Industry Day

Some very interesting points were made today regarding the industry and what employers are looking for within a showreel and portfolio. Certain speakers were stating that there are many different big projects coming to the UK. The visual effects houses in London, Soho in particular are inundated with many feature film projects. So it appears the UK is a particularly good hub for job opportunities for work within the film industry. Double Negative is currently working on visual effects shots for John Carter of Mars. It was also interesting to see their pipeline processes when compositing scenes for certain shots for Chris Nolan's Inception.

Many Speakers stated that grades were secondary to the quality of your work within your portfolio and it is your work and how you present yourself that will get you noticed. They stressed that you must work hard, must be prepared to take risks, be different and do not follow the crowd and develop your own style. They also said that you should always say yes to any opportunity as you never know where these will lead you. They also stressed the importance of staying in contact with your friends as it is these people who will serve as important contacts. The statement "it is not what you know but who you know" was mentioned too.

When it comes to the portfolio, they are looking for quality not quantity. They are looking for exceptional work in your own style. They suggested that a showreel must be approximately 2-3 mins long, with your best work at the beginning. It is recommended that you should pick what you think are your best pieces of work. They said that a portfolio/ showreel and your CV must be tailored to the company you are applying to.