Music videos are one of the best ways to gain traction for a song. As a creative art form in their own right, many iconic music videos have helped to elevate and draw attention to tracks. They provide a chance to get creative, and take the song to another dimension by adding visuals. Want to make your own? Here’s our beginner’s guide to music video production!
How To Make A Music Video: Music Video Production 101
1. Decide On The Song
The first step is deciding what song you want to use for your music video, and what your intention is behind it. What will the tone and style be? Are you communicating a story with your visuals? Will the video involve actors, extras, any cuts to dialogue? Sketch out your ideas and make a list of everything you will need to achieve this goal. Don’t be too overambitious and remember that things don’t always go to plan, but with organization and ideas, you can work around this!
2. Get Your Team Together
Even if it is a small project, you will need some sort of team or film crew. The basic team should include the artist or band (if they are in the video), a camera person, a lighting person and a director. If you can find a camera person that can also direct – even better! Also, recruiting a team that can provide their own equipment will save you time and money. Otherwise, you can rent equipment if your budget allows it. There is also the option of buying secondhand equipment. If you are keeping the video low-budget, ask around to find friends, students and so on to get involved.
3. Plan The Music Video Shoot
Now, it’s time to get planning! As your crew may charge per hour, you want to keep things as efficient as possible. Shoot days can run long, so having a well-organized plan allows you to stay on track. Be sure to come up with the plot beforehand, and storyboard ideas, shots you will need and so on. Now is also the time to create a schedule so that everybody is clear on who is needed for what scene. Don’t forget details such as budgeting for those involved, providing food for the shoot day and so on.
4. Iron Out The Details
This is the time to iron out some details. Firstly, you should choose your location. Take some time to scout some areas, and make sure you have permission to film there. Other aspects such as lighting, props and costumes should be discussed. Depending on your budget, you may want to hire people to take care of these elements. If not, start digging into a few wardrobes or looking for some low-cost costume options.
4. Filming Your Music Video
Be sure to use your time efficiently, test equipment beforehand and ask everybody to be on time. Shoot days can run long and organization can go a long way for cutting down on time. Also, keep a record of the shots and footage that you have, as this will come in handy later on. Make sure to have several versions of shots so that you have a wide range to choose from when editing. If you are using natural light, be sure to plan so that you can get the footage you need in the day time. Don’t forget to bring back up batteries, memory cards and so on for filming!
5. Editing Your Music Video
There are lots of options for free or low-cost editing software, such as iMovie or Adobe Premiere Elements. We recommend Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premier Pro for the most professional look. Footage takes up a lot of space, so make sure your hard drive is clear. An external hard drive might be a good idea! Also, look into adding in some extra touches during post-production such as sound effects, and avoid using tons of visual effects. Simple is best! Alternatively, you can hire an external editor, or team up with somebody who can help you with the editing.
6. Promotion & Sharing
Now that you’ve put your heart and soul into the video, it’s time to share it! Make sure to begin promoting and marketing your music video before it is released to get people interested and spread the word. Social media is a great way to get people excited about incoming content and get fans involved. Ask others to share on social media, upload it to YouTube and so on. Maybe look into music video distribution if you want to gain as much traction as possible.
How Audiosocket Can Help
Audiosocket can provide over 2,000 sound designs for your music video production. We can also provide tracks to license if you want to use a song that you didn’t create. Our catalog spans over 80,000 songs in varying genres. Get started now!
