Feedback on our Demo?

[mrcbass]

Looking for constructive feedback on our promo video. My band likes this despite that there are a few things about it that bug me - I developed it based on their specs.

If you are a venue or event planner, would this give you what you needed?

River City Outlaws


Thanks

 

[bassboysam]

5 minutes is waaaay too long. it needs to be 1 min or less. no one is going to sit through a promo for 5 minutes.

edit it down to what you think is the best sounding audio and best looking visuals. that will make it look and sound less amatuerish.

 

[newwavefrank]

Yeah seemed to go on forever. I don't know your set list but I think better song selection. If it's going to be mostly pictures and very little video why not make a better sounding audio recording? This sounded like a live recording through a camcorder. Its OK but I would do another before putting effort into promoting with it. I might book you at a bar with this but probably not an event.

 

[ArtechnikA]

This will probably sound harsh; I'll apologize but you asked, and you're free to ignore my opinion...
I _DO_ understand how hard it is to produce something like this with limited resources - I fight this battle every day too...

It is too long...
Was anyone supposed to be able to read the text on the opening screen? I made it through most of the first paragraph and then it was gone... If you can superimpose the band name and contact information in the same place throughout the whole video it would help.
All the cut effects were kinda tiresome - pick one. I'm partial to dissolve or wipe, but pick one.
I'm not a fan of song fades - hard cuts are more dramatic - yes, they're harder to pull off, I understand.
The band member graphic was quite hard to read and unnecessary anyway. The video credits were unnecessary. In both cases, the band is the product, anythig else is a distraction.
There was not enough video and most of it was from the wrong angle - I want to see people dancing and having a good time. The scene with the guy strolling across the frame seemed really out of place. A few brief scenes from the front to show that you're presentable is fine, but what you're selling is that you can excite a crowd. The static photographs were unremarkable - they're interchangeable with almost any band anywhere. You had a few that showed some energy - concentrate on those.

I know the performance videos and photographs on my band's public pages suffer from the same flaws, so I am sensitive to the issues. We're working on them and have a plan to get better stuff at the next show; it was essential that we get _something_ out to support a festival application submission. As soon as we get better stuff, what we have now will be gone.

Since this is a purpose-built promotional video, it needs to be the very best stuff you've got, from the first scene to the last, showing you can fill a room with happy people.

As a first draft, it's a good effort.

 

[mrcbass]

why not make a better sounding audio recording

hmmm... not sure what you're listening through, but the recordings are actually pretty damn good. They are "studio", multitrack recordings that were produced and mastered - painstakingly.

I'm not arguing with your opinion (I asked) and I appreciate your feedback, but the audio is something that I have no issues with. Thanks

 

[newwavefrank]

On my computer where I listen to a lot of demo videos it sounds thin...If I'm hearing it that way I am probably not the only one.

 

[bassboysam]

hmmm... not sure what you're listening through, but the recordings are actually pretty damn good. They are "studio", multitrack recordings that were produced and mastered - painstakingly.

I'm not arguing with your opinion (I asked) and I appreciate your feedback, but the audio is something that I have no issues with. Thanks

sorry to burst your bubble, but that audio is nowhere near professional. i hope you didn't spend much on it.

i also assumed it was some sort of live recording using a camera or small handheld recording device.

 

[mrcbass]

sorry to burst your bubble, but that audio is nowhere near professional. i hope you didn't spend much on it.

i also assumed it was some sort of live recording using a camera or small handheld recording device.

No bubble to burst -and I didn't say it was professional - it just cost time. Other than listening to it straight from my phone (no headphones/earbuds) or the built in computer speaker, I'm not hearing what you are. Guess I better do some research. Thanks

 

[JRA]

let me be the first to congratulate you on the fine effort you have obviously put into this!

i think the audio is fine and i wouldn't let the naysayer's judgement rue the day. that said: mixing video with pics is cool --- especially if you can make those pics 'move' faster to better 'blend' into the production. IME: more pics needed and they could be made to 'move by' quickly = shorter duration.

i agree with:
- length could be shortened some.
- titles and important information doesn't need the hard-to-decipher fonts.
- consider using the most important text info alone --- without pics or vids as background.
- showing people having a blast is important. if you don't have any archived: make some up (they can be 'fast' pics, too).

FWIW: i make my jazz band's 'commercials' without the benefit of many actual videos, so pics are used. but in a video they have to 'whiz by' in order to keep today's ADD/ADHD viewers happy....also: when they move by fast = you can cover a host of sins!

congrats on your efforts and good luck on your project!

 

[bassboysam]

No bubble to burst -and I didn't say it was professional - it just cost time. Other than listening to it straight from my phone (no headphones/earbuds) or the built in computer speaker, I'm not hearing what you are. Guess I better do some research. Thanks

sorry, i assumed you meant a professional recording. i think its good enough for what you're looking to achieve.

 

[aprod]

Drums are dragging, vocals flat.

 

[MasterG]

That version you did of Jailbreak was stiff. Sounds like everone was to scared to play their instruments...like walking on eggshells. Totaly devoid of any dynamics. If I were a booker,agent or promoter listening to that I wouldve made it through about 30 seconds and said no thanks.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Throw out the bad pics and cut it down to less than two minutes. Maybe find a song with less of an intro to start with. You have about 5 seconds to get into it before people go to the next video.

 

[Ulf Buck]

90 seconds max

 

[hennessybass]

On the right track, but agree that it is too long.

I was going to make one for my band that I could throw up on youtube and include with an email to clubs... I was shooting for about 60 - 90 seconds.

 

[LBS-bass]

Throw out the bad pics and cut it down to less than two minutes. Maybe find a song with less of an intro to start with. You have about 5 seconds to get into it before people go to the next video.

Agree with this. Ignore the naysayers. The sound quality for what you're trying to achieve is not bad; it's not studio quality with a finely polished top-level performance, but you are not trying to book the Crest. You do need to grab their attention right away, but overall you guys don't sound bad. Good luck with it!

 

[210superair]

This is why I don't post my band recordings on here.... Lmfao...

 

[LBS-bass]

I'm going to clarify something. I don't think the video has to be super short. The video has to be edited with the assumption that no one is going to watch more than the first 30 seconds and that most people will only watch the first ten.

You need to assume that you will grab their attention with the best material you've got in those first 10 seconds and then give them a great ride for the full 30. What you do beyond there depends on the quality of what you have left, frankly. For some it might be best to end it there. If you have five minutes of material that isn't an embarrassment and shows off your band well, there's no harm in including it, but do not make the mistake of assuming anyone will see it. It's there for the few who want more, but most will not.

 

[mrcbass]

This is why I don't post my band recordings on here.... Lmfao...

It's all good.

I really want true responses. Seems like the majority agree that it's too long, but I'm taking everything under advisement. Interestingly, I kind of wanted to see where everyone fell on the issues that I disagree with my bandmates about - and none of that has been mentioned! (I intentionally haven't stated what our differences are for fear of priming the responses.)

I guess I should have added that we're not trying to impress major labels or expect to score big time gigs: we're just a local band trying to promote for bars and events.

 

[210superair]

It's all good.

I really want true responses. Seems like the majority agree that it's too long, but I'm taking everything under advisement. Interestingly, I kind of wanted to see where everyone fell on the issues that I disagree with my bandmates about - and none of that has been mentioned! (I intentionally haven't stated what our differences are for fear of priming the responses.)

I guess I should have added that we're not trying to impress major labels or expect to score big time gigs: we're just a local band trying to promote for bars and events.

My band has an EPK, and the folks can look at it and listen to what they want, and skip what they don't. It links to our Facebook, which has lots of short samples posted from cell phone cameras, and it also links to our bandcamp where they can hear two or three studio quality tracks. It's gotten great responses and I highly recommend it as the way to look professional on the cheap.