What’s the most important thing about music video production for a music video director? It’s not the swag! It’s not the nice cars or sweet locations. Is it the pre-production? I’m giving you 5 tips to arm you with the right knowledge to begin your music video process.
Given that music videos are usually small productions and can have a minimal or 1-man crew, I’m going to use ‘director’ and ‘cameraman’ interchangeably.
Tip 5. Keep it simple
Some of the best music videos out there are very simple videos and aren’t overly complicated. Oftentimes less is more. That’s not to say everything should be the same and in the same location. Sometimes a change of clothing can be more powerful than a change of location and vice versa. There are many ways to utilize and take advantage of one single location before you move on to the next. Make sure you’ve covered all angles and ideas before moving on to the next location/scene.
Also, the less complicated a video is the fewer fail points. An example is that if you want a sunny look with 6 locations on weekend, with 3 red cars as props, that’s just increasing the number of things that might fail and be out of our control. You’re relying on one or more sources to deliver 3 red cars, you’re relying on on sun and access to 6 locations. I like to plan videos based on the ‘worst’ possible outcome. So, that means planning for dull/overcast days (which are actually a blessing for videographers and photographers because the light is more consistent).
Tip 4. Smarter project notes and communication platforms
Planning a project is all well and good but when you do it on a phone call, WhatsApp or Instagram, there is no record or poor record of planned events. WhatsApp doesn’t have a search function to sift through messages, either does Instagram. Plan production by email because that way you and the director/videographer have a record of items agreed upon. Also, planning can take some time and there might be a good few messages. Being able to search them through your email provider is convenient.
Sending assets such as logos and big production ideas through WhatsApp puts more work on the editor to then send them from WhatsApp to email. It all gets a bit messy. Keep it clean, simple and communicate by email for production idea. WhatsApp is fine for quick contact outside of project management and arranging to meet.
Tip 3. Keep professional on set
I understand you are paying a director/videographer to produce your music video. But chatting with friends and extras on set can waste some valuable time – time you are paying for. I like to keep sets fun and have banter because I love doing this. Between scenes and takes there can be a lot of downtime as cameras are set, lighting corrected, lenses, batteries and cards change. It’s easy to chill and pick up your phone. But also it’s good to know when the put the phone down and be ready for when the camera needs to start rolling again.
Tip 2. Never rush or distract director/cameraman/videographer
As mentioned in Tip 3, there can be a lot of downtime in between takes and scenes. This is when the cameraman is checking settings as a good cameraman is shooting manually. This means when the light changes, all the camera settings change. They might be changing codecs and frames-per-second based on if they need to shoot slo-mo etc. The cameraman might also need to do a new white balance so the colours look correct. They might also need to change batteries, cards, backup up video files, figure out what lens will work best for the next scene etc. There are many things at once going through the head of a cameraman or director at any given time.
I find if it’s something important. just ask if you can speak with the cameraman/director when they have a free moment. That way you’ll have their undivided attention and ultimately it should work out better for you in the end.
Tip 1. Pre-production
Being a music video director, I can’t stress this enough. There are some people very willing to ask me to bring my camera and just wing it on the day. While you might get some interesting shots on the day, a huge amount of time will be wasted looking for that location, that good angle or that dope shot. Planning these events out beforehand will ensure you get the scenes you want to be done within a day. After all, if you are paying a videographer a daily rate, you want to get as much done in one or two days to keep costs down.
Think about clothing, colours of clothing and colour palettes, also think about background colours. For example, if you are shooting a mostly green/brown area like a forest, think about what colours would contrast well with that colour palette. Plan locations with times of the day. If you want low hanging sun for that golden hour effect, make sure you plan in advance the location for this. Remember, there is low hanging sun early-morning as well as late evening.
These are just general basic tips that can help you get the most from your music video production experience and get the best from your music video director. It’s not an in-depth look into how to do pre-production but it’s more for you think about it and come around the idea of it.
If you want to discuss a project you have, get in touch through the website. Try include as much detail as possible.