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Demo Reel versus Website
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[Jeremy Doyle] “[Todd Terry] “That, plus I just prefer watching DVDs on a real television set, seen more as they are “meant to be seen,” rather than little embedded videos.”
That begs the question, DVD or Blu-Ray?
I can embed a full 1080p video. I haven’t yet made a blu-ray disc.”
Just about everyone has a DVD player. Not everyone has Blu-ray.
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Well in the world of today I think for the most part that still means standard-def DVDs… whether native standard-def or downconverted.
I have yet to have someone give me a reel on Blu-ray, although I’m sure it’s coming.
Likewise, we have not yet had someone request (or us send) a general reel out on Blu-ray… although if someone requests one, we’d be happy to oblige.
I think that’s obviously still both a hardware and a media issue. I’d say most people still don’t have a standalone Blu-ray player, and most computers still in service don’t have Blu-ray drives… although that’s changing fast. And then there’s the media cost… a blank printable-surface DVD is what now?… a dime? A quarter? They’re so cheap I don’t even know. The first blank Blu-ray discs I bought probably not much more than a year ago were pushing 25 bucks apiece. I think the last ones we bought were in the $3-4 range, but that’s still not the throwaway cost of a DVD, especially if you are doing lots of them.
T2
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Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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More to the point is, the best quality samples of my work would be on the web, not on a DVD. So I could give you a link which is one click to the HD samples or I can go to the effort of making a DVD and sending it out to you so you can probably put it in a DVD player that has to up convert to a TV with a native HD resolution.
Honestly, other than deliverables, I haven’t worked much with SD since 2005. If I was showcasing my demo reel, why would I want it to be seen in anything less than the best quality?
Now for me, my demo reel would be used for getting a job, not soliciting work, where I could see a DVD being very useful. There is a big difference between the 2.
If I work in media and I’m petitioning for a job from a media company, I would want the best quality samples.
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I send what is requested. Lately it has been “a link to a site with samples of your work.”
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
If I’m looking to hire, I want a link, NOT a DVD.
I’ve got too many discs piled up already, and besides, then I’ll have to get up and walk over to the credenza, load it in, awwww forget it… I’m already looking at the link of that OTHER person I
wanted to hire!While there have been some valid suggestions as to why DVD’s may still be useful, in my world, by and large they’re DEAD.
Mark
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To be clear…. we have multiple ways for clients to see. Including several online methods. I’ve recently been moving most of our stuff to Vimeo due to its more favorable IP rights. I do this as its player works on iPhone and Droid at this point for on the go viewing.
Richard M. Harrington, PMP
Author: From Still to Motion, Video Made on a Mac, Photoshop for Video, Understanding Adobe Photoshop, Final Cut Studio On the Spot and Motion Graphics with Adobe Creative Suite 5 Studio Techniques
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[Todd Terry] “…plus I just prefer watching DVDs on a real television set, seen more as they are “meant to be seen,” rather than little embedded videos.”
You mean like this one…
Or perhaps the uncompressed full-weight 1080p version at https://reels.creativecow.net/film/11503, which if your pipe is deep and wide enough can give you higher than DVD performance. For mortals without 10gig-e pipes, they must wait for the download.
The way the web is going, Blu-ray quality is not far off. In some areas it’s already a reality.
The web really is whatever people choose to make it.
Best regards,
Ronald Lindeboom
CEO, Creative COW LLC
Publisher, Creative COW MagazineCreativity is a process wherein the student and the teacher are located in the same individual.
“Incompetence has never prevented me from plunging in with enthusiasm.” – Woody Allen
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Point made, Ron… and when I can click on a link and instantly watch full-blown 1080 HD video on an external separate real broadcast or production monitor (not the computer monitor), then I’m sure I’ll be a convert. I know those set-ups do and can exist, but it’s not the norm for most workstations.
I guess I’m in the peculiar position of being in a business where I sit at a computer all day and look at video… yet I loathe watching video on a computer monitor. Similarly… I hate seeing visible cabling of any kind… boy did I ever pick the wrong business (“There’s just no pleeeasing you, is there Mr. Powers?”).
One thing I hate about sending out DVDs (whether demos or client approvals or whatever), is knowing that 9 times out of 10 the recipients are probably going to pop it into the DVD drive on their computers… aaarrrgghh. Sometimes I’ll tell people, “Play this in a set-top DVD player and watch it on a real TV, to get the best results.” That’s one reason we encourage clients (at least the ones that are in town) to come in to our place to view and approve their final productions… although of course we often get the “Can’t you just email it to me?” Fortunately most enjoy coming in and getting the royal treatment.
It’s all just a personal preference, and while I’m pretty adamant about it I’ll readily admit that my aversion to computer video is probably in the vast majority.
T2
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Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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I have 1000 reels to go through right now – and lemme tell ya, I prefer links. In fact, because we submit cuts to clients as links, in many ways providing an asked-for link is the first test to get an interview.
And while I’m at it, I prefer links to actual work in my genre, not full fledged websites that require I navigate through somebody’s photo albums, witty thoughts on cheeses of the world, and their cat’s blog. Lastly, sites with reels embedded in Flash don’t work on iOS devices. Considering how many network execs I know that use the heck out of iPads and iPhones for their work, providing a Flash based reel can seriously hurt a person’s chances of getting hired. The reel shows off your work, but how you present it says quite a bit as well.Give me something simple, clean, and quicktime based and I’m a happy camper.
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[Todd Terry] “Point made, Ron… and when I can click on a link and instantly watch full-blown 1080 HD video on an external separate real broadcast or production monitor (not the computer monitor), then I’m sure I’ll be a convert.”
Why did I know you’d say this? ;o)
Your computer monitor must suck. Me, I use a combination of both HP Dreamcolor monitors and Apple Cinema Displays.
But watching DVDs on broadcast monitors seems sorta like going rabbit hunting with an elephant gun, in my humble opinion.
I don’t know about your TV set, but most of the non-production people I know and visit on occasion have set-ups that don’t come anywhere near what my computer set-up is.
Best regards,
Ronald Lindeboom
CEO, Creative COW LLC
Publisher, Creative COW MagazineCreativity is a process wherein the student and the teacher are located in the same individual.
“Incompetence has never prevented me from plunging in with enthusiasm.” – Woody Allen
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