Music Video Advise... at DVinfo.net

Caleb Reynolds · June 11th, 2010, 07:54 PM

Hello all! My buddy and I have started a small time production company about a year ago. We aren't making money yet due to our first 4 projects were made to go on our website when it launches.
Our companies focus is going to be commercial and multimedia.

We want to offer music video packages to small indie bands here in town. I was thinking of starting pricing out really low. For the base package I am thinking around 3k for 720p HD with 10 blueray discs unpackaged that the bands can use for thier own promotion...

Anyone else do music videos for small time bands? Does that sound realistic to you?

Yes, we are going to work for cheap....for now. :)

Ken Diewert · June 11th, 2010, 11:38 PM

Caleb,

Don't let me rain on your party, but my experience with unsigned indie bands is that they just don't have 3k.

I don't think too many of us who are trying to make a living at this are expecting a high percentage of our revenue to come from music videos... unless you specialize in it which is a whole other story. I'm actually looking to work with a band to produce something, but it's more for the creative experience than for cash.

I used to tape a lot of gigs for a few indie bands and I could barely get my tapes paid for by the band. I ended up doing most, if not all, the work for free - hoping that they would get discovered and I'd have all this valuable footage. It's been over 15 years, and while a few of them are still grinding it out... I think I can safely throw away the tapes now.

Caleb Reynolds · June 12th, 2010, 06:39 AM

I don't think you are raining on my party. Your information is helpful. Thanks! :)

John Wiley · June 14th, 2010, 01:08 AM

Congrats on setting up your business!

However I have to agree that $3000 is pretty steep for most local bands. My advice would be to shift as much of the cost on to them so you can lower your prices. For example, don't include studio/location hire in your package. If you make that their resposnibility/expense they may decide to go cheapo and shoot it in their garage but that is their decision and their issue.

Also, 10x blu-ray discs is probably not the best way to give the product to them. For music videos and promotional videos I give out a single data-disk with a few different versions (mpeg2 for DVD, h.264 for bluray, h.264 for web, SD/720p/1080p versions etc.). That way they can choose how they use it and they can make as many copies as they want.

Caleb Reynolds · June 26th, 2010, 08:02 PM

Thanks! I will take that advise...I didn't think about giving them the different formats on one disc.

Chip Thome · June 26th, 2010, 09:47 PM

Greetings from 1000 Miles north !!!!

Now Caleb, I would really love for you to prove me wrong, but Dude.... you are barking up the wrong tree.

This is how I got into video, working with a local band. It was fun, got to know the guys and actually got a bit of a name going "in the music scene" around here. I got to know more guys and some chicks too. It was a lot of fun and taught me tons about video, lighting hassles and audio during live gigs.

But....unless those "in the scene" down there are "rolling in it" far more than they are up here.... drop a digit off your package price and you are still going to be hard pressed to sell it.

You are going to be working with "creative types" not businessmen. They have no clue how to promote or why they should promote because everyone is telling them "how good they are".

If you just go to YouTube or MySpace and look around, you will see crap lots of bands have placed on their pages and actually don't see anything wrong with the quality. Here's a perfect example:

YouTube - Mikey singing Bartender by Dave Matthews into Free Fallin

A new band, but two of the members, were in the band I cut my teeth with and we are on a first name basis. But.... that was hyped on their Facebook page as their "first" YouTube !!!!

In comparision, both of them are in this:

spin_realdangerous_music_video

I'm not saying what we did was the be all to end all, it was just the third multicam we ever did.

The cost difference between the groupie doing one and us..... well it's hard to compete with free, even if it is crap you are competing against.

You will find these guys work for peanuts themselves, by the time the gig is split X number of ways. 3K up here, is the total compensation for the better bands, for their next three gigs, without paying anyone, anything.

So my suggestion, do it for the fun, do it for name exposure, do it to add some diversity to your sample page, but forget doing much at all for a rate that resembles fair and expect much to come your way.

June 11th, 2010, 07:54 PM	#1
Caleb Reynolds Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 113	Music Video Advise... Hello all! My buddy and I have started a small time production company about a year ago. We aren't making money yet due to our first 4 projects were made to go on our website when it launches. Our companies focus is going to be commercial and multimedia. We want to offer music video packages to small indie bands here in town. I was thinking of starting pricing out really low. For the base package I am thinking around 3k for 720p HD with 10 blueray discs unpackaged that the bands can use for thier own promotion... Anyone else do music videos for small time bands? Does that sound realistic to you? Yes, we are going to work for cheap....for now. :) Last edited by Caleb Reynolds; June 12th, 2010 at 06:40 AM.

June 11th, 2010, 11:38 PM	#2
Ken Diewert Trustee Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Vancouver Island, Canada Posts: 1,200	Caleb, Don't let me rain on your party, but my experience with unsigned indie bands is that they just don't have 3k. I don't think too many of us who are trying to make a living at this are expecting a high percentage of our revenue to come from music videos... unless you specialize in it which is a whole other story. I'm actually looking to work with a band to produce something, but it's more for the creative experience than for cash. I used to tape a lot of gigs for a few indie bands and I could barely get my tapes paid for by the band. I ended up doing most, if not all, the work for free - hoping that they would get discovered and I'd have all this valuable footage. It's been over 15 years, and while a few of them are still grinding it out... I think I can safely throw away the tapes now. __________________ C100, 5DMk2, FCPX

June 12th, 2010, 06:39 AM	#3
Caleb Reynolds Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 113	I don't think you are raining on my party. Your information is helpful. Thanks! :)

June 14th, 2010, 01:08 AM	#4
John Wiley Trustee Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Byron Bay, Australia Posts: 1,155	Congrats on setting up your business! However I have to agree that $3000 is pretty steep for most local bands. My advice would be to shift as much of the cost on to them so you can lower your prices. For example, don't include studio/location hire in your package. If you make that their resposnibility/expense they may decide to go cheapo and shoot it in their garage but that is their decision and their issue. Also, 10x blu-ray discs is probably not the best way to give the product to them. For music videos and promotional videos I give out a single data-disk with a few different versions (mpeg2 for DVD, h.264 for bluray, h.264 for web, SD/720p/1080p versions etc.). That way they can choose how they use it and they can make as many copies as they want.

June 26th, 2010, 08:02 PM	#5
Caleb Reynolds Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 113	Thanks! I will take that advise...I didn't think about giving them the different formats on one disc.

June 26th, 2010, 09:47 PM	#6
Chip Thome Major Player Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Green Bay Wisconsin Posts: 553	Greetings from 1000 Miles north !!!! Now Caleb, I would really love for you to prove me wrong, but Dude.... you are barking up the wrong tree. This is how I got into video, working with a local band. It was fun, got to know the guys and actually got a bit of a name going "in the music scene" around here. I got to know more guys and some chicks too. It was a lot of fun and taught me tons about video, lighting hassles and audio during live gigs. But....unless those "in the scene" down there are "rolling in it" far more than they are up here.... drop a digit off your package price and you are still going to be hard pressed to sell it. You are going to be working with "creative types" not businessmen. They have no clue how to promote or why they should promote because everyone is telling them "how good they are". If you just go to YouTube or MySpace and look around, you will see crap lots of bands have placed on their pages and actually don't see anything wrong with the quality. Here's a perfect example: YouTube - Mikey singing Bartender by Dave Matthews into Free Fallin A new band, but two of the members, were in the band I cut my teeth with and we are on a first name basis. But.... that was hyped on their Facebook page as their "first" YouTube !!!! In comparision, both of them are in this: spin_realdangerous_music_video I'm not saying what we did was the be all to end all, it was just the third multicam we ever did. The cost difference between the groupie doing one and us..... well it's hard to compete with free, even if it is crap you are competing against. You will find these guys work for peanuts themselves, by the time the gig is split X number of ways. 3K up here, is the total compensation for the better bands, for their next three gigs, without paying anyone, anything. So my suggestion, do it for the fun, do it for name exposure, do it to add some diversity to your sample page, but forget doing much at all for a rate that resembles fair and expect much to come your way.