Hi guys,

A question to those of you with promo vids. Can you give me any advice on structuring a promo video? What sort of things should be included in what order etc?

Thanks,
TM
http://www.brtmagic.co.uk
http://www.robert-temple.co.uk

TM,

I wrote extensively about demo videos in Volume One of Success in Magic. While I can't include everything here, let me give you a few suggestions.

Find a good camera operator with a high quality three chip digital camera or a broadcast quality BETA SP. Your local television news station is a good place to find someone.


Give your camera operator the following guidelines:

• Do not use a tripod. This results in a boring, static shot. Instead, work from the shoulder, moving around. If you are working with a television news camera person, he or she is experienced shooting this way.

• Use existing lighting. Do not use any additional video lights which would disrupt the show.

• Get 50% audience reaction shots, people laughing, having a great time, etc., and 50% of the show. Go over the pieces you definitely wanted on camera.
• Get a couple of shots from behind you, over your shoulder, with the audience in the picture. (Naturally, not when you are doing a trick that has angle problems!)

• Whenever you have someone onstage, make that person the star, not you. Be sure to get their reactions.

• Immediately after the show, have the camera person meet you in the foyer or lobby outside the performance area so you can shoot a few “testimonials” from audience members

Then structure and sequence the tape as follows:

Opening Title Shot: My editor created a title with simple graphics.

Opening Collage: Approximately 30 seconds of quick cuts done to music. Since this is the opening, spend some time to get it right.

First Sequence of You Performing: This is the first segment where they see you performing a routine on camera. Picked a short sequence that shows the best audience response of the night. This is an important part of your tape. Buyers will often decide after seeing this segment. Show yourself at your best. Show a segment where you really score big with the audience, getting lots of applause and/or laughter.

More Visual Cuts Done with Music and Voiceover: For the next 30 seconds show video of you performing with audience volunteers, while an announcer, talks about your background and show. Emphasized that there is a great deal of audience participation in the show.

Second Routine: Pick another routine with audience participation and edit it to show the high points.

Third Routine: Sometimes use a little music under the video, at other times, do a voice over to explain the action and/or to highlight the benefits of your show.

Closing Sequence: This was similar to the open sequence of quick cuts done to music. Include shots of people having a great time, applauding, laughing, and looking amazed. Since you coached the cameraperson to spend 50% of the time shooting the audience, you should have lots of footage to choose from.

Testimonials: Include three quick testimonials that you shot right immediately following the show. These will add a lot to the video.

Closing & Credits: Created a rolling list of places you have performed and clients you have worked for, done to music, to end the tape.

Length of tape: 8 minutes. That’s all you need.
(Print the length of your tape on the label, so people can schedule enough time when they want to view it.

Also, put your contact information and phone number on the label of the tape, not on the tape itself. This way you can customize the label for agents to use.

Some buyers want to see an unedited version of a complete show. You can include that as a second part of the same tape. Just label it clearly to explain that the tape is in two sections. First is a nine minuted edited promo; then there is a 25 or 30-minuted unedited show. (I say unedited, but if your show is longer, cut out some routines. Don't give them much more than that; no one except the kids of the buyer will watch it anyway, and you don't want them knowing your whole act by heart or they will be a pain in the *ss at the gig!)

I hope this helps. Good luck.

Great post. We do a large scale show once a year, and I always ask to see the performers personality on the tape. Some of the tapes I see are nothing but spectacle. If the performer's personality does not come through, the tape hits the can.

No longer than 7 min. Most don't watch more than that. Remember, they probably get hundreds of videos in the mail, so you have to be different.

I agree that BETA SP or DigiBETA are good formats for this type of project.

But if someone wants to really raise the quality of their video look, I encourage them to investigate shooting on a high-definition video format called "24-p."

This is what all of Star Wars Episode II was shot on. I've used it on projects that had limited budgets, and the results were stunning.

It almost rivals film. And heck, if it's good enough for Yoda, what more can you say?

Pay attention specially to these points in Jim Snack reply:

• Get 50% audience reaction shots, people laughing, having a great time, etc., and 50% of the show. Go over the pieces you definitely wanted on camera.

• Whenever you have someone onstage, make that person the star, not you. Be sure to get their reactions.

These are the real key points. Most important!

I've been working in the Visual Effects/Televison/Film industry for many years and the MOST important advice I can give you for your demo reel is...

Know your audience. Who is the video for? I try to keep any marketing/demo video that I produce under five minutes.

ONLY show your best stuff. Demo reels have NO place for filler material.

I know MANY people who have landed that perfect job in the Visual Effect industry with a five SECOND demo reel. Five seconds of AMAZEMENT is better than 10 minutes of "OK STUFF."

Don't give them too much...Make the view want more.

Good luck with the reel.

Gambit242

I agree with Mr. Snack on just about everything except the following:

Tripod. USE a DOLLY tripod, this has wheels and allows for all the movement possible, but without the "shoulder, hand-held shake" that is so annoying to corporate viewers.

Lights. Use them if you need them. Let your videographer decide. We are NOT videographers. Do not try to teach your grandmother how to suck eggs.

Layout. The layout, or final cut editing of the video should be dependent on the message you want to get across. When targeting a corporate client base, you will not use the same imagery, titling sequence or even fonts that you would use for a kid show promo.

Bottom line—work with a PRO who does creative, as well as actual camera, work, have a design in mind when you go to them and LISTEN to their advice.

And, above all, keep it short, sweet and simple. Glamorous cuts, lap dissolves, cross fades and the like are real kewl for Hollywood. But for a 7-10 minute video promotion, they are too distracting.

Remember—the video is there to tell the client (and, more importantly SHOW them) what YOU do. Make sure the video does that and you will have a winner.

Respectfully,

Lee Darrow, C.Ht.

All fantastic points.

I would emphasise that the quick-cuts in the first 30 seconds is a great approach. Videos that start out like the beginning of an act and take time to go anywhere lose the viewer's interest too quickly. It simply doesn't answer enough of the viewer's questions about you and your act.

TARGET your video. As the above post mentioned about different fonts etc. depending on the client, decide ahead of time who the target client is. If you are looking to work in large stage environments, a video of your show on the local school stage will telegraph that you are not at that level yet.

If you want a video to market to a level or type of client that is not currently part of your gig schedule, find a friend who books those kind of gigs and ask if you can be a short opener for him or her. Do it gratis if you have to. This will give you the opportunity to get footage at the type of venue you are marketing to. This is very important. Agents clasify you based on the footage—the venue(s) on your tape say "corporate," "small bar," "Renaissance festival," etc.

We made our videos using our own digital camera and the iMovie program that came with our iBook. Having seen dozens of videos from top performers, ours is not behind (and is ahead of some) in terms of production quality. But they have a much better act taped in higher-paying venues—no overcoming that with a flashy video production.

- Greg Owen

Thanks for all the advice guys, The video is being shot now. I'm gonna upload it to my site when its done for you to see it and give feedback.

Cheers,
TM

Great information! I've been scheming to get back into performing after being away from it for a number of years and this really hits the nail on the head.

One other item, though... any thoughts on doing a video as opposed to a DVD? I'm thinking in terms of a buyer being able to pop it into a computer right at his/her desk instead of looking for a VCR.