Ok cool, so you want to book a Showreel! Here's the form to do so. I'll be in touch as soon as possible with a quote for the work and you can say yes/no from there. Some of the queries you may have might have been answered in the Showreel FAQs below so do check them out before you book!
Awesome! I'll have a read and i'll be in touch ASAP with a quote
SHOWREEL FAQs
DO YOU PROVIDE THE LOCATION?
No. I can point you in the direction of some places if you are stuck, but I usually leave this up to you. Feel free to send me ideas of places and talk to me; I'll be able to tell you if somewhere could work well or not. My only request is somewhere with mains power.
HOW FAR ARE YOU WILLING TO TRAVEL
I'm available to work worldwide. My travel and parking costs are always added in on top and are always calculated fairly. If we're working overseas I'd ask for you to pay for my flights and accommodation before the shoot takes place. If we feel an overnighter is needed to make it to a shoot then I'd request for that to be covered as well. This will be made clear and communicated at the time of booking if this is needed.
HOW LONG DOES THE AVERAGE SHOOT TAKE?
If we are playing to a pre recorded track it'll probably take 3-5 hours. The first hour will always be setup and then it just depends on how quickly we get the takes of you guys performing at your best. If we are doing the audio live then it can take longer as there'll be more setup and more recording time. I'll be able to be more precise once we've talked more about it.
DISCOUNTS FOR MULTIPLE VIDEOS
Yes - if they are all booked at once. Contact me and we can talk about it and I can sort out a quote.
HOW MANY SONGS SHOULD I HAVE / HOW LONG SHOULD IT BE
This is up to you. In my opinion 3 minutes is perfect. Short, snappy and leave them wanting more. I think a 3 minute, 6 song showreel is a recipe for success. People will have seen all they need to see within that time.
BUT I WANT IT TO SHOW ALL ASPECTS OF WHAT I DO
In my experience people get more, and better paid, work out of multiple niche targeted showreels aimed at different specific markets rather than having one that does a bit of everything. If you can come across as the perfect fit for what someone's looking for with great quality promo; the gig's already yours.
DO WE RECORD FULL SONGS OR JUST BITS
For a standard showreel we pick the best minute of each song in advance and do those. This makes for a more enjoyable shoot where no one is getting tired from dancing around. It also promotes a quality over quantity style of film-making which will produce better results.
OK, BUT CAN WE DO FULL SONGS AS WELL AS THE SHOWREEL?
Yes, if this is what you're looking for. It does increase the price quite a lot though as the amount of footage and editing is often quadrupled so please bear this in mind if you request this. Maybe we can consider shooting some takes as one continuous take or as a static camera to make the price more manageable.
SHOULD WE DO IT LIVE OR PRE RECORD?
Most of the showreels I shoot are pre recorded. However Acoustic/Chilled out music can really suit being shot live. Pre recorded tends to look a bit more 'high energy' because people aren't worrying about playing and singing perfectly. Live can look a bit more classy/authentic but takes longer on the day. Live mixes also sound how they sound, so make sure you get those rehearsals in!
WE WANT TO DO IT LIVE. DO YOU DO AUDIO AS WELL?
Yes, on the form just fill out what instruments you are using and I can put together a quote for you. If the setup is acoustic orientated or stripped back then this is something I will record myself. If an extensive setup is involved then I hire-in someone which affects the quote.
CAN YOU PRE RECORD MY AUDIO?
Yes. It depends on your setup whether I can record it with you myself or point you in the direction of an audio guy I like to work with who specialises in bigger productions.
I LOVE THE LIGHTS IN THE SHAKERMAKER VIDEO, DO YOU PROVIDE THOSE?
Very common question! Shakermaker sorted their own lights for that shoot. I have some stage lighting to add extra oomph to the videos but if you want something really big and imposing like that I can give you the details of the company they used. I bring enough lighting to light my shots and make it look cool. Make sure you tell me if you want to shoot at night, in a dark room or on a BIG stage because specialist equipment may be required.
I take a 20% deposit at the time of booking. If you need to rearrange then that's fine. If you want to cancel then I keep the deposit. I ask for full remaining payment via bank transfer once you have viewed the first edit of your film and before I send files or make any amendments.
TURNAROUND / EDIT REVISIONS
You should expect your first edit within two weeks. If it's going to be longer then I'll communicate that with you on the day of the shoot. Please tell me in advance if you are working to a tight deadline. My first edits are always what I deem to be almost complete. If you want any changes; send me a list with time-codes of the things you want changing so I can make all the changes in one sitting. Most of my videos are finalised after one round of tweaks.
CLICK TRACK
If you performed to a click on your pre-recorded audio then definitely request a version with the click track on loud for playing along to. It means we can keep the overall volume lower which will put everyone in a better mood and will produce a tighter mimed performance. If your engineer doesn't want to do this for whatever reason and you played tight to a click send me the music in advance and I'll make a version that will work free of charge.
PLAYBACK
If you have a PA system then please bring it along on the day to play the tracks out of. I can bring one if needed but please request this in advance. I'll be in touch a couple of days before your shoot to work out how we are doing this. It's probably a good idea for your drummer to bring some earphones/IEMs so he can have the track playing in his ears. You/I can set this up using the headphones output and the main output on a mixer.
WORD ON HEARING HEALTH
Ok so if you are doing a Rock/Pop showreel then expect them to be loud. I always wear hearing protection and you should too. If we need to make it look like the drummer is going for it then the drummer has to go for it. Deadened cymbals/heads are welcomed but it will still be very loud. Please take care of yourselves and bring some earplugs.
CAN WE EDIT / MIX IT?
Yeah if you want. However I would always recommend using me. I would offer you a slight discount but I am a very quick editor, so you'll probably be better off and have it done sooner just using me. If you choose to do your own edit please run it past me if you want to put my name on it.
CAN WE GET AN UNBRANDED VERSION?
My standard practice is to put my 'A Film By Joel' logo on the end of all films I make. Some clients feel that it adds to the film and it helps me get my name out there to get me more work. I understand sometimes people need unbranded versions for agencies and sometimes people just don't like it! If you need an unbranded version I'm happy to send over two copies. Please use the one with my name on where you can.
CAN I PUT A FILTER ON IT AND UPLOAD IT TO INSTAGRAM?
Instagram filters generally don't look very good and crush the quality out of your Hi-Res video. It's best not to. If you want the colour grade to look a certain way just ask but be prepared to send a couple of references.
WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING?
So we need a location with mains power. Aside from that it is whatever you usually bring for a gig. Spare power extensions are always handy. Ear plugs and ear phones if your drummer wants the track in his ears (I can provide a wireless option if requested). Any props/costumes. A PA for playback (I can provide if requested) and yourselves in good mood ready to work hard and have a lot of fun!
I'M NERVOUS ABOUT THE SHOOT / NEVER DONE ONE BEFORE
I make sure all my shoots are as fun as possible. I'm going to find your best angles, coach & direct you to perform so it comes across right on camera and get rid of any awkwardness so you feel you can really go for it. We'll try things out and if things don't look right we simply won't use them. I'm good at putting people at ease and your confidence will grow as the shoot goes on. I've filmed loads of people where they're being filmed for the first time and they've come out the other end buzzing with the results. There's lots of things we can try. Don't worry, you'll smash it and I guarantee it'll be great fun.
PHEW. WHAT AN ESSAY. GET IN TOUCH VIA THE FORM AT THE TOP