OPINIONS: Opening slate? Yes or no?

[TAFKA wacowx]

I say no and I will tell you my reasoning: NDs want to see the talent when they pop in the tape or DVD, so why make them suffer through 10 seconds of information that as of right now, they couldn't care less about. After your material, by all means, include a slate with contact info. Having a 10-second alate also risks having a news director FFWD past it and missing some of your opening material, which should be some of your best. Or, if a news director is truly giving us 15 seconds, why take up 10 of those with your address info?

We send a resume and cover letter along with the reel which includes said info, if the video is an online offering, the info can be right there on screen while those doing the hiring watch the video in a window...or, it is likely in an e-mail that spawned this trip to view your website...i.e. you may have sent a link to this in a mass e-mail, let's say.

Is this just the way it's always been done so people are afraid to go against the grain? I have noticed when I review material online for fellow Medialiners, seeing that opening slate just gets me miffed, since I just want to see the material...get in and get out. Do news directors feel the same way, or am I just impatient. I would imagine if you were reviewing hundreds of videos, it would take up a horrendous amount of your time.

Thoughts?

[east coast producer]

No slate off the top. If you're having some sort of severe identity crisis, put your name and number on a single line superimposed over the video on the top or bottom of the screen... but no slate.

[wx or not]

Never an opening slate. IF the ND is interested, he can review the hard copy sent with the tape.

[Bob Sakamano]

Agree.

[Calvin]

This may be the least controversial topic on Medialine! Carry on.

(No slate.)

[wx or not]

Slates are a pathetic waste of time for both the applicant AND the ND. If any aspiring applicant wants a greater chance of getting hired, DROP the slate entirely. Attach a hard copy resume (as you should anyway) and let the ND (who is probably a pretty smart cookie) discover your name after reviewing your tape. The best part is, by NOT having a slate, you may even put yourself in better graces with the ND!:thumbsup:

[Mighty Dyckerson]

With my tapes, I always include an actual piece of slate.

http://www.answersincreation.org/curriculum/geology/images/SlateUSGOV.jpg

Not only are the NDs impressed by my wonderful reporting, but they also have a nifty paperweight to keep my resume from blowing away.

[southwesternguy]

I say no and I will tell you my reasoning: NDs want to see the talent when they pop in the tape or DVD, so why make them suffer through 10 seconds of information that as of right now, they couldn't care less about. After your material, by all means, include a slate with contact info. Having a 10-second alate also risks having a news director FFWD past it and missing some of your opening material, which should be some of your best. Or, if a news director is truly giving us 15 seconds, why take up 10 of those with your address info?

We send a resume and cover letter along with the reel which includes said info, if the video is an online offering, the info can be right there on screen while those doing the hiring watch the video in a window...or, it is likely in an e-mail that spawned this trip to view your website...i.e. you may have sent a link to this in a mass e-mail, let's say.

Is this just the way it's always been done so people are afraid to go against the grain? I have noticed when I review material online for fellow Medialiners, seeing that opening slate just gets me miffed, since I just want to see the material...get in and get out. Do news directors feel the same way, or am I just impatient. I would imagine if you were reviewing hundreds of videos, it would take up a horrendous amount of your time.

Thoughts?

I feel the same way. I get impatient when looking at videos online, and I see a slate. Especially if it's too long. If you think we're impatient, an ND is much, much less patient.

[NonPersa]

good to know.

[Randy Steinman]

If anywhere, slate at the end. If they've watched the entire reel anyway, it's not going hurt you.

But please make sure you label your reel with current contact info, preferably a permanent email address. (Home addresses and phone numbers change constantly, espy early in your career.)

[overthehill]

Sorry to be the only one voting to keep the slate at the start. No more than 10 seconds though. I'm a traditionalist.

Here's why. Your DVD/tape, resume and cover letter are all going to get separated. Yes, you can print the pertinent information on the face of the DVD or glue it to the tape, but having it at the head of the video doesn't hurt.

[ewink]

This may be the least controversial topic on Medialine! Carry on.

(No slate.)
Nuts to that.

Only satan worshiping liberals don't use slates. Gay marriage.

[east coast producer]

Sorry to be the only one voting to keep the slate at the start. No more than 10 seconds though. I'm a traditionalist.

Why do you gotta rock the boat, overthehill? Huh? Now we's gotsta take ya out back and knocka some sense into ya.

Nuts to that.

Only satan worshiping liberals don't use slates. Gay marriage.

Best.

Post.

Today.

[Fnj]

No slate off the top I think!

[Charlie Brown]

well if you're leading with a live shot, there'll likely be a CG identifying you up for the first 5 seconds anyways....so even if your tape did get separated from your resume, the ND will know what your name is if they're actually watching.

[gdiamante]

Just label your stuff correctly. We can figure it out from there. Slates are not needed, never were.

[Jimmy Conway]

Echoing previous posters, I would say a slate and the end will be fine, if even that.

Lead off with YOU.

[Who Cares???]

With my tapes, I always include an actual piece of slate.

http://www.answersincreation.org/curriculum/geology/images/SlateUSGOV.jpg

Not only are the NDs impressed by my wonderful reporting, but they also have a nifty paperweight to keep my resume from blowing away.

MD musta been STONED when he posted this...

[TokenWhiteGirl]

Just label your stuff correctly. We can figure it out from there. Slates are not needed, never were.

Ah, I beg to differ! The only reason I got my first job is because the braindead ND LOST my cover letter and resume and luckily had the slate to contact me.

Yeah, you can imagine how efficiently that newsroom was run...

[TAFKA wacowx]

Ah, I beg to differ! The only reason I got my first job is because the braindead ND LOST my cover letter and resume and luckily had the slate to contact me.

Yeah, you can imagine how efficiently that newsroom was run...

You didn't have any contact info on the tape label?

[Consider This]

You didn't have any contact info on the tape label?

I was gonna say.

You put your name and address on a label physically attached to the tape/DVD itself.

I've landed jobs from tapes without slates for most of my career. If items got separated, NDs still had my contact info as long as they had my tape.

[Roy Hobbs]

I always open with Mr. Slate. I feel he is someone the manager can identify with.
http://www.bedrockcityaz.com/images/subjects/games/mrslate-200pix.gif

[Mr. Pratfall]

I put a slate at the beginning of my last reel, but it did have a ninja on it, which helped.

[TokenWhiteGirl]

I was gonna say.

You put your name and address on a label physically attached to the tape/DVD itself.

I've landed jobs from tapes without slates for most of my career. If items got separated, NDs still had my contact info as long as they had my tape.


No, I did. I had both. But my tape label wasn't as thorough as the slate. I think I may have only had my e-mail address and name on the label; I don't recall. Regardless, if the ND is constantly comatose on Xanax then SOMETHING on the tape - be it a label or slate - will be helpful.

[TAFKA wacowx]

No, I did. I had both. But my tape label wasn't as thorough as the slate. I think I may have only had my e-mail address and name on the label; I don't recall. Regardless, if the ND is constantly comatose on Xanax then SOMETHING on the tape - be it a label or slate - will be helpful.

But, as you are alluding to. If the ND is that scatterbrained, comatose and a poor excuse for a manager...would you really want to work there? If for some reason, he did lose your contact info, wouldn't that be the best thing that could have happened to you that day?

And...he/she couldn't have e-mailed you...via the address on the label?

I'm just saying, why take up a ND's time by having him sit through 10 seconds of your info when it can easily be elsewhere. Heck, I am all for a closing slate with info.

"Wow, I really liked this guy...OH... there's his contact info. I will give him a call."

As opposed to...

"OK....Joe Smith...yadda ...yadddda...yea, I see your contact info is right here on your resume. sigh....OK come on, I don't have all day. Here we go....eh, not bad....(etc)"

[TokenWhiteGirl]

But, as you are alluding to. If the ND is that scatterbrained, comatose and a poor excuse for a manager...would you really want to work there? If for some reason, he did lose your contact info, wouldn't that be the best thing that could have happened to you that day?

And...he/she couldn't have e-mailed you...via the address on the label?

I'm just saying, why take up a ND's time by having him sit through 10 seconds of your info when it can easily be elsewhere. Heck, I am all for a closing slate with info.

"Wow, I really liked this guy...OH... there's his contact info. I will give him a call."

As opposed to...

"OK....Joe Smith...yadda ...yadddda...yea, I see your contact info is right here on your resume. sigh....OK come on, I don't have all day. Here we go....eh, not bad....(etc)"


I think it's a matter of preference anyway. Some NDs are going to like it, some aren't. There's really no way of knowing ahead of time unless someone who already works there told you, or if you know the ND beforehand (in which case there's even less of a reason to use a slate).

And yes, had I of taken his scatter-brained habits into account beforehand, I probably wouldn't have taken the job! Of course, I didn't truly know what a goon he was until I worked there. He seemed normal over the phone from miles away. Hey, I was 20, just graduated from college and was hungry for that first gig!

[WisconsinWX]

I spent a lot of time making my slate something worth looking at - with still images moving on-screen of me doing different things weather-wise. All of this while my contact information was displayed in an attractive box over the images. The whole thing played for 4 seconds and faded in the 5th second to my resume tape. It definitely didn't produce any bad effects for me, and I would argue that a well-produced and creative slate coupled with well-produced and creative labels would make you more attractive to a potential employer in a visual industry. Just make sure it's not just *you* who think it's good-looking and actually get a few opinions.

[wx or not]

I spent a lot of time making my slate something worth looking at - with still images moving on-screen of me doing different things weather-wise. All of this while my contact information was displayed in an attractive box over the images. The whole thing played for 4 seconds and faded in the 5th second to my resume tape. It definitely didn't produce any bad effects for me, and I would argue that a well-produced and creative slate coupled with well-produced and creative labels would make you more attractive to a potential employer in a visual industry. Just make sure it's not just *you* who think it's good-looking and actually get a few opinions.
Yeah, but Whiskey, you were ALREADY good looking. What about the rest of us?:thumbsup:

[WisconsinWX]

Yeah, but Whiskey, you were ALREADY good looking. What about the rest of us?:thumbsup:

Hahaha! ;)