Slates on Demo tapes

[DarrkkBlazer]

Anyone have examples of a good slate for your tape?

Do you personally use any fancy graphics via avid Marquee, or simply just name/address?

[FOXLight]

I have always used my name and address/ email/ phone on Color Bars with white lettering and a small drop shadow to help the graphics stand out. I use color bars because most in this business know the sound and will turn their head or pay attention... Good Luck.

[104imdirect]

IMHO, the slate should only be your name, phone number, address and maybe an e-mail address over a solid color.

Let your stories speak for themselves. You won't get hired because of a fancy slate.

[Land Rover]

I've always used a nice shot with a slight use of the macro that will throw it out of focus. The last one was a shot of downtown Dallas taken through some trees out at the Arboretum. That way your text stands out and it won't focus their attention on the video. Put your name, phone number, address and email.

[DarrkkBlazer]

ooh! I really like that idea Land Rover! I think I might try that with my city.

Currently I just have 2 LLVs on my tape. Concise editing, sequential order, (its for an editor position.)

I just really would like the overall thing to not suck. So thankyou for your reply's.

[NoJobTog]

My former News Director got a tape once wit a photog's picture on it. He had a bad response to it. He made the comment that it can come off as vain. His attitude was that with reporters somthing like that isn't bad because they are on-air an it applies to ther job. Photogs are off air and it doesn't matter wat they look like on cam.

[DarrkkBlazer]

Lol! Now that would be hilarious. I wonder what the photog was thinking.

[Sportsguy]

Lol! Now that would be hilarious. I wonder what the photog was thinking.

Maybe he just forgot to throw the macro...

[Goon]

All the info in plain balck letters over a solid white background. K.I.S.S. The packages sell the tape not the slate.

[cameradog]

In my last big job search that required a tape, I didn't have access to any convenient way to make a slate. What I did instead was print up a flyer with my name and information, complete with the little tear-off tabs at the bottom showing my name and phone number, like you might see tacked to a bulletin board to sell puppies or sublease an apartment. I went around to the laundromat, put the flyer on the bulletin board and set up a nice dramatic shot with the flyer in focus in the foreground with a row of dryers in the background.

I did another one that I put on the end of the tape, after all my stories, in which I taped the flyer to a telephone pole and shot it with headlights of traffic moving in the background, out of focus. In both these shots I tore off some of the phone number tabs to make it look like someone was interested.

I don't know if it helped me or hurt me, but I got a job with that tape.

[DanHostler1985]

When I was in college, designing slates/transitions were mandatory in our portfolio class. We had to come up with a "theme" that would represent who we are and how we stand out. I agree that packages sell the reel but having good looking transitions is the icing on the cake, at least for me. If anyone is interested enough they can look for themselves on my site

www.danhostler.com

[Baltimore's Finest Fotog]

In my last big job search that required a tape, I didn't have access to any convenient way to make a slate. What I did instead was print up a flyer with my name and information, complete with the little tear-off tabs at the bottom showing my name and phone number, like you might see tacked to a bulletin board to sell puppies or sublease an apartment. I went around to the laundromat, put the flyer on the bulletin board and set up a nice dramatic shot with the flyer in focus in the foreground with a row of dryers in the background.

I did another one that I put on the end of the tape, after all my stories, in which I taped the flyer to a telephone pole and shot it with headlights of traffic moving in the background, out of focus. In both these shots I tore off some of the phone number tabs to make it look like someone was interested.

I don't know if it helped me or hurt me, but I got a job with that tape.


That along with Land Rover's idea of using a shot with the macro thrown as the background for your slate are two REALLY cool ideas. I may just use these next time I'm looking...