Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Problem is, they may not be hearing the music at all. In large companies, the
first people to vet your reel will probably be those in the HR department. People hired
for these positions are chosen specifically because they have experience with creative
departments. They aren't expected to make final decisions, but they do have enough
sense for what the final decision-makers want that they can be trusted to handle the
first cut. By and large, they do that by gathering in a conference room and watching
the reel with the sound off. If your visual presentation isn't good enough to stand on
its own, it will become obvious to them quickly.
The only way to ensure that the music doesn't blind you is to turn it off your-
self. If you've used it well, the sense of rhythm and the build in pleasurable tension
should have transferred itself to the reel. You'll miss the music, but not enough to
ruin the enjoyment.
The other time when dependence on music can hurt you is when you use a
self-publishing site as your portfolio reel's home. Unlike on your own address, where
it's unlikely anyone will notice or care, these sites are big enough to be sued.
YouTube, for example, will take down a video that infringes on a company's copyright
if they complain, or if someone else points it out. That's most likely to happen
if you use a popular idol's music for your reel. Or perhaps they'll simply block the
sound portion of the feed. For some reels, that's not much better than being
blocked entirely.
After you have your clips sequenced and timed exactly as you want them, it's
time to consider those seemingly small details that wrap up the reel package and tele-
graph that you are an experienced pro—even if you aren't quite that yet. Adding the
following elements to your reel shows your sensitivity to who will be viewing it, and
under what circumstances:
•
Sound level test.
Every reel with sound should contain a brief audio test
tone at the very beginning. This tone may be a nicety for funky jazz, but a
necessity for heavy metal. Every playback device for your reel will be set to a
different volume, and the last thing you want to do is explode the eardrums
of a potential employer. Sure, they'll adjust the volume when your music
begins, but it's a guarantee that they will utterly miss whatever is actually
onscreen for that time. Since its likely to be one of your best bits, you want
them totally focused from the beginning.
•
Color bars.
Like the sound test, placing SMPTE color bars at the beginning of
a reel is a leftover from the days of tape, and many digital reels no longer
include them. That's a shame, because they're just as necessary now as they
were then. Not all viewers have a calibrated monitor or projector, but they all
