So I had a pretty good pitch call with a major company for one of my features, and they're going to read the script.

Head of development says however that even if she loves it, she needs visuals. Look books I can do; never have done a sizzle reel though.

Has anyone done this and if so what do you shoot? Doesn't seem as if you'd shoot actual scenes from the film, because the actors are not cast yet.

We do have a director from a major agency interested / attached, however I'm not sure I would be able to get him to focus on it since he has his own projects to work on.

thanks,

AJR

Pia and I did one of these for a feature. We filmed scenes from the movie and tried to put it together like a trailer that would garner interest in the feature.

Some pros put together what's called a rip reel so directors or producers can 'see' a project. They only do this when they have someone interested because it is what it sounds like ... a rip (ripping scenes off other movies and splicing them into a trailer type pitch). Have to be good at editing.

Pia knows more about this whole process than I do. But it's something we have been experimenting with.

GREAT news for you and best of luck AJR!

Thanks Dena!

Yeah, one of our producers says that some people use mostly B-roll stuff.

Should be interesting.

Last camera I owned said Kodak on it...

AJR

I've never done that.  Good luck to ya. Sounds exciting

I am certainly no expert in this! In fact, the one Dena and I did didn't quite workout due to some issues with our DP, weather and time constraints, but we definitely tried.

IMO, you can shoot something that you write and then film in an attempt to make a sizzle reel. Or, you can do like a friend of mine, use pieces from existing films and cut together your own piece of how you imagine the script being as film. It's obviously not intended to make it look like these are the actors that will be in it, but rather just get a feel for how you the writer see the script on film. With this little piece, my friend sold his script.  :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XWA-2j7cNg

Thanks Pia - how cool was that video? I never realized you could do that!

Glad that I asked the people in the trenches who have actually done it - inspiring me to get back on the horse.

Our director weighed in and surprisingly he's up for doing it. Down to money now though. He's going to see what editing time in a friend's studio would cost.

So now "everything AJR" is for sale - features... shorts... blood... the wife.

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I want to see the wife sizzler!  ;D

Well the idea was to sell shorts / features / blood / the wife in order to pay for the sizzle reel, but you may be right, the wife sizzle might be a better way to make dough...

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I kid, of course.

Don't they buy semen in America?

Here they don't pay for blood. They just provide a cup of weak tea and a biscuit.

Yeah, I think I can safely say there will be a market for one of my features before my sperm...

Quoted from ajr Yeah, I think I can safely say there will be a market for one of my features before my sperm...

Haha!

Yeah, what folks have been saying. A sizzle reel is a combination of seconds of scenes you can shoot yourself (somehow) combined with stuff ripped from other material.

I met an actor once who gave me some good, honest advice. He said no-one wants to read scripts, no-one. Those who do, do so begrudgingly and will never visualize the story like you do when you are writing it. They need something visual, even if you go out and shoot something yourself with your cellphone.

My advice (even though I've not tried this myself, it's something I would consider if asked for a sizzle reel) would be to find someone who can act and film them (anyway you can) pitching the movie, but in character. Splice the walk-through with visuals from wherever you can get them but make sure they represent your idea somehow.

It could be something fun, like imagine a Deadpool like delivery, or it could be deadly serious if that is the tone of the script.

Thanks Mark. Interesting tidbit from the actor about no one wanting to read scripts.  Definitely food for much thought.

AJR

Quoted from MarkRenshaw My advice (even though I've not tried this myself, it's something I would consider if asked for a sizzle reel) would be to find someone who can act and film them (anyway you can) pitching the movie, but in character. Splice the walk-through with visuals from wherever you can get them but make sure they represent your idea somehow. It could be something fun, like imagine a Deadpool like delivery, or it could be deadly serious if that is the tone of the script.

I was worried that I'd be completely shut out if I was ever asked to make one of these, because I don't have any contacts whatsoever to get something made nor do I have an epic collection of DVDs from which to splice anything together. But someone in character pitching the film, that sounds at least achievable.

Great idea.