I’ve written about the importance and effectiveness of video as a booking tool here and here.

I’d like to first contradict the great advice below by saying/reminding that great material can overcome weak video, and that a lack-luster video of a great performance is still worth documenting, sharing, and even promoting. That said, here’s some great advice to make the most out of any video you shoot. Take it away Tom!

“I Am An Angel” by Julie Christensen from Tom Weber on Vimeo.

Hi. I’m a Folk Alliance member and professional videographer; also, I  teach video production and filmmaking at an art college.

I’m appalled at the generally low quality of videos that artists use to promote themselves. Bad lighting, distorted or inaudible sound, poor shot composition, no graphics, shaky handheld camera or boring  static shot from the back of the room. You wouldn’t record your CD on  an answering machine, why represent yourself with a bad-looking video?

Hire a professional (hire ME! I have a room at Folk Alliance every  year with studio-quality audio, lighting, and backgrounds), or find a  film school student who will do it for free. Don’t just hand your home camcorder to somebody at the audience and hope for the best!

Which ever route you take, here are some tips:

  1. Don’t rely on the camera microphone for audio. They pick up vibration from the camera motor and distort easily. Always use a
    separate microphone or (ideally) stereo pair. A good quality room mic beats a feed from the sound board, because it picks up more audience response. Make sure to get enough level — peak signals should reach -3dB consistently.
  2. Put up some kind of backdrop, black or a muted color that complements what you’re going to wear. Videos shot at house concerts, in particular, often suffer from cluttered or unattractive backgrounds. Professional photo backdrops can be had for as little as
    50 bucks.
  3. Use backlighting. The backlight — a small spotlight above and behind your head — makes you stand out from the background. I’ve worked in a lot of house concert environments where there was a lamp or tracklight that could be aimed at the back of the performer’s head and shoulders. Makes a world of difference.
  4. Lighting is crucial to the quality of your image. Video cameras like white light, and plenty of it. There’s nothing wrong with a dramatic color as an accent, but your face should NOT be green, red, or purple.
  5. Don’t put the camera at the back of the room. This requires you to zoom in, which flattens the image and magnifies any shakiness. Bring the camera closer, into a seat in the audience, and zoom out to make the room look more spacious.
  6. Have the video edited on a professional editing platform such as Final Cut Pro, Premiere, or Media Composer — NOT consumer software like Windows Movie Maker or iMovie. Consumer software is for Uncle Henry and Aunt Millie’ trip to Hawaii, or Junior’s high school graduation. Cheesy graphics and effects and ready-made DVD menus mark you as an amateur.
  7. YouTube has the biggest audience, but I think both Vimeo and Virb offer better quality. They’re free, so why not use all of them? In general, you are embedding the video on your own webpage or MySpace/Facebook page, so go with the highest quality. You can look at some of my work from the 2009 Folk Alliance at http://www.vimeo.com/tomweber/videos.

I hope some folks take these suggestions to heart. — Tom

Tom Weber, Ph.D.
Video Services for Working Musicians
1283 Cedar Boulevard
Pittsburgh, PA 15228
(412) 370-1736 voice/text
www.vimeo.com/tomweber

“Something Pretty” by Julie Christensen. from Tom Weber on Vimeo.