FROM: DON FITZPATRICK ASSOCIATES "SHOPTALK" Friday September 13, 1996 http://www.tvspy.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------- THE GREAT TAPE AUDITION FORMAT DEBATE: We received 174 ballots from news directors, former news directors, news managers, EPs, and production house supervisors. The results: 120 preferred to view audition tapes that were sent to them on a VHS format. 28 liked 3/4 inch and felt that it should be the industry standard and 26 felt Beta was the best choice. The viewing of VHS tapes, as the right format for audition tapes in 1996, was a 5:1 favorite. On the Pro side: VHS tapes are readily available, fairly inexpensive, cheaper to mail, you can find a VHS playback machine in a news directors office, all over the station -- and -- if necessary, at home. The Con side: they are cheaper and therefore look less professional. Chief photographers, in particular, felt that the quality of VHS just wasn't good enough for them. Of the 26 who preferred Beta as the standard, almost all were chief photographers who wanted the quality of Beta and they had easy access to Beta equipment. Only a handful of news managers (literally) preferred Beta. The smaller the market size, the less they preferred Beta as an audition choice (take heed entry-level reporter-types). Many of these small market managers said they didn't have a Beta machine at the station. Even news directors whose shop was a Beta- shooting shop didn't like looking at Beta audition tapes because they didn't have a Beta machine in their office. Viewing audition tapes required them to schlep the tapes to an edit bay and kick someone out. This also sent off signals that the boss is looking for someone and "inquiring minds want to know." Although 3/4 inch video tapes barely beat out Beta as a No.2 choice among news managers, there wasn't a lot of energy as the format-of- choice. In the early 90s, 3/4 inch was still the audition format king, but no longer in 1996. As we move toward the digital world of the year 2000 it appears that 3/4 inch decks will join "news film" at the Smithsonian. Here are some of my suggestions on the subject of what tape format job seekers should use when applying for a position. 1) News managers: Be specific, put in your personnel ads which format(s) you prefer. 2) Job seekers: follow the directions you read in the ad. Don't try to CORRECT the station by sending the format YOU prefer. If the ad doesn't say which format to send...CALL THE STATION and ask someone in the newsroom (NOT the news director) what format you should send. Finally, ATTENTION: Asian-American Journalists Association (AAJA), National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), regional Associated Press meetings (AP), local and national Radio Television News Directors Association (RTNDA), any and all groups that offer tape critiques of auditions -- or for that matter -- any of these groups that show video tapes in their seminars...Pick YOUR Standard Tape Format and make EVERYONE who attends your conference stick to YOUR format. I can't tell you how frustrating it is to be sitting down to a tape critique session with a 3/4 inch machine and people show up with Beta or even HI-8 tapes for critiquing. Your standard format should appear in all your mailing literature and be obvious in bold-faced type to your participants and speakers/presenters that this is YOU format for the conference. Every mailing should remind them over and over again of YOUR tape standard.