How to Make a Music Video

How to Make a Music Video: Step by Step to Your Perfect Music Video!

As you may know, everything on the set and during the preparation can be very hectic. And if that wasn’t enough, everything has to be done quickly. As a result, small errors can often occur, e.g. incorrect stabilization of the camera, wrong camera settings or you have prepared everything properly and then a cable breaks or the battery drains a little too quickly.

This can cause a lot of stress, not to mention a lot of extra work. It is therefore very important that a lot of tolerance is shown when filming your film project. Aside from that, advance preparation is also very important.

Today we would like to go a little deeper into making / organizing your music video. To help you with this, we have put together a step-by-step guide.

Creative Part

Before recording a video clip, you must of course start with the creative part. What do you want to give the viewers of your music video as a message? What kind of image do you want to stay with your viewers? And not unimportantly, what is the concept of the song you are going to film a music video for.

These are all questions you can ask yourself beforehand so that you have a clear guideline for the music video to be filmed. Try to really think out of the box and let your creative brain run its course.

Storyboard

From the creative part you get started to put everything on paper, a handy tool for this is a storyboard. In the storyboard you can briefly tell about the story of the music video, who plays the main role, where the scenes will take place, who does what in each scene, which clip attributes you will need and some examples in the form of photos.

Budget

So creative part has been devised, storyboard has been made and now what? Most importantly, of course, the budget.

When filming a music video you can make it as crazy as you want, but of course it also has to fit the budget. It is therefore important that a budget is first made, the more budget you have, the better of course. But making a music video doesn’t always have to be expensive.

Find out for yourself what is really important and what costs the most money. Don’t try to cut back on this, because that part can only just be the success of your music video. Then look at costs that you could reduce or look for alternative options if it costs too much. Always try to take into account costs that can be higher, so keep a buffer in the budget.

Filming location

After the storyboard and budget are created, you will have a better idea of ​​what kind of location to look for and whether you need multiple locations. Look for locations that really fit the concept of your music video.

Always take impotence into account when choosing locations. You will only just see that you have a nice outdoor location, but the day itself it starts to rain. If this gives an extra effect to the recordings, then it is of course a nice bonus, but unfortunately this does not always apply in practice. That is why it is important that alternative locations are also considered.

If you have an indoor location in mind, it is important that clear agreements are made. How long can you use the location? What is allowed and what is not allowed at the location? Is everything clear to the owner? These are all questions to consider, because it is not nice for anyone when on the day of recording it turns out that there has been a miscommunication.

Equipment

Now that the locations have been selected, you can proceed with the necessary equipment.

Let’s start right away with the most important equipment, namely the camera. Find out for yourself what kind of camera you will need for the recordings. Of course it is also important that this fits within the budget.

If you already have a camera that is perfectly suitable for the recordings, then that is of course a nice bonus. But if this is not the case, you can always look at the possibility of renting this with a camera rental.

Now that you have chosen the camera, you can look at which shots, angles and images you want to record. So find out for yourself which equipment you would like to use for which scene.

Depending on the concept of the music video, there may be a lot of walking motion in some scenes, a Gimbal can come in handy here. It ensures that you can film more flexibly and that there are no strange movements in the recordings. If there are many scenes that do not involve much movement, you can choose a tripod again.

Also check with yourself which lens you would like to use with which shot. It is always good to record the scenes from different angles, for example a zoom lens but also a wide-angle lens.

Lighting is also an important aspect to consider. Because as already mentioned at the location, it is also important to know where you want to film. Depending on the location, the equipment also changes. Outside there is often enough daylight, but if you want to film in the evening or in a studio, you already need other lighting equipment.

Before you start choosing the equipment, it is useful to first look at the equipment that you already have at your disposal. From there you already have a clear picture of the equipment that you may still be missing. Always make sure that you have some extra accessories.

If you miss something or need extra, you might want to rent that equipment from the same camera rental as the camera. Many camera rental companies still want to give a discount when more is rented. So don’t forget to ask for this!

Actors and / or extras

Apart from the artist, you may also need actors and / or extras for your music video. Check for yourself which roles there are and who can best fill that role. It is important that the chosen actors and extras can really convey your message well. Also think about the outfit that should be worn.

Clip attributes

Once all the previous points have been mapped out, you can move on to the attributes needed for the music video. This could include decoration, cars, backgrounds, used objects and so on.

Division of tasks

Organizing a music video is tiring enough and the day of the recording itself you have enough on your mind. Therefore, make a clear division of tasks stating who is responsible for what. So who is responsible for the locations, the search for actors / extras, clip attributes and so on. It is also important to ask yourself whether you need a make-up artist, hair stylist or perhaps a photographer.

Schedule

Once you have a picture of the concept of your music video, we come to perhaps one of the most important part, namely planning.

Poor planning often comes with higher costs and not the results you hoped for. That is why planning is a very important part.

For starters, it is important to know the release date for your music video. Once you know that, you can start planning the day that will be filmed.
*Our tip: take plenty of time for this, so not 1 day before releasing the music video.

Set deadlines for yourself on when to finish what. Our personal tip for this is: make a checklist!

With the help of a checklist you have a better overview of the points that have already been completed or still need to be arranged. This not only provides a better picture for you, but for the entire team.

And then the big day…the recording day!

Once everything has been arranged and all points on your checklist have been ticked off, only the recordings have to be done yourself.

On the day itself it is important that you are well rested and that you concentrate well on the plan. Before you start, check all the equipment and its settings. Check that it is clear to everyone what needs to be done and what the schedule is for the admissions themselves.

Try to keep your cool during the recordings and above all have a lot of patience. On set something can always go wrong or a scene takes just a little longer than expected. As frustrating as this may be, these are the most common occurrences of recordings. So keep this in mind!

Finally, we would like to give you to make sufficient images. It is always better to have more images, but make sure that they do not become unnecessary images. Otherwise you just have more work to do when editing the images.

This brings us to the end of this blog for planning your music video. We hope that we have been able to give you a better picture and that our guide has been able to help you.

Do you have any questions, comments or suggestions yourself? Then feel free to use our comment function below or get in touch via our contact page.

Stay healthy and stay tuned for even more Blogs!

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