Screenshots of the showreels of Synthesis Design Architecture, Balmori Associates, and SWA Group.

For a director or actor, putting together a showreel—a short video of spliced footage—is the first step in securing a gig. One may think of it as a cinematic portfolio: the means by which one presents work to the world of one's profession when the work is in motion. It might seem redundant, then, for an architect to have one too. After all, buildings are, by and large, static objects—and drawings, plans, photos and renderings can tell a lot. But, for those architects that do attempt to encapsulate their portfolio with real, edited footage—usually in combination with either voice-over or text statements—the rewards can be great. Not only does it make their work very accessible, it's also a bit of a control freak’s dream: the narrative of the practice is orchestrated, down to the millisecond.

Alvin Huang of Synthesis Design Architecture recently unveiled a showreel which features ethos statements paired with both animated computer renderings and live-action footage. It comprises a rapid-paced tour through several projects, conveying not only the firm’s breadth of experience, but willingness to play with unusual juxtapositions. Instead of scrolling through a labyrinth of slow-loading web pages, here the showreel efficiently orients the visitor towards SDA’s design sensibility.
[a showreel] is a bit of a control freak’s dream

“It took less than two days to put together,” Huang tells me, before clarifying that he’s referring to the editing process, which was undertaken by his intern Xiaoyin Xie from CalPoly SLO's LA Metro program. Most of the footage had been previously assembled for client presentations and lecture tours, handily equipping SDA with a variety of visually appealing footage. “We actually put it together because we had a recent interview for a potential new project, and a very small window of time to present ourselves. I wanted to ensure we had more time for presenting and discussing the actual project. So rather than choosing one or two projects to highlight our experience and way of thinking, I decided to illustrate our capabilities through a quick video that summarizes the content of our portfolio. The showreel allows us to give a very quick glimpse into the wide range of work we do—buildings, facades, interiors, pavilions, furniture—and also shed a bit of light into how we work, how we think, and what ties the work together. The showreel is essentially a trailer to our portfolio.”

Synthesis Design + Architecture 2017 Reel from Synthesis Design + Architecture on Vimeo.

Both SWA Group and Balmori Associates have similar quick orientation videos that take the visitor through the office’s principal design directives. In the latter case, the video is centered around the late, great Diana Balmori, who is able to convey her nuanced approach toward landscape design amongst a cavalcade of photos, renderings, and employees concentrating on looking like they don't know they are being filmed. For those who may not be familiar with her work, the video serves as an excellent introduction, a concept that seems to have undergirded SWA Group’s showreel.

“Our showreel was designed to take on multiple forms, starting out as an introduction to the incoming Chief Executive Officer and President of SWA and evolving into a comprehensive marketing video describing what our firm is all about and tapping clients for their opinions,” director and SWA associate Pavel Petrov explains. “During this transition, the product was developed to complement a new brand image and direction for SWA, culminating in a new website launch to showcase the piece. Ushering in a new generation at SWA, it was important to reconnect with clients, colleagues, and incoming professionals to share our message and continue to grow the SWA brand. Film was the most logical, accessible, and effective way to make that connection.”

Balmori BAL/LABS from Balmori Associates on Vimeo.

Unlike SDA’s 48-hour turn around, the SWA Group’s showreel took 18 months to finish, from its initial conception to post-production. “There were multiple shoots conducted for interviews and project B-Roll, taking the production team to four regions and eight cities to film throughout the US,” Petrov says. “We were able to take our project footage later and reconfigure it to create ‘SWA Experience’ videos, which were supplemented with new footage. Our phased approach has allowed us to maximize the effectiveness of these products while hedging cost. Our editor was instrumental in composing a fast-paced and quick-cutting narrative to keep viewers engaged. Flexibility was key to producing several variations of the product as it was reviewed and amended by multiple committees at SWA.”
Film was the most logical, accessible, and effective way to make that connection 

Of course, arguments could be made that committing to a single vision of the firm is inelastic and stifles growth. And yet, in the decades since the advent of the internet, the entire realm of presentation has experienced tremendous shocks. The notion of branding and ephemerality in presentation has gone from being controversial in architecture to becoming simply another aspect of an office’s public face. To be media-savvy isn't a stigma, but a measure of acumen. So what is the best method of making oneself known, and do those methods carry with them a certain cheesy connotative value? Is a showreel too pat, or is it genius marketing?

About Us by SWA from SWA Group on Vimeo.

In terms of its effectiveness, SDA’s Alvin Huang admits that the video has only been up on the site for a little over a week, but in that time, “the reception amongst friends and peers has been great. Amongst potential clients—I don't know. I believe strongly in the power of social media—Instagram gives people not only a chance to see the work and the culture behind it, but also gives a window into the way we view the world. Twitter and Facebook have the ability for viral sharing. So creating something that was able to work with all of the platforms was critical. The length of the video was entirely based off of Instagram's 60-second cap. So far it has at least caught Archinect's attention!”