ContrarianMind

ContrarianMind A Post Production Company Specializing in Demo Reels. www.ContrarianMind.com

05/21/2018

'Look at your quotas. Ask what women are being paid.'

04/05/2016

Criminal Minds' longtime casting director Scott David was relieved of his duties Thursday, the day after The Hollywood Reporter published an investigation into the television industry’s proliferation of casting “workshops” that encourage actors to pay for access to potential auditions. The story quo…

Shaun is not only a great guy, that’s easy to spend time with, he is also, a genius at what he does. He was so patient i...
05/13/2015

Shaun is not only a great guy, that’s easy to spend time with, he is also, a genius at what he does. He was so patient in explaining each step of the process. What he was doing, why he was doing it and also, what was possible. He has an incredibly acute eye for the material and the best way to highlight you and lessen everyone else. The end result is an incredibly concise and powerful representation of my work that I know is going to be a really effective tool. I learned so much about the process during our session and I’m so excited about continuing to work with him.

Michael Laurie
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2368587/

Demo Reel Editor Shaun Wood
www.ContrarianMind.com

Inspired, knowledgeable, professional, are just a few of the words I would use to describe my experience working with Sh...
01/16/2015

Inspired, knowledgeable, professional, are just a few of the words I would use to describe my experience working with Shaun. And yes – he works WITH you, in a detail-oriented manner to make sure each result is exactly what you want. He didn't even begrudge me when I showed up with clips on every piece of media you could think of! Shaun has the tools and expertise to create a consistent and professional reel, no matter what best-source format you were able to find. He can advise you on that in advance as well. If you want a professional reel that stands outs and highlights you and your work - Shaun is your guy.

Carrie Schroeder
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1690674/

Demo Reel Editor Shaun Wood
www.ContrarianMind.com

Working with Shaun was such an insightful and fun process. We worked together to create the best marketing tool for me a...
01/05/2015

Working with Shaun was such an insightful and fun process. We worked together to create the best marketing tool for me and he takes you step by step through the process. I was able to learn more about what the casting industry is looking for just by listening to and observing him work. He's very talented and professional and will take the time to show you what and why you need certain things to optimally sell yourself. I definitely recommend working with Shaun!

Logan Martin
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm6272363/

Demo Reel Editor Shaun Wood
www.ContrarianMind.com

Shaun Wood is an absolute genius. And more importantly, he loves what he does and he does it with precision. He is most ...
12/18/2014

Shaun Wood is an absolute genius. And more importantly, he loves what he does and he does it with precision. He is most definitely a perfectionist and can fine tune any moment that is not moving your demo reel along smoothly or making you look like a complete professional at what you do. Like a classical composer who crafts a fine piece of music. Shaun has the innate ability to hear and see colors and notes that go far beyond a trained eye or ear. I am so genuinely happy with my final product and implore any actors out there who are looking for editing work to trust in Shaun, throw a bunch of material his way, sit back, relax and watch the magic happen in front of your very own eyes.

Gareth Koorzen
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4548424/

Demo Reel Editing
www.ContrarianMind.com

Shaun did an amazing job editing my reel and clips. I just sat there and watched him perform his magic, giving my approv...
11/27/2014

Shaun did an amazing job editing my reel and clips. I just sat there and watched him perform his magic, giving my approval at each step in the process. The end result was a night and day difference from the original material after he was done editing my scenes. He was able to feature me in a much stronger light through editing. Lets face it, when it comes to our reels and clips its got to be all about us. Its our job to show the casting directors what we can do, not showcase what the other actors in our scenes can do. I feel a lot more confident and proud to submit to projects with my new clips and reel. Thank you Shaun!

Mary Mackey
www.imdb.com/name/nm2257466/

Demo Reel Editing
www.ContrarianMind.com

Shaun is a demo reel wizard. Over the course of three hours, he turned my raw, poorly-edited supporting footage into sea...
11/20/2014

Shaun is a demo reel wizard. Over the course of three hours, he turned my raw, poorly-edited supporting footage into seamless, reel-worthy clips that completely focused the story’s attention on me. I would even go so far as to say he improved upon the original directors’ and editors’ intentions. I highly recommend Shaun to anyone looking to edit their reel, and I most certainly intend on using him in the future.

Jason Kobielus
www.imdb.me/jasonkobielus

www.ContrarianMind.com
Demo Reel Editing

11/19/2014

David Carey Foster is an accomplished American actor of stage and screen based in Los Angeles, California. Born in 1960 on an American army base in Landstuhl, Germany, David spent his childhood moving around the United States with his family of five, driven in part by his parents' life-long passion for travel and geographic diversity. After living in Illinois, Ohio and Florida, the Fosters eventually settled in Albuquerque, New Mexico, when David was 14 years old. It was there that he attended Eldorado High School, and was bitten by the acting bug in his junior year. After reading a John Masefield poem in an Introduction to Theatre class, the drama instructor asked him to audition for the next show - a production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream." He did, and was cast in nearly every show for the next two years. The fire was ignited. Foster was also busy off-stage, earning a little pocket money in a series of wide-ranging, and often unusual after-school jobs. He had a landscaping business with three friends, dove for mish*t golf balls at a local course pond, cut railroad ties at the end of a two-man saw, unloaded nitroglycerin for a demolition company, and washed dishes in a dinner theatre. After graduating high school in 1978, he won theatre scholarships from the three major universities in New Mexico, and decided to accept at the smallest of them - Eastern New Mexico University - in order to get the most stage time. ENMU was located in the southern part of the state, in the middle of a large peanut and dairy-farming community. After two years of study, and his first professional gig - a summer show on Galveston Island - he started to feel the allure of more practical experience. So, when a director he had worked with at ENMU suggested David for a contract at the Great American Melodrama, on the central coast of California, he jumped at the opportunity. After breaking the difficult news to his parents, he struck out for California with a one-year contract, 500 dollars and the 30-show resume that he had gained in the four years since he read John Masefield's poem. At "The Melodrama," as locals call it, David cut his eyeteeth as a professional actor: working six days a week in wide-ranging productions; greeting, seating and serving patrons; and eventually became the on-stage emcee. It was a foundational year-long crash-course in sustained, interactive live-performance. From there, it seemed he inherited his parents' wanderlust. David left the central coast, and spent a good number of years working in regional theatre and traveling the country before finishing his degree with two years of study at the University of Arizona, as well as securing a handful of television roles that included his first network appearance on "The Young Riders" as Doc. After a couple more years working regionally, David finally settled in L.A. and began adding to his TV and film credits. He also started to diversify more earnestly into music and writing; two sub-headings to his talents that had been serving him along the way. He formed a writing partnership with friend Todd Schroder, a well-known local music director, performer and musician. They partnered with another friend, Thomas Lauifi, and began a singing trio called Pepper Street, after the street they lived on. Along the way, David also partnered with actor/musician Larry Poindexter to create a new rhythm and blues musical called "The Devil You Know;" thanks, in some part, to actor Stephen Root, who took the reins as a producer and was instrumental in the formal workshop that would forge the ultimate form of the show. He has since continued developing other works for the stage that are in various stages of progress, including a completed stage adaptation of Judith Guest's seminal work, "Ordinary People." As a producer, David has worked for the Central Coast Repertory Theatre on productions of "My Children - My Africa," "Stieglitz Loves O'Keefe," "Voices of America" and "A Night at the Tony's." At the Colony Theatre in Los Angeles, he also sat on the other side of the table to produce "Einstein & the Polar Bear" and "The Cocktail Hour."

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1132269

www.ContrarianMind.com
Demo Reel Editing

Best Editor at the 168 Film Festival!
11/08/2014

Best Editor at the 168 Film Festival!

Put away your preconceived notions about video editing sessions, because Shaun Wood at ContrarianMind will redefine the ...
11/08/2014

Put away your preconceived notions about video editing sessions, because Shaun Wood at ContrarianMind will redefine the experience for you. If you’ve been editing your own reel (or any kind of project), as I was, by sitting down with Final Cut and learning on the job as you struggle with questionable copies of your footage and how exactly to make the software do what you want, then Shaun will certainly rock your world. You will be astounded at his myriad abilities to quickly and efficiently maximize footage in ways that you never would have imagined. Plus, he travels to you, completely self-contained, so you work from the comfort of your own home over a cup or coffee…or two. This is rare. It is worth every reasonable dollar he charges to have a professional do the work - saving you time and stress; and you walk away with a much better representation of your talent than you could ever manufacture yourself. Trust him with your future! You will be very happy you did.

-David Carey Foster
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1132269

www.ContrarianMind.com

10/14/2014

You might know your lines perfectly, can project loudly, and did you hair perfectly, but if this one thing isn't right...neither is your self-tape.

10/06/2014

You know what to not do in the audition room, but it's exactly those things that will help you in your prep!

09/04/2014

How do demo reels for child actors differ from demo reels for adults? Find out!

Congratulations to ContrarianMind client, Hope Olaidé Wilson. Her recurring role on the hit TNT series, The Last Ship, ...
08/02/2014

Congratulations to ContrarianMind client, Hope Olaidé Wilson. Her recurring role on the hit TNT series, The Last Ship, begins airing this Sunday at 9:00 PM.

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