe in you enough to put the reputation of our career in your acting, technical and creative chops…it’s not our goal to keep you a secret. We know you’re really good at what you’re doing and it’s one of the hardest things in the world to make a living at. You don’t need to sell the director who cast you…the frustrating thing is…often times when you give them the footage…you’ll get an email months later informing that they can’t pay it…sometimes something as simple as not having the most recent version of QuickTime installed. By that time…the spot is no longer on the air and the ship has kinda sailed on getting the most juice out of the fruits of your labor. Remember kids, creative + technical = unstoppable. And getting off the couch and calling the director for a final cut tutorial might impress us even more…heck, you ask nice we’ll probably even cut the thing for you if we have the time…we’re on your side. DO NOT BE AFRAID TO ASK especially when it’s the right time to be asking.
Funny you mention the QT issue, a few actos on set today were complaining about not getting footage (I kept my mouth shut as I didn’t want to get into it) and one mentioned how she had to pay a bunch of money to have somebody transcode the Quicktime while another shared a tale of having to order an Australian releases of the movie at an abnormally high personal expense.