Don't let that keep you down. Be creative and shoot short films, spoof commercials, or even non-profit psa's. You can always find some nonprofits' that are willings to take free work - and it's for a good cause! My roommate and I started out simply with a music video spoof and it allowed us to get more work. All that continued to build, and we are now freelancers.

Also one quick tip. Anyone can use a zoom on a camera or a pan/tilt, not everyone can do camera movements (Dolly/Truck) - Use these to your advantage. Even with a 25$ dolly system, the audience can not tell a difference, and it adds production values to your overall product. Production Values is just one thing to get you closer to being hired.

You can find that dolly system here:
Digital Juice DJTV - Billy's Blueprints: The Wheel Deal

-Edit-
You can take a look at our show reel in my signature. It's nowhere near your Hollywood's finest, but it's ever building. It might help ya get some more ideas.

Soho - The Directors cut by Londonmark Films
 

This short film was shot in London Soho's district notorious for being the red light area of London. I have recut this by popular request and called it the Directors Cut!!

Can be found under the films section at

Londonmark Films

Soho - The Directors cut on Vimeo
Soho - The Directors cut By Mark Dawson On ExposureRoom


__________________

Remote - Dance film by Londonmark Films
 

Hi everyone I recently shot this dance film in the East End of London, take a look tell me what you think feedback would be great.

Enjoy - can be found at

Londonmark Films

REMOTE on Vimeo
REMOTE By Mark Dawson On ExposureRoom


best wishes
Mark

Hi, Mark!
I've already seen it on Vimeo. It's beautifully done and the choreography is beautiful too.
I didn't quite get the idea, and what the paper cut-out dance partner represents, but it's very pleasant to watch, even if a bit dark.

I like the use of DOF and the color grading. The music also fits with the subject matter. Good stuff.

director's demo reel
 

Director's demo reel - Andzei Matsukevits on Vimeo

here is my website, if you want to see videos: fff.ee

Calls From The Führerbunker
 

My latest short film... 6 minutes. Use headphones for optimal listening enjoyment.

Calls From The Führerbunker

After a lengthy security screening process, janitor Chris Flegel has transferred to the night shift in a partially-abandoned area of a Canadian military base. His predecessor explains a few of the area’s idiosyncrasies, then gracefully bows out.

Dark tunnels, unused rooms, and communications equipment left over from days gone by are now Chris’ responsibility to maintain.

On Chris’ first night he hears a telephone ring. He remembers being told to just ignore it, but the incessant ringing is too much, and Chris answers the phone. Mysterious voices and transmissions can be overheard. Chris spends the next few nights trying to find the source of the voices, and after some careful research and a little snooping around, the pieces all fall together.

Calls From The Führerbunker

It was made with the Twilight Zone in mind.

Hope you enjoy it.

Mike

"Year in Review" racing piece
 

This was a Q&D piece for my friends at a local race track. I had miles of footage from all the races in HD and the on-camera talent was an authentic savant at recalling specific information about races, events, drivers. The interview was literally done in one take.

At 15 minutes, it's long, but I cut it for the track's award banquet so everyone was looking for their car on track. I'm particularly interested in your thoughts about the last 2/3 of the piece. The segment called "Saturday Night, Makin' Friends" and the one that follows.

Yes, the graphics are rubbish but I had but two days to put it all together.

Be honest. Be brutally honest, since I'm old and only have a short time to get any of this right.

Oxford Plains Speedway - 2008 Year in Review on Vimeo

Dorito Fingers
 

Yay for internet contests, check out my submission for the Doritos "Crash the Superbowl Contest"


"Dorito Fingers"
A Sunspot Pictures Production
Written, Directed, and cut by Charles Rhoads and Nick Harris
Produced by TK Sandal, Charles Rhoads, and Nick Harris
Cinematography by Nick Harris

Starring Adam Schomer, Marlina Moreno, Andrew Frischers, and Jan Ibarra

Shot on HPX500 with Fuji HAc15x7.3 cine zoom lens

Doritos® Presents: CRASH THE SUPER BOWL

Experimental Weather Station launched in water Bottle Rocket
 

Long title..... fun video. The back story: I'm temp-ing for a digital hardware company that is developing a wireless weather station device. The engineers wanted to see how the device handled a few Gs as well as how responsive the sensors were to changes in conditions.

So they package their $300 development board into a rocket propelled by compressed air and water using 2L bottles. Then they sent me off to grab my cameras and shoot video so they could send it around to the rest of the other company locations worldwide to see the results.

naturally the launch went ...... sub-nominal. Not exactly on the same scale as the DeltaII launch last year, but still interesting.

YouTube - Experimental Weather Station Water Rocket

As a childhood "ESTES Model Rocketeer" - I LOVED IT! Well done.

I like the concept, it was well written. I watched the whole film curiously and I don't do that a lot. I also liked the old man's acting. So, great storytelling, but there's always a but:

-The acting from the main character sometimes was a little too cartoony. I don't know if that was on purpose, but it struck me as odd.
-Some camera-angles were a little weird as the rest of the camerawork was pretty straightforward. A shot like filming through the fence at the beginning pulls me out of the story.
-I expected a little more from the ending. Now, he realizes something, and the end-credits begin. But I think the ending missed one thing (can't say what, exactly).
-The music helped the film, and I really liked it. But it was also a bit cartoony. The ghosty-melody made me think of scooby doo, and I don't know if that was what you wanted me to think.

Overall: pretty good movie! But: don't know for shure how cartoony you wanted it to be.

Great comments! Cartoony, no. But definitely old Twilight Zone in a way. That's why the music has the theremin in there. Just like the emmy winning score of one of the episodes in the old B&W show. That was definitely on purpose.

The ending of course was left as a cliffhanger. Many of the old shows did that on occasion.

The shot through the fence is actually one of my faves. You can hear the phone ringing off in the distance from the bunker. The ramp up towards him was to imply that it was oddly reaching out. He heard it.

Great comments though. I really appreciate the time.
We may tone down the theremin a bit in the final cut. Still playing around with that idea. I think it suits the time/theme though. Still, not sure if it works 100%.

Cheers,

Mike

Our (Former) Insomnia Festival Entry
 

We entered the 2008 Insomnia 24-hour Film Festival this year and had our entire project planned and ready to go. But when Apple called it off due to technical reasons, it was too late for us to cancel our arrangements. So we went ahead and made it just for fun.

YouTube - SSR

All comments welcome.

Thanks.

I guess I'm not that familiar with the old tv-shows. But thanks for explaining and good luck with future projects!