A Glitchy Subject

Showreels are awesome.  

They’re used predominately by the Design/Creative fields to present work in a nice little compact, musical arrangement in a bid to pique interest and encourage prospective clients to investigate a little further.  They are an effective marketing tool that can be integrated seamlessly into social media; you don’t have to think too much about taglines and snappy wording: just let the showreel do the talking.

Obviously only the best and most polished pieces of work should be showcased in this scenario.  I’m no expert, but to keep the audience engaged and entertained a showreel shouldn’t be too long (apparently a minute is long enough) and should contain a constant stream of changing imagery.  

I’ve wanted to create a showreel for quite a while but finding the time and inspiration can be challenging, so when I stumbled across an After Effects template that instantly appealed to me, I set aside a few days to work on this little project.

I was ecstatic with the final product:

 – it had atmospheric music that synced nicely with the various transitions and scene changes;

–  it showcased the best of my 3D Visualisation work;

–  it was dramatic;

–  and it utilised a few funky effects that ensured the viewer would be entertained.  And that was my stumbling block.  

I showed it off to my friends and peers and received a backlash due to the use of ‘glitches’ in the footage.  I liked the glitches.  They were a little quirky and in my mind, provided an added element of visual interest to the completed showreel.

However, I couldn’t have been MORE WRONG.  Here’s a nice little synopsis of the feedback I received.

Apparently including glitches in a showreel can be a glitchy subject

I gotta admit, I’m not the world’s best recipient of constructive criticism.  I’ve tried to address it.  Honestly, I have.  But the minute I’m given constructive feedback, no matter how well intended, I become incensed, indignant and extremely defensive.  Let’s see, how can I illustrate the depth of my emotions when I receive feedback that isn’t to my liking…

BUT, feedback IS important.  I know this.  I just need to keep reminding myself of just how important it is.  Us Creatives are a sensitive bunch, who take great pride in our work.  Even if someone has a valid point about their criticisms of my work, I’m not able to fully absorb and accept their viewpoint until the fire (see above) has started to smolder.

The next day I dusted myself off and made a few adjustments.  The glitches remain part of the showreel but their frequency has been greatly reduced. Lesson learned: pay attention to feedback, even if you don’t like receiving differing viewpoints, your work will most likely benefit from it.  And that’s what matters, right?   

I hope you enjoy it.

All feedback welcome…

…sort of.