Making & Breaking
Your Music Video
FROM THE EDITOR
The 1979 Buggle’s hit “Video Killed The Radio Star” seemed apt in 1981
when MTV launched a network & a cultural revolution. Now
27 years later,
New Wave is Old School, MTV is Reality TV and something may be killing
radio, but it’s not video.
Today, you not only need a music video to stay competitive but you need to
know how to work it – how to reach the programmers & ultimately the
millions of eyes and hearts of viewers. Andy Gesner, founder of HIP Video
Promo explains the process.
Indie-friendly to the core and with more than 500 campaigns to their credit,
Gesner and his team have been instrumental in helping big name acts like
Bloc Party, Morrisey, Maroon 5 and up-and-coming acts like
The Academy
Is…, Shout Out Louds and Jet Lag Gemini, launch successful video promotions
to support their releases.
Here’s everything you need to know about the world of music video
promotion - from making to breaking the video and even the difficulties
behind launching a business when you don’t have any clients.
AP: Andy, you’ve been an important fixture in the New Jersey music scene
for many years through your Artist Amplification program, which produced
compilation CDs and shows with rising artists – why did you decide in 2000
to launch a video promotion company?
HIP: HIP Video Promo was actually born by complete chance. In
October of 2000, I had just left a position working for an up-and-coming video promotion company, Rive Video, when I received a phone call from
Virgin Records, asking if I would help them promote a video from a band called Amen. They knew I had a close relationship with all of the video promoters from my last job, so I was the perfect candidate to help them out. My friend at Virgin twisted my arm, and HIP Video Promo was born.
AP: Initially whom did you pitch your services to – who were your first
clients?
HIP: Our first clients were of course Virgin, but also we did some
early work with both Doghouse and Sub Pop as well.
AP: What was your sales pitch – was it a tough sell?
HIP: It was a catch 22. People were hesitant to hire us because
they wanted to see an established client list with some very
recognizable artists, but it’s difficult to establish the client list
without landing the jobs to begin with. However, we had enough
early successes to keep the company growing, and in early 2003
when we were hired to promote the Johnny Cash “Hurt” video,
everything just exploded from that point on.
AP: Besides Johnny Cash, you have promoted videos for Elvis Costello and
Morrissey, plus hundreds of indie acts. Who signed on first - indies with little
cash to spare or major label acts?
HIP: It was a combination of both. Our work ethic and results
were enough to convince the majors and our passion for helping the
up and coming bands helped.
AP: MTV used to be the only game around – how has that changed?
Who are today's major music videos outlets?
HIP: MTV is still a huge player in the video world, but other
outlets such as Fuse, MuchMusic, Fuel TV, IMF (until their recent
closure), MTV Latin America, on-demand outlets (Havoc, Music
Choice) and others have all stepped up as big players as well.
When we started in late 2000, a music video was an expensive
undertaking, beyond the fiscal range of most independent artists,
and there were only a limited number of programming outlets for
those who could afford it.
It‘s undeniable that the revolution in technology has changed all
of that. The widespread availability of digital video and broadband
and wireless Internet has put professional grade production quality
and worldwide dissemination capability into the hands of the
masses; more than at any time in the past, it’s a must that a
compelling music video accompanies any band or artist’s new music
release.
This same technological explosion, though, has made the music video
programming world exponentially more complex and chaotic than it
has ever been before - it's the Wild, Wild West out there, and the
number of music video outlets is constantly growing.
AP: About how many music video outlets would you say are available to
Indie artists today?
HIP: About 150 television outlets.
AP: How many were available in 2000?
HIP: Just about the same amount [of television outlets], but now there are many
more video-on-demand and Internet outlets on our servicing lists.
AP: Why is it important for a band in today's marketplace to have a
music
video?
HIP: Because exposure is the name of the game, and with less
of a concentration on radio or MTV alone being the ones to
“break” bands, it is very important to have a high quality visual
representation of a band in as many places as possible. Internet,
retail pools, video on demand, and the regional/multi-market video
outlets are more important than ever.
AP: When is a video campaign most effective – just before a new release,
just before a tour, or just to keep visible when you have nothing new coming
out?
HIP: The best times are right before a new release or a tour, because
this will allow you to “fire on all cylinders.” Programmers often ask
us what’s going on with the band, so it’s always best to have
several things happening at once.
AP: How long does the typical video promotion run?
HIP: The average promotion is about 8-10 weeks.
AP: What are the standard fees?
HIP: It usually runs between $3,000-$4,000 depending on the
duration of the promotion and the number of outlets. Keep in mind
that this pricing includes all dubbing, tape stock, postage, tracking,
promotion, and even closed captioning when necessary. All the client
has to do is hand over the master copy of the video and we take it
from there.
AP: What's the benefit of hiring a video promoter vs. sending out materials
D.I.Y.?
HIP: Between having up to date contacts and knowing what type of
tape format they use, getting dubs done affordably, making the right
number of dubs, submission forms, following up with outlets, it’s
really hard to do it on your own!
AP: Generally is it the band, the manager or the label that contacts you?
HIP: All of the above. For the larger, more established artists, it is
usually the label; while with the up-and-coming it is often times the
bands themselves or management.
AP: You've promoted over 500 music videos – what are the
secrets to a successful campaign?
HIP: A great video is the first ingredient! Another is making sure the
video gets into the right hands. With as many outlets as there are, we
customize every servicing list to make sure the video is going to the
outlets that are most likely to embrace the video. Additionally, we follow up with every outlet with the tenacity
that ensures the video is getting the attention it deserves.
AP: How do you break a new artist? How do you compensate for an unknown
act?
HIP: Again, the first step is to make sure the video is a quality
product.
But the other big thing is making sure that we present the
video in the most professional manner, including a concise and
intriguing one sheet that goes to great lengths to spell out all the
great assets about a band & why we feel they are deserving of the
programmer’s attention.
AP: How do you decide to take on a new client? What sort of act would you
turn away?
HIP: An un-established artist doesn’t deter us because we
want to be a part of breaking these new bands. We’re only as good
as our client list and we’re confident that every artist we choose to
work with is one that has some great things to offer. We really only decide to not work with a video artist if we
believe that it is something we couldn’t possibly have a successful
promotion with.
AP: Which markets are the hardest/easiest to break an artist in?
HIP: National outlets and those located in major markets are the
most difficult to impact due to the high profile nature and stronger
competition at these outlets for their programming spots. We have
our best luck in secondary and tertiary markets.
AP: Which type of outlets are most receptive to new artists?
HIP: Regional and Internet. Much of this has to do with the
fact that they are much less bound by things such as sponsors,
parent companies, etc. and tend to be more unconventional in their
programming than their counterparts. They have more of a desire to
get in on the ground floor with these artists before they break.
AP: Are video stations more open to taking on new artists, as opposed to
clubs or radio stations?
HIP: I believe so. Since there isn’t a CMJ or Billboard type of chart in
the video world, programmers rely much more on their own instinct
and play what they like, not what they are influenced to play by
others.
AP: Which type of video is most likely to get selected by programmers:
a
video by a name act, a video with just a great song & so-so visuals or
a video
that's cool to look at?
HIP: A name act will always receive lots of attention. If [a band is] not a name
act, it is very important for the video to be good, because a good
song can’t save a bad video, but a great video makes any song
better!
AP: Who’s watching videos – what's the audience profile?
HIP: Everyone is watching videos! There is no typical profile of the
“average music video watcher.”
AP: Do all genres benefit from music videos? Which genres have the most
outlets?
HIP: Rock, Urban, and Pop, and anything that falls into any of those
genres are the most prolific. Something like Jazz or Reggae is less likely to find as many outlets.
AP: Does size matter? Should artists consider making shorter videos – say 2-3 minutes so they have a better chance of running on PDAs, YouTube, etc.?
HIP: I’d say in general that if a video can be kept down in length it
always helps its chances of being programmed. With only a finite
number of programming opportunities available, programmers are
looking to fit in as many videos as they can.
AP: What other things should bands consider before they create a video?
HIP: We always suggest they do their homework so that they can
make the most compelling and exciting video as possible. You only
get one chance to make a first impression so you want to be sure
that the finished result is something you are very happy with.
AP: Each year you make a cross-country pilgrimage to visit programmers all
over the USA. What new trends have you learned while talking to the
programmers this year?
HIP: One thing I’ve noticed is that many more resources are being
put into music video promotion. Labels are spending less money on
things like college radio promotion and more on music videos
and viral marketing. And with such a heavy presence of the music
video on the Internet, many labels consider video promotion
essential.
AP: What new formats or outlets do you see on the horizon?
HIP: Some things we’ve seen recently are videos streaming on cell
phones, in podcasts & on video billboards. Wherever there is new
technology to be found, music videos are not far behind.
AP: Which countries watch the most music videos?
HIP: We work mostly with outlets within the USA, but we’ve also seen
some great response from outlets in Canada, and many Latin
American countries.
AP: Can a band that is totally broke use video visuals to promote
themselves?
HIP: Well, thanks to programs like Final Cut, actually making a music
video has become a much more affordable endeavor. It is also key to
find the right director; so many are willing to work for cheap
because like the bands, they are hungry and looking to beef up their
own reels and body of work.
AP: What should a band consider before signing with a video promoter?
HIP: Whether or not it is affordable to their budget and also the best
time to move forward with a promotion. Like I said earlier, it is
always best to time a video promotion to coincide with a tour and/or
new release to maximize impact.
AP: Why should artists choose HIP - describe what makes HIP unique:
HIP: We are fearless when it comes to promoting cliché-defying
artists outside the mainstream, while always remaining selective in
the projects we promote.
We truly do everything we can to go the extra mile for our clients,
whether it’s offering up the HIP Hotel, my annual cross county tour
visiting programmers, or producing one of our own HIP Clips for
them (which we put up on our YouTube page among many other
locations). We’re all artists ourselves, so
we know how much these things mean to our clients to know that we
have a sincere and vested interest in helping these artists out.
AP: What's "the HIP Hotel" and who has stayed there?
HIP: The HIP Hotel is the upstairs area of our offices, which we’ve
converted into a place for bands to crash when they come through
the area. We know how much it can cost to pay for hotels in the Tri-State area and how difficult it can be to find lodging on the road, so
when our artists come through the area we offer them the chance to
come stay with us. We have several beds, laundry, warm showers,
safe parking,
Internet access and anything else we think a band on
the road might need.
Some artists that have stayed here include
Plain White T’s,
The Rocket Summer, Minus The Bear, The Soviettes,
Sherwood, Aqueduct, Two Ton Boa, Immaculate Machine & Smoosh,
just to name
a few.
AP: Do you think programs like the Independent Music Awards and
the MTV
Awards help artists get ahead?
HIP: Of course! I think that any high profile accolade helps an artist
in terms of recognition and prestige. The more they get recognized
for their work, the more likely they are to continue to see their star
rise.
AP: What have been some of your favorite videos to work?
HIP: Some of the highlights over the past year have been Spoon,
Bat
For Lashes, Mando Diao, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Of Montreal,
Johnny
Cash, Sherwood, Nicole Atkins, Pinback and so many more.
It’s hard
to narrow it down because we have to really love a video in order to
work with it, so to pick favorites is so hard!
AP: Who's your favorite video artist?
HIP: There are three artists who we have been fortunate
enough to work with enough times to really check out their
incredibly diverse yet always compelling body of work. The first is Of
Montreal, because you never know what you’re going to get, but you
know it will always be incredible. The second is The Majestic Twelve.
These DIY rockers from
North Carolina really embody the
independent spirit that we love and each video they offer is
completely different from the last. Lastly is
Bloc Party. There is just a
certain level of excitement that comes with having the chance to
work with this band repeatedly. Everything about their music is
amazing and we know every new video they have is going to be a
huge hit.
AP: Your favorite video of all time?
HIP: “Hurt” by Johnny Cash. Not only was this video so pivotal
in the development of HIP, but it’s rare that a video really reaches
down and touches you on every level like this video. And the fact that
it was released so close to his passing, it always just stands out to us
as one of, if not, the best.
For more on HIP Video, visit www.hipvideopromo.com.
When she’s not working hard at MRG, Joelle Caputa is helping promote indie
artists through Planet Verge magazine and Audio Crush PR.
Her dog, a
Siberian Husky/German Shepard mix, Skye, is often at her side.
