Requesting a critique of a band promo video

[Bruce]

I don't know what your goal is with the video but IMHO it doesn't show a professional band. If you are looking to get better gigs, I think you will want to make this more purposeful. I used to put promo packets together for one of my bands for county and state fairs where the competition is higher. You have to be on your game for those gigs. Here are some things I noticed that would turn a booking agent off.

These are not meant to be malicious. I am just stating them directly.

As mentioned, dump the music stands. That says you don't know your music. Be very careful with replacing them with tablets. This will have the same effect if everyone has one in front of them. People spend too much time looking at the stand or tablet instead of engaging the audience.

Dress better if you are going to use it as a representation. Some of the folks looked a bit too relaxed in what they were wearing.

Make your photographs more professional. It doesn't take much effort to take a more professional picture of people with their instrument. As mentioned, don't overlay these on band footage. Highlight them with audio behind them. Be proud of them.

As also mentioned, transitions from one audio track to another should fade from one to another. It can be short but you need a transition there to make it feel smoother.

The audio isn't too bad. The good thing with using live audio is the person watching the video knows you didn't polish this in a studio. That tells them what they will get if they hire you. It is also good to show people dancing and having fun watching you. It at least one of the videos there were a lot of people just standing there watching. You may need to ask people to look more excited and plan out the footage a little bit or be more selective of what you using.

Again, none of this is meant to be malicious. I hope you don't take it that way. I am just plainly stating things I see that I know would not be helpful for getting gigs in the arena I used to do this in.

I too am somewhat of this opinion. Also, in no way, shape or form to be malicious. Just to offer help, if help is wanted. This video may serve to get you more bar gigs. If that is what is desired, mission accomplished. If you want “next level” type stuff, it just isnt competitive for a multitude of reasons, most of which are posted in the quoted message. So really, you have to define the goal before making a decision if anything needs to be done about it. A professional video costs money, and not just a few hundred bucks. I recently did one and it went absolutely nowhere, so be prepared to lose. I did another one and it resulted in some pretty good gigs, but that was a different band altogether.

now to be clear, there is NOTHING wrong with staying a bar band. I have often questioned the wisdom of taking “better” gigs that require either ticket sales, long drives or learning dozens of songs for when i can make just as much after expenses with my band in my town or the town over. Spent too many nights driving home from AC, cat napping on the side of the road and the NJSP thinking I’m liquored up. For an extra hundred? Not always worth it. Sometimes it is.

Saw a video recently without going too far off topic but this is great wisdom to share. The credentials for taking a gig must meet 2 out of 3 parameters or dont take it.

Good pay
Good music
Good hang.

If the gig isnt 2 of those things, dont do it.


But anyway, whatever your goals are, best of luck to you. No offense intended whatsoever.

 

[Gary BBB]

Bruce…I want to thank you and all the others who responded to my initial request for a critique of my promo video for the Back Bay Band. I learned much from the comments and suggestions and I had made numerous improvements to the promo video within the limits of available resources. Many comments have been about the music stands used by the band, and I get the point. The core focus for the band is to make music and have fun doing it, so I guess they are considered to be a bar band. They are not driven by the dollars, but do want to be paid fairly. In fact, my wife, the only woman in the band, will play a gig for free just to do it. I am not a band member and probably considered a roadie. Due to the “hobby” nature of the band, changes are more of an evolution than a revolution, so they’ll get where they want to go at a pace that I have no control over. I did create a “pad” for my wife to use on a small stand for it, which is not as visible as the big music stand, and she works it with a foot pedal, so there is no physical touching it as she goes. She always locates to the left end and out of the center stage focus. The two young singers up front (band leader’s sons) are the most obvious for music stands, and work needs to be done to lessen a dependency on the stands for them. The older of the two can be a showman on stage and I shared some of the comments with him. He is running with the comments and on the last gig he was singing more without the visual and even lowered the stand way down to expose himself more while also being more animated. The younger one, who is still in college to be an actuary and not always with the band, is not likely to take the time to memorize or stay in the band.
Just a couple more things…the core band members are considering signing up with a band booking agency, due to numerous local venues using them for bookings, and also, I included a link to the latest version of the promo video that I create. The band is loved wherever they play, but have not evolved yet to rallying a dancing crowd. I believe that will come when the bands “front man” begins to engage the crowd more. Tx again!

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1drv.ms

 

[Bruce]

Bruce…I want to thank you and all the others who responded to my initial request for a critique of my promo video for the Back Bay Band. I learned much from the comments and suggestions and I had made numerous improvements to the promo video within the limits of available resources. Many comments have been about the music stands used by the band, and I get the point. The core focus for the band is to make music and have fun doing it, so I guess they are considered to be a bar band. They are not driven by the dollars, but do want to be paid fairly. In fact, my wife, the only woman in the band, will play a gig for free just to do it. I am not a band member and probably considered a roadie. Due to the “hobby” nature of the band, changes are more of an evolution than a revolution, so they’ll get where they want to go at a pace that I have no control over. I did create a “pad” for my wife to use on a small stand for it, which is not as visible as the big music stand, and she works it with a foot pedal, so there is no physical touching it as she goes. She always locates to the left end and out of the center stage focus. The two young singers up front (band leader’s sons) are the most obvious for music stands, and work needs to be done to lessen a dependency on the stands for them. The older of the two can be a showman on stage and I shared some of the comments with him. He is running with the comments and on the last gig he was singing more without the visual and even lowered the stand way down to expose himself more while also being more animated. The younger one, who is still in college to be an actuary and not always with the band, is not likely to take the time to memorize or stay in the band.
Just a couple more things…the core band members are considering signing up with a band booking agency, due to numerous local venues using them for bookings, and also, I included a link to the latest version of the promo video that I create. The band is loved wherever they play, but have not evolved yet to rallying a dancing crowd. I believe that will come when the bands “front man” begins to engage the crowd more. Tx again!

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1drv.ms

Just as a note about the stands, we use StageTraxx III in my bands. I play to tracks, but you can use it for charts and lyrics just the same and sync them all up so the master device transmits its screen to other connected devices. My lyrics come up on an iPhone on my mic stand. That is transmitted to it from the master iPad Pro running my tracks. This works like a charm. Maybe look into some kind of chart reader for everyone. They probably already have cellphones. The really cool thing about it is you can store a custom chart per song, so the bass player can be looking at tab, the guitar player a chord chart and the singer the lyrics on a per song basis.

 

[JT]

Just as a note about the stands, we use StageTraxx III in my bands. I play to tracks, but you can use it for charts and lyrics just the same and sync them all up so the master device transmits its screen to other connected devices. My lyrics come up on an iPhone on my mic stand. That is transmitted to it from the master iPad Pro running my tracks. This works like a charm. Maybe look into some kind of chart reader for everyone. They probably already have cellphones.

 

[TVvoodoo]

I'm an old broadcast guy, shot, directed and produced maybe a couple thousand commercials + videos both long and short form. Several music videos too.

Aside from what others have mentioned... way too many wide shots. I know you are really trying to convey groups of people enjoying the music. But you are forgetting to sell the band itself. I don't see hardly any emotion/committment / dedication from the performers/performances. Pro level is a bit more difficult, but you need more shot choices in edit. I suggest getting a phone cam or two right onstage for a gig. Back when we shot with big ass tube cams and SUCH, every low light environ sucked and it was so obtrusive. Nowadays ANYONE can get awesome video off a tiny little phone! Just remember to hold those shots. A few cutaways of your board, faders going up... maybe a time lapse of setup, kick beater, high hat close ups etc, can keep you out of edit trouble

on shoot day sell it to the crowd you are doing a band promo and they will be glad to help you out! Get 'em to roar for you! They'll even endure the same song a couple times for "coverage" Shoot the band and crowd from the stage more... not from behind. No upright phone cam, always horizontal. More faces, not backsides. Project with your video what you want your shows and performances to to be. It's your time to be rock star, you all have it in you. It's your commercial. Plan for it. Set up for it. Dress for it. Be emotionally up for it. Then execute. this will get you a band promo other bands will be jelly of. IMHO!

 

[TVvoodoo]

One more thing.... fewer eye-level angles too. Eye-level everything in a promo says non-pro, not really trying.
Get that camera up, up high or down low for much more "powerful" and dramatic shot composition.
Use the lights behind you for some rock star flash, it will give you lots of great moments. And... makeup!
Real pros use it every night. Use it for your promo at least - doesn't have to be caked, but it never hurts.

 

[Moondog Wily]

Bruce…I want to thank you and all the others who responded to my initial request for a critique of my promo video for the Back Bay Band. I learned much from the comments and suggestions and I had made numerous improvements to the promo video within the limits of available resources. Many comments have been about the music stands used by the band, and I get the point. The core focus for the band is to make music and have fun doing it, so I guess they are considered to be a bar band. They are not driven by the dollars, but do want to be paid fairly. In fact, my wife, the only woman in the band, will play a gig for free just to do it. I am not a band member and probably considered a roadie. Due to the “hobby” nature of the band, changes are more of an evolution than a revolution, so they’ll get where they want to go at a pace that I have no control over. I did create a “pad” for my wife to use on a small stand for it, which is not as visible as the big music stand, and she works it with a foot pedal, so there is no physical touching it as she goes. She always locates to the left end and out of the center stage focus. The two young singers up front (band leader’s sons) are the most obvious for music stands, and work needs to be done to lessen a dependency on the stands for them. The older of the two can be a showman on stage and I shared some of the comments with him. He is running with the comments and on the last gig he was singing more without the visual and even lowered the stand way down to expose himself more while also being more animated. The younger one, who is still in college to be an actuary and not always with the band, is not likely to take the time to memorize or stay in the band.
Just a couple more things…the core band members are considering signing up with a band booking agency, due to numerous local venues using them for bookings, and also, I included a link to the latest version of the promo video that I create. The band is loved wherever they play, but have not evolved yet to rallying a dancing crowd. I believe that will come when the bands “front man” begins to engage the crowd more. Tx again!

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1drv.ms

It has come a long way Gary! As mentioned by others, still room for improvements, but congrats and the progress so far!! How did the MSOE gig go? Any video from that to include in future versions of this promo?