In the rich tradition of under-promising and over-delivering, November’s meeting overflowed with a diversity and richness of information that the attendees no doubt found revolutionary and eminently practical. If you attend no other meeting this year, your dues would have been very well spent at this one. So let’s do the recap.

Billed as a basic how-to for constructing a demo reel, we quickly learned from our distinguished panel of experts that the reel is but the tip of the iceberg when it comes to getting that employer to say “Yes!” Offering up advice for the job-seeker were Jay Whitsett, Vice President of Programming at CPTV and a multi award-winning producer with a 30-year track record of success in broadcasting; Guy Ortoleva, MCAICT board member, Vice President of Development at Tripeg Studios and former Director of the Connecticut Film Office; Steve Lovelace, President of Moving Pictures and a 20-year industry veteran; and Wendy Lambert, President of Palace Production Center, a multi-faceted production house with clients ranging from Fortune 500 to cable networks. Conducting the panel discussion was Diane Ploch, who posed pointed and provocative questions to the panel.

After discussing what each of their companies does, Diane asked: "What assets do you look for most in a video professional, freelance or full-time?"

All agreed that a basic skill set is the baseline requirement, and that availability and reliability are of paramount importance. By the way, that skill set needs to include the latest technology such as Flash and image processing programs other than video editing software. And because referrals are so critical in this game, a good name among your peers counts for more than even testimonials from happy clients. Since unsolicited demos will be checked against a known group of peers anyway, this sort of makes the case for networking, doesn’t it? Whitsett went so far as to say that “it’s all networking now.” He added that a person’s understanding of multiple outlets for media is becoming ever more critical. He doesn’t like resumes, but appreciates persistence. This sentiment was echoed by all the panelists. Diane told a story of one polite but persistent intern she ended up hiring at Channel 3 who became Director of Operations! Whitsett also offered that an understanding of how you can make your prospective employer look good is an absolute asset.

Likeability was mentioned since anyone hired to work on a team will be spending long hours under intense conditions of enforced and sustained creativity.  Lovelace offered that college no longer matters, but having a diverse and current set of skills is critically important. When it comes to sending the actual DVD in hard copy, Ortoleva offers that a cleverly designed print piece can make all the difference when it comes to persuading someone to put your DVD into their reader. He added that while the jack-of-all-trades is not quite as well respected, he reinforced Whitsett’s statement that a thorough knowledge of cross-platform content creation is absolutely essential.

While none of the panelists suggested the total abandonment of had copy reels, they all seemed to be very drawn to online postings of work.

Finally, Lambert mentioned passion and enthusiasm for the work as vital assets. More on this later.

Diane then posited this question: "How has the evolution media affected the skill sets needed to be successful?"

Everyone mentioned having a combined skill set. Lovelace warned that the same media revolution that has created YouTube has spawned a river of garbage that actually works to the benefit of the skilled media professional. He adds that the professional must stay current and be contextually relevant. In other words, know how your contribution fits into the contribution of others. He also adds that you must be diverse in the creative sense since it takes more to engage viewers nowadays. He ends with the admonition to younger people that they must learn the rules of the road before they start breaking them. That creativity without structure is a waste.

Whitsett takes a divergent view and sees in younger people a powerful set of assumptions about the world and their own ability to re-write the rules. He adds that if you have a broadband connection and a laptop, you can own your niche today. As he said, “the kids got it goin’ on”.

Being adaptable to change was universally mentioned as an asset. Work out of your comfort zone. Broaden your skill set. Know how to tell a story. And finally, convince the person who refers you that you will make him or her look good!

Next question: "What about the people who have been in the business for a long time. How do they stay current?"

Lots of quick suggestions here: Crack open a book. Attend free seminars put on my trade associations. (Editor’s note: Come to meetings held by MCA-I). Get involved in a project that requires you to learn a new technology and learn by doing. Good workers will actually be able to figure it out on the job. These are all just tools. You still need the creativity to make it work.

Question Next: "What appeals to you in a demo reel?"

The basics here were sometimes surprising. While Lovelace wants to see a fast-paced complete program, Lambert prefers to see only the contribution you made to the whole piece. This brought out an important point by all. One of the biggest problems with reels is that it is nearly impossible for the viewer to discern your actual contribution to the final product. It is therefore important to clearly identify what you did. And since the running time must be brief (as Lovelace said, “We live in a headline world”), consider using subtitles to label the piece as it plays rather than interrupt the flow with title cards.

Lambert added that sometimes grabbing a company logo and inserting it as a bug at the lower right can add a touch of class. Most panelists agreed that some sort of non-linear approach to shot selection was a good idea. Ortoleva added that it must be very easy to use and get him interested within 10 – 15 seconds. He also added that a clearly seen contact information is important. He mentioned a PDF with live links as one way of thinking outside the box on getting noticed. Lovelace recommended taking the time to make a number of reels, one for each market niche you aspire to enter. All seemed rather down on the “shotgun” approach. Lambert suggested that you offer to pay for a final edited copy of your desired piece, then you have a master with which to edit.

The next question was more direct: "Beyond the demo reel, how do we contact you?"

Do pro-bono work for a charity that is liked by your prospective employer. That way you’d get meetings with people who otherwise might never see you. Trade your services for cut-rates on editing suites.

Clever copywriting was emphasized as a tool to get noticed, but all seemed to agree that a reel that was referred would have a better chance at being seen. Everyone also agreed that bad news travels much faster among crews than good news ever could, so try to keep friendly relations with everyone you work with on set.

Ortoleva put on his attorney’s hat and suggested that you get permission from everyone whose work will appear in your reel, if for no other reason so you can sleep at night. Good advice, Guy!

Whitsett, always looking for good ideas for documentaries, asked for a one-page proposal for a project of broad interest. His shop, loaded with toys and support people, is particularly looking for one-man producers who can essentially do it all.

Ink on the DVD is 10 times better than a paper label. But Lovelace adds here that even sending a DVD strikes him as old school, so do your homework before sending out anything. Try to know what format they will prefer you to send.

All the panelists preferred that you know something about their company before you contact them. The web makes this fairly easy nowadays; so don’t forget to do a little homework before you send out those links.

Testimonials from clients are useful if the client is known to the prospective employer. So use sparingly and with caution.

All mentioned that if you get hired once and do a great job, you would most certainly be hired again and again.

There are many things you can do to get noticed in this business, in this state. In real estate they say it’s location, location, location. In our business it seems to come down to preparation, preparation, preparation. Whether you’ve gone to university or the school of hard knocks, it all comes down to talent. Can you tell a story, move an audience, work and play well with others, keep up with your craft, network like crazy and use some of these tips to get yourself in the door? And do it all with passion and enthusiasm? If so, you’ve come to the right place.

Good luck and we’ll see you at the next meeting!