Monthly Articles

Video and More

Video and More - Feb 05

Over the past three months many of you loyal SoGospelNews readers have privately emailed me with a barrage of questions concerning my writings. So it is because of those many questions I choose to focus this month's article as a Q & A.

Last month I discussed how to use a television special as tour support and to build a loyal fan base. From that I was asked how a group obtains information on the many stations throughout the Country and their costs for airing such a proposed special. Having worked on various specials and having placed them on stations coast to coast, I have secured a vast amount of vital tools that assist in executing this 21st century style of true marketing. I would gladly consult with those artists who have a desire to succeed…simply email me and let's schedule a time to talk.

A question was presented to me about choosing a qualified producer for a video/television production. I was asked if a producer should be skilled in camera and video editing work to create a quality production. Honestly the answer is No, however, it will only add to the overall creativity if you choose a producer who has these skills and can see the finished results from an editor/cameraman viewpoint. He will know exactly what it will take to capture the right shot that will speak volumes.

A group asked me if producing just one special could be effective. Again, this one show (with multiple copies) would be sent to various stations in your touring area. By making a buy on the local stations or on the many cable outlets, you will be able to reach multitudes. After all, Mr. Gaither started with just one show, how many times was that one show aired as a re-run??? I can't help but think that helped to contribute to his success. His tour last year sold some 540,000 tickets, placing him in the Top 20, Pollstar's Ticketed events.

I will cover one more question before I wrap up. So how important is lighting? I can answer that with one word, EXTREMELY!!! Yes, you can do wonders in post, but keep this in mind, you put junk in, you get junk out. I remember about a year ago I was asked to shoot a live concert at a church. Now I shoot on all digital cameras, the artist who contracted me was using basic stage lighting positioned on tripod trees at each side of the stage. They were simple low end Par cans…not good, to say the least. Also, there was no backlighting, a must for top-notch quality. Needless to say, I was not happy with these arrangements, but had to live within their budget constraints. I could only imagine how much better the end result would have been with just a few more dollars for quality lighting.

Hope this covered a few of the many questions that have been generated from this article. In closing, a special two thumbs up for Jamie Farmer who recently contracted yours truly to produce his on-stage multimedia. This guy is totally out of the box with his thinking and musical abilities. Jamie will most definitely standout from the thousands of others who claim Southern Gospel Music as their art form.

Until next month, I'll keep the lights on and the cameras rolling.

Dale
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http://www.threehillsmusic.com