The song’s mood – do the visuals fit alongside it or seem contradictory? The budget – more locations means more time and more money.
When writing a music video story, keep it simple. Remember that all film stories come down to three questions – who is the protagonist, what do they want, and how do they try to get it? Keep stories bound to one or two locations and actors. The more complex the story, the more difficult your shoot will be.
Hometown streets or neighborhood joints (if in public, call the Chamber of Commerce for film permits). Party locations, like houses, pools, or the beach. Rooftops Graffiti tagged walls or deep city environments (be sure to check with the original artist, when possible). Green screens, allowing you free rein of backgrounds.
It is good practice to buy the extras and crew lunch, as that alone entices many people to get involved.
Feature dancers are the second “star” of the video, which usually means they need to be in the “story” shots too, if you have them.
Ask the dancers you hire if they are willing to choreograph as well, especially for a higher fee. Keep the dancing loose – let the dancers improvise as if they were at a party. Hire or consult a dedicated choreographer. College dance departments are a great, low-cost place to start asking around.
Cameras & Tripods: You want something that can shoot at 720p minimum, and preferably 1080p or higher. 2-3 cameras are often best, allowing you to catch multiple angles at once, but only if they all can shoot at the same settings. [1] X Research source Lights: Never underestimate the power of good lighting – you can always darken a video later, but it is very, very hard to make it lighter without ruining picture quality. In a pinch, get a bunch of bulbs and clamp lights from a local hardware store. Essential Miscellaneous Equipment: Speakers (to play song), extension cables, power strips, black tape, tool set, back-up batteries and memory cards, necessary permits. [2] X Research source
Equipment you must rent Location and permit fees Props and costumes Crew fees. It is possible to get crews for free (check local colleges), but it rare to get help for more than a weekend without pay Food and transportation costs per day of shooting. For a truly “professional” shoot, with an all-paid cast and crew, you should budget at minimum, $2,500 a day. Double this if you want to capture sound (like dialogue in a story scene).
The Problem: First, we meet the characters – a gorgeous girl and a working class boy who is immediately in love with her. She doesn’t notice him. The Struggle: Second, we realize the boy doesn’t have the courage to talk to her, so he follows her instead. Using purely visual jokes, the video explores his increasingly funny attempts to get close to her. The Resolution: He gets beaten up for his love by some thugs, but he doesn’t give up. In a hilarious reversal of expectation, he makes his move finally – on Facebook. Note how this is only about 50% of the video – your story doesn’t have to be long, as rapping and dancing can fill up the rest of the time. [3] X Research source
The 1-2 hours before sunset and after sunrise have the best lighting of the day. Overcast days, however, are the most useful, since the light is calm but widespread under the clouds. While three lights with even shadows are the norm, don’t discount more adventurous lighting patterns, like Coolio’s “Gangster’s Paradise,” which uses interrogation-type lighting for an extra dramatic feel. It can help to prep shots in black and white mode to see how the lighting looks without color. A good shot in black and white will look great in color, usually.
If you’re in with friends or trusted collaborators, consider having someone “in charge” of the extras, providing light instruction while you set up shots or lights.
Take multiple angles here instead of shooting the same shot three times. If you know the first one is good, move the camera before doing it again.
Costume or outfit changes. Rapping while “in action” (driving, counting money, flirting, etc. ) Using extreme or interesting angles, like very low/high shots, fisheye lenses, etc.
Keep a checklist of the shots you need and cross them off as you work – nothing is worse than getting into editing and realizing a key “chapter” is missing. Take 2-3 takes of each shot, ensuring at least one of each will work. Keep the shots short – think of linking a lot of little images instead of filming one continuous story.
Solo or up-close shots of important props. Shots of the dancers or extras having fun. Cool shots of each location, helping the viewer see where you are. [4] X Research source
It can help to put a clean MP3 version of the song in the video editor as well, using this as your baseline when syncing videos. High-end video software, like Adobe Premier, often has a sync feature. There are also professional sync programs, like PluralEyes, but they are generally used for shoots with many cameras and microphones. If you took tons and tons of video you may decide to do this in smaller pieces, only syncing up the segments you are currently editing and then matching it all together later. Both strategies work. [5] X Research source
You can fine-tune the cuts to match the music later. For now, just focus on telling a good story. The music, when added, should make a good edit better. It shouldn’t be the only reason it works.
It can help to cut the whole video to the beat, then trim away and edit it later once you can tell the places where it works and the places it doesn’t. Alternatively, some editors will cut most of the video with no music, then go back and see how it lines up later, adding “on-the-beat” sections as desired.
The primary goal of color correction is to ensure that the clips all flow smoothly together, as if they were all shot at the same exact time. As you get better, you can use color correction to influence the mood of the video as well, using blues and greens for calm or darker tones and reds and oranges for happier shots.
Maybe you want to do one long take, without any cuts. This doesn’t even have to be difficult, as Bob Dylan’s seminal “Subterranean Homesick Blues” video attests. What video effects can you play with and push to their extremes? Try crazy color schemes, black and white, etc. These changes are very simple to change back in editing. [6] X Research source
