"I think the goal is to activate the other senses, not just the eyes and the ears."
 Scott Goodman, South Florida based Shooter / Editor, Owner of Owen Creative and specialist in underwater camera work. As you can see from Scott's demo reel, he has led interesting projects around the globe and isn't stopping anytime soon. In fact, he just picked up his most recent high-profile gig (confidential for now) from ProductionHUB.
We took advantage of the few minutes Scott was above the surface to ask him a few questions. Hopefully our job seeking users will learn a few tricks on how to stay ahead of the competition and avoid demo reels that are "watered down."
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What sets you apart from the competition?
I would like to think it's my expertise, work ethic and talent that sets me apart. I know for a fact that rapport is a major consideration for anyone doing the hiring. Everybody would rather work with someone who makes them smile rather than frown. Competence is of course a prerequisite.
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Finding a niche (even though it doesn't need to be as specific as underwater shooting) seems to be essential these days. Thoughts?
Production is such a cutthroat business anyway. When I came out of school, I thought I wanted to direct live television . . . until I learned what it is that a director does. So from there, I had to find a new goal and I did whatever I could do for who ever called. I became a Jack of all trades. Being able to work as a grip, a cameraman or an editor has helped me to survive the skinny times, but it has also given me a better understanding of the overall picture. Each position offers skills that can not be learned in no other way but are useful everyday. My niche kind of developed on its own. I gravitated in the direction of what I like to do the most, and in turn I became more efficient and my skills sharpened.
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What have you noticed about the importance of viral demo reels? How has it helped you?
It used to be that a producer had to actually remove his/her reel from a sleeve, put it in a machine and then hope for something interesting. It was a grueling part of the processing the stacks of resumes with endless phone calls and reference checks. Nowadays, freelancers are hired directly and specifically according to a finite skill set. I either send my reel as a link or perspective clients can search for my skills online (i.e. ProductionHUB). A lot of my work comes from people that I rub shoulders with in different facets of the business. I jam my iPhone - blaring video- into faces during idle conversation between takes. I find that if I can get images in front of people, sometimes a few seconds of attention is all it takes. It depends on who's looking for what and when!
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Any other words of advice and wisdom for those trying to get a job right now?
"I think the goal is to activate the other senses not just the eyes and the ears."
We experience the world through lots of senses, but all I have to work with are eyes and ears. I want people to associate real experiences with what I show them. Actual experiences generate much more powerful feelings and emotions. In the kind of TV that I concentrate on, we all want to live vicariously. Have you ever recalled a memory, like for example, a favorite dish your mother made when you were a child? If you think about it, can you remember the smell or the taste? Does it seem more vivid to you now? Everybody's experiences are different. But if I can make one association for you, say take you back to a sandy beach with your feet in the surf, you may be more likely to remember my message.
"Sometimes what the viewer is not shown is just as important as what he or she is because it's imagination that sets a great story teller apart from a mediocre one."
You don't cause intrigue by giving your viewer the whole jigsaw puzzle already assembled. Look through your video and choose clips that don't paint the whole picture. Images that induce questions like "what is that?" or "I wonder where that is?" are more interesting because they require more thought than a simple identification.
Dive right into creating your ProductionHUB profile to get seen by the 250,000+ targeted users searching our site each month.
Post an exciting demo reel that best explains your work, show if off to potential clients and see if it doesn't help your business stay afloat!
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