As an artist, making a music video can be difficult, especially if you've haven't got much of a budget or a team around you to help you plan and execute the concept you have in mind. Whilst it may seem daunting, this guide to making a music video will cover everything you need to know about creating a quality music video to be shared around the world.
STEP ONE: Pick The Right Song
Believe it or not, but whilst it might seem like the best idea to simply make a video for every track, that may not always be the wisest thing to do. This is because when you're on a budget, you want to make sure you're investing into something that your audience actually wants.
Our top tips for you:
- Focus on which previous songs have got a lot of attention
- Don't just think about your singles, also think about tracks off your albums or projects too
- Pick a song that you feel visuals will enhance the experience of, for your audience
STEP TWO: Develop Your Concept
Once you have chosen your song, it's now time to think about concepts that you could pursue within the music video itself. A good place to start is to think about the lyrics, the emotion and the feeling that can be associated with the song itself. From there, you can develop visual concepts that aim to convert these intangibles. However, it is important to note that coming up with a completely new concept doesn't happen too often. In fact, many of your favourite music videos will have been partly inspired by other videos, so be sure to do some research!
Our top tips for you:
- Simple concepts tend to work the best, especially for emerging artists (but note here that simple does not mean boring!)
- Always develop your concept with a ballpark figure in mind, looking up some basic costs will help keep ideas that are likely to be out of your budget at bay
- The concept you opt for will determine if/who you hire and where you shoot, so take your time to plan it properly
STEP THREE: Hire A Videographer
Whilst you can decide to shoot the video on your own, it's far more efficient to get help! You could choose to hire a professional freelance videographer, a music video production company or put your finger out and work with upcoming talent and/or students to keep costs low. It's important to note that the more money you invest in a video does not necessarily improve its appeal, particularly where the concept is poorly executed. Be wise with this decision as you don't want to put yourself into financial difficulties all because of a video. Most importantly, whoever you choose to hire, make sure you sit down with them and plan out an in-depth storyboard for the shoot, including the angles you'd like. The more detailed the plan is, the better control there will be on shoot day.
Our top tips for you:
- Try to find someone who comes with good recommendations
- Do your best to ensure that the videographer fully understands the concept and style you are trying to go for by providing some accurate references
- Collaborate with the videographer to enhance your initial ideas as they will be able to offer a fresh perspective in addition to your own
STEP FOUR: Find A Location
Location is key for any good music video and depending on what you're after it can be the most fun aspect of planning, or the most stressful! Finding out the tone of your video will help you with your search so you'll know whether you need city spots or something much more rural. Once you know exactly what you’re looking for you can use a tool such as UKFilmLocation.com which will help you find the best locations to film. Alternatively, you can ask around for great locations from your friends, other artists or even just other people in your local neighbourhood that might be able to help. Public locations are great if you're on a tight budget, but there are plenty of private locations you can hire for just a day or two as needed.
Our top tips for you:
- Don't go too crazy with your locations if you don't have the budget to do so as the focus should be more on the videography costs
- Find locations that are most in line with the concept that you are trying to deliver, so as not to confuse your audience
- Always consider if you'll be able to get the various shots and angles that you'd like at your chosen location(s)
STEP FIVE: Arrange The Logistics
Depending on your budget and how many people you're having involved in the shoot, you'll need to arrange the logistics so that everything goes smoothly on shoot day. There are several things you'll need to arrange for like, the people for the shoot, the day of the shoot, transport (if needed) for the shoot and the actual set for the shoot. Your plans will help you put this all together properly.
Our top tips for you:
- Check your plans, again and again, and again, to avoid any complications on shoot day
- If you can, put together a 'running order' for shoot day, so that everyone knows where they need to be and when they need to be there
- Be realistic with planning your logistics and build in extra buffer time
STEP SIX: Lights, Camera, Action
Now it's time to create the magic that you've been planning so hard for. It's likely that you'll be incredibly stressed on shoot day. Sometimes the people around you will be to blame for your frustrations, but generally-speaking, tensions will be very high, so do your best to exercise more patience than usual so that you can ensure that everything planned gets done.
Our top tips for you:
- Take all the possible shots that you're after on the day because you won't get the opportunity to go back and take them
- Follow your 'running order' as strictly as possible, however, do allow for slight changes
- Do keep an eye on the time on shoot day otherwise, or you may not have enough footage for a complete video
STEP SEVEN: Edit The Video
Once you've got all your footage, it now needs editing. This will be done according to the agreement that you have with the videographer and/or video editor. Some editors prefer to edit the video then send you a draft for any approvals and/or suggested amendments. Others are happy for you to sit in and work collaboratively with them. This is where the vision really comes to life so if there is something that you're not happy with in regards to the editing, do not be afraid to speak up!
Our top tips for you:
- Don't forget your original concept, but be flexible and adaptable for new takes on the idea
- Don't forget the all-important colour grading, no matter what
- Voice any and all concerns that you may have as there may not be an opportunity to go back once you've published the video
Once you've done all the hard work, it's now time to share it with the world by promoting your video. There are plenty of ways in which you can do this so, get creative with it!
If you need help putting together your music video, we can help! Visit withmusta.com/administrativeservices to find out more about our project management solutions!