Promo Videos

[busterjuggler]

What Length do people recomend for promo videos to send to agents? also should i follow technology and put onto dvd or just stick with VHS for now.

Would love to see others promo videos to see what i need to do really....many varied responses in other threads.......no audience....and show lots of audience

If any one could help thatd be great...are they looking for you performing or your reactions with the crowd? or both.
Thanks
James

[scot]

my video:

http://www.jugglegood.com/video

20 minute variety gigs = 3 min tape
20+ and corporate gigs = 6 min tape
comedy clubs and other surprises = full show

A good way to determine what would be needed on the video is to figure out how much you're charging and think about

"Hmm, if I were going to pay someone $200 to perform at my birthday party, what would prove they are worth it."

Making any good visual marketing device is usually around 70% research. After that, you put your research into planning, and a small part is production and post production.

A small part? I thought that the production and post production take a long time. Yes. they do. And the pre production will take that much longer.

That's if you want to make it good.

Otherwise, watch other peoples videos and slap together as many video clips as you can find. Add a song you like and you're done.

[martin ewen]

from library, re festivals

"VIDEO
The video should be short (3 mins) and should show the prospective client what it is that you do. (Not how big your crowds are or what a great editor you are, how you get ready, what kind of car you drive to work etc.) It must be remembered that most festival organizers have a great many videos pass across their desks and most will out of duty watch the first minute of every video.

Your focus should be to keep the client entertained and interested past this point so as to effectively present your entire visual sales pitch and at the very least make it onto his or her shortlist. If you can make a client laugh in the first 30 seconds you have an above average chance of securing income."

Agents are more varied as are their clients, but you asked and thats my opinion

[le pire]

my new video is nearly done and I'm stuck trying to find the music for the first fifteen bloody seconds...

I'm going through my entire CD collection (over 2000 discs) and scouring the internet... the music I like is almost totally unsuitable. (I have incredibly bad taste in music: europop, industrial or hard alternative). It's difficult not to get sucked into former 'favourite albums.' Jesus, Jane's Addiction was a brilliant band.

I also refuse to use jazz or swing of any kind. God I hate this part of the process.

etienne

[gav]

try this

15 seconds at the start, hmmm. I'm thinking high energy start that can then mix to what you have for the rest of it some how.
Try some drum solos.
Listen here

http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Gene_Krupa.html

I've chosen Gene Kruper for you, I know he's jazz, but he's fantastic.

[le pire]

Thanks Gav, yeah you nailed it about the percussion, and thanks for the Gene Krupa link. WOW. That's all I can say. WOW.

I actually just found the song on the most unlikely of CD's. Green Day. A few years ago my brother and I were going through our CD collections and pulling out the CD's which we were like "what the hell kind of loser am I for having this?" and smashing them. I descretely and skipped the Green Day along with the George Michael CD's, and now I'm glad I did. Skipping the Green Day, that is... what George Michael? I don't have any George Michael cds!

A close second was unother unlikely "artist"... Melanie C, former spice girl. The first 30 seconds of the song Go are actually really good for an opening intro montage.

Also, I broke my own jazz rule... the outro music to the video is by Paris Combo, but I have a hard time calling them jazz because they are so influenced by Django Rhinart and the middle east and Gypsie music.

I've come up with my own "formula" for the editing of the whole video... we'll see if it works. You'll see all of this soon on my website.

BTW, great to hear how you are rocking the Balkans.

etienne

[gav]

if you're into that

Gene is way cool, I'm going to use him for a hat routine. Since you have bad taste in music, you might try finding some dance remixes of his stuff that were released in the 90s. Catchy kitch but ok.
aaannd if you like DJango, then you should definately take a look for 'The Robin Nolan Trio' Fantastic guys that are probably some of the best exponents of that style around. They play street festivals sometimes and are keen promoters of everything DJango.
Croatia is way cool, but the enforced winter subdued my success somewhat. Summer is on the rise though and things are looking up.
Can't wait to see the video
I'm going to have to make a new one soon too.

[le pire]

It's really not a good idea to keep listening to music for video until 4 am... then you start thinking Green Day is perfect. Maybe I should have smashed that disc.

[scot]

a good practice is to pick out the music once you have the first rough cut. You should have already planned your message and branding so, pick out some songs that have the right rythm for what you're doing ( I pick around 30 ) then, listen to each while going through the list of qualities you want to communicate. I usually go through those songs, then, i need to pick out another bunch and try again. I'm anal and it pays.

Having your video edits match up with the beats of the song makes a big difference in cohesion. It's a sore thumb if it ain't right.

[le pire]

That's really good advice.

I also try to keep in mind what kind of music the person seeing this will like. After this initial video I am planning on doing several different edits for different clients. I have several gigs lined up over the summer that I hope to turn into three camera shoots. We'll see what actually happens though...


etienne