My Creative Platforms Blog

Showreel update

gracetopher — Wed, 20 May 2009 23:49:37 +0000

After the feedback I received from the industry and friends, I made the necessary changes. The updated version can also be seen on Vimeo.

http://www.vimeo.com/user1714540/videos

Showreel song update

gracetopher — Wed, 20 May 2009 18:33:11 +0000

After all the feedback I received about the song I used in the showreel, I decided I had to rethink what music to use and went back to beatpick to explore more suitable music. Once I had decided what the best song to use was, I licenced it, and downloaded it.

Professional printing

gracetopher — Wed, 20 May 2009 15:03:07 +0000

I Google searched professional printing companies in Hounslow, London, where I live, and found one local company with a good reputation called KallKwik who specialise in business design and print. When I visited the store to get an idea of pricing and paper quality, I realised they were quite expensive. However, I wanted to get my CV, business cards and CD cover printed to the best quality so I when ahead and put in the order. Below is the receipt I kept:

CD cover design

gracetopher — Wed, 20 May 2009 14:59:14 +0000

Here is the CD cover I have put together in Photoshop.

Facebook reviews

gracetopher — Wed, 20 May 2009 14:46:55 +0000

I sent a message to many facebook friends to get their feedback on my showreel. I asked them to help me with ways of improving it.

I managed to get some very helpful feedback, and some was very pleasing feedback but not so helpful.

“Awesome dude, love the shimmery animation of the text and the badge design ending up on the shirt was genius!
The names of the software packages used were only up pn the screen for a short time near the begining of the reel?
If you could fade them in during the credits aswell then they’d stick in the viewers mind…

Also im not sure the music suited the audience that you’ll be showing this to? Should you be projecting the image of a relaxed student or a profesional employee?”

“Not sure what type of feedback you need here mate but the skit in between is comedy gold! Rude boy Grace chatting to Frank Bruno. And was that Heston park I recognised? Did notice one thing though, probably being a bit picky but on 34 seconds, there needs to be an apostrophe on the word well to make it we´ll. The moving stripy background was a little transing, if you look at it too long!! Love the way the Osterely badge fades out. Love you too.”

“Loved it xxx”

“it was really funny… xxx”

“thats wicked chris! good work blad. can’t fault it”

…..more industry feedback

gracetopher — Wed, 20 May 2009 12:59:59 +0000

I received an unexpected call today from Juan Pablo Alcayaga, a Portsmouth University graduate of entertainment technology in 2006. He is now working for Avvio in Berkshire as a Flash developer. The phone call not only helped me with ways of improving my showreel and CV but I had a very inspirational chat with Juan about his course experience and what he done after graduation. Juan advised me to produce a good Flash website as he did, which really impressed potencial employers. I thought about doing this at the start of the unit but I wanted to create a video showreel in Flash. It is something I will definately do in the summer. Juan was once in my position and is now working for a very successful digital agency. He gave me the link to the portfolio website he created before starting his career.

http://www.jpaportfolio.com/

Juan also gave me the following advice for my CV and showreel:

Keep the showreel short and sweet
Rethink the logo on my CV as its unclear what it is
Read the CV over and over as there are some spelling errors and grammatical mistakes – ask someone else to read over it
Reduce CV to a smaller file size when sending it off as file takes a while to download – employers can get quite impatient
Tailor CV to the company I’m sending it as it has no proof that I researched the company at all – search skills they require

As Juan was only in my position three years ago, its important that I follow his advice for the future and for my showreel/CV.

Industry feedback

gracetopher — Wed, 20 May 2009 12:02:32 +0000

I received a nice email from Patrick Mulford, creative director of Five by five digital. Patrick gave me some good advice and gave me a slight inside view of what agencies like to see when they are reviewing applicantions.

Once I saw this email, I made a list of the points that Patrick made about my showreel and CV, so I could then update them.

Cut down to around 60-90 seconds long
Cut out extra scenes from rude boys animation and ostrich game
Change the song
Ask other people to proof read my CV

Please give me feedback!!!

gracetopher — Tue, 19 May 2009 22:16:47 +0000

I have sent the Vimeo link and a pdf copy of my CV to the following digital agencies to gather feedback that I can use to improve the work:

CMW
Red web
Holler
Craik Jones
Nucleus
Avvio
Attic media
Duke Interactive
Design UK
Other media
SOUK communications
E3 Media
TMW
JPMH
Archibald Insgall Stretton
New Media Maze
Kinetic Worldwide
Lateral
This is BD
Steel
DLKW
Mindshare
VCCP
Reading room
Profero
The Grand Union
Rec Bee media
Five by five
Syzygy

Here is a copy of the standard letter I emailed to all these agencies:

CV draft

gracetopher — Tue, 19 May 2009 21:43:42 +0000

This is the first design I came up with in Photoshop because I fully intended on using this design to develop.

CV designs

gracetopher — Tue, 19 May 2009 21:32:31 +0000

After conducting some thorough research on the design of creative CVs, I managed to get down to the design idea process. The following designs are based on some resumes, I have been looking at and have admired.