When I started working in TV (a long time ago, at a station far, far away) it was made clear if you wanted to get your next job, or even your first break, “it’s all about your reel.” The game has changed.
A reel is a montage of video clips that shows a TV hiring manager what you look like on camera and the level of work you can produce. Think of it as a video resume that may never actually get watched by the person in charge of filling the position.
If you build a solid and engaged social media following, however, it’s much harder for you to be ignored. That’s in addition to the fact you’ll not only have an asset that could generate real monetary value but you will also have a digital case study that shows people like the content you create.
The truth is, LIVE non-sports related TV is becoming as antiquated as an AOL account. In short, their audience is leaving in droves and heading online instead. They know this. I remember folks used to tell me, “digital is a fad.” Well, they were wrong, and if they’re still working in the business, they’ve had to accept it.
Instead of trying to climb the TV ladder by market hopping, try kicking butt and taking names on the platform where most of your prospective media employer’s consumers are (probably Facebook).
Thousands of followers with a mediocre reel has more value for you as a brand than zero followers and a great reel. When the game changes you can either play by the new rules and win or fight them and lose.
This blog article was written by Five Seasons Media’s Chief Creative Officer, Josh Scheinblum. For questions about how Five Seasons Media can help your organization, please contact Josh via email at Josh@5SeasonsMedia.com.