Creating a good live video for your artist profile is the most relevant thing you can do to get more bookings. When potential bookers look at your profile, it's often the first thing they see and click on. And you know what it's said about the first impression... it can be a real dealbreaker. But how do you make a video that shows best how you are able to perform on stage? Here are a few tips for you!
What does the booker want to see?
In a nutshell: the booker wants to get the best possible impression of what the artist will look like live at their event. It is therefore important that you, as a band, DJ, ensemble or solo artist are clearly portrayed in the formation and style that you would also use live. If you always wear spectacular clothing during your shows, make sure you also wear this in your video. This makes a difference. If you have a great light show that goes with your act, show it! It would be a shame not to incorporate the elements that makes your performance special into your promotion video.
Coverband Sitting on a Duck clearly shows how they perform live in their promo video.Be energetic
In addition, it is important that your video expresses the same energy that you know how to create on stage. This is not easy, but there are some ways to get close to the real experience. In the video, you can use footage of the audience at one of your past gigs to show how others enjoyed your act. If you record your video without audience, make sure you interact with the camera while recording. By pretending that the camera is your audience, you will radiate more energy towards the viewer and give a better impression of what you are able to do. Show that you are having fun!
The video of MAIS gives a good and professional impression of the act.Quality
In order to appear professional and convey the content of your video properly, it is important to have good visual and audio quality. Let's put this first: you don’t need an expensive camera to get nice video footage. Most modern mobile phones do the trick. The most important thing is that there is enough light and the positioning of the camera is right. The best light is obtained if you film a performance outside during the day. If you are filming indoors and it is a bit dark, make sure you have an external light that you can attach to your mobile phone or camera. Concerning the positioning, make sure your camera is on a tripod or at least stable while filming. That way the focus remains good and the images are pleasant to watch. If you really want to bring your video to the next level, try to use multiple shots with different angles and edit them together. On YouTube their are many tutorials for basic video editing, definitely look into it!
Audio
When you make a video of a gig with an audience and use your camera's audio, it often doesn't sound very good. To prevent this, you can do a number of things. If you perform amplified, you can often record the output of the mixer externally (and for a DJ the output of your turntable). By doing this, you will only record the vocals and instruments and you can edit them under the video footage later without having background noice. If you are recording the video at home (or at a location without background sound), try to buy a studio microphone to make the recording as beautiful as possible. This does not have to be expensive and can always come in handy later in your career.
Combine the best
It' s sometimes difficult to put all these tips together in one perfect video. That's why you can also combine different clips to create a complete picture. For example, you can combine a video that you recorded at home with professional audio and steady image with a video from an event that better reflects the atmosphere of your show. This way you can showcase both the quality of your music and your on-stage skills. If you have a PRO membership, you can also upload multiple videos. Good luck with creating your perfect video!
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