I’m a songwriter and recording artist. While, I’m brand new to making music videos, but here are some tips that I’ve learned so far!
Read on, and let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Music videos come in all shapes and sizes. From the fashion statements of Bjork or Lady Gaga to the simple live duets that first made famous The Civil Wars, music videos and their production styles are as varied as the types of music they represent.
That said, here are some things I’ve learned so far in the couple videos I’ve made.
Find a videographer
Do what you do best, right? So don’t think that you have the time, skills, tools, budget, or eye to make a video all on your own. Of course, you may – there are Jacks and Jills-of-all-trades out there, but the chances are (especially on your first try), that you aren’t one of them.
So, find a videographer.
“But don’t they cost a lot of money?”
Good ones? Usually. But we’re talking about your first video here. So anyone with an eye and some decent film / video equipment will likely do something better than you will.
And if you’re a musician of talent, then there just might be someone out there who’d love the opportunity to make art with you.
I’m talking about aspiring videographers and film students.
Again, you have no guarantees, but consider a partnership with someone who values your product (your music) and the opportunity to make something with you, as you do with them.
Look at other videos
Try to find examples of other videos that you’d be proud to call your own. Then whittle down that sample set to the ones you might be able to accomplish given your time, budget, and manpower.
Do you have actors and funds to pay them?
Do you have lighting?
Do you have locations, and funds to get there?
Do you have the time, skills, and the programs needed to edit?
Consider all these factors, and make a game plan. What’s most important is authenticity. Style is great, but the truth is, as long as you make something authentic to you, the style isn’t taking away from the video, and your song is good… then you’ll have something worth sharing.
One of my favorite videos has mostly grainy, hand-held camera work. Thankfully, it also has multiple cuts to Lana Del Rey singing “Video Games.” But it feels real (apparently she actually recorded a lot of the video herself in years previous to its release). Personally, it feels more intimate and interesting than any of her other videos, each of which has easily ten-times the production value.
Go for authenticity.
Scout locations, but stay flexible
Make sure you can get to the places you want. But be flexible, because in getting to those places, you might find something else you like even more.
In filming the music video for “Don’t Follow Me Down,” Kai Drachenberg, his brother Bryce, and I all went to the first location – which was an apartment complex with interesting, ultra-modern architecture. Unfortunately, the day of shoot, it also had a lot of people hanging out on their front porches and kids running around.
It was a beautiful fall day, and so we walked around a bit, wondering if we should wait until the complex cleared a little. Then, we spotted a place up the road that had some nice auburn trees. We figured we could get some good walking-on-road shots. So we walked there.
As we walked up the hill, what emerged on our left was a long rock wall, and at its base was a bed of fallen leaves. And just across the wall… an amazingly gorgeous cemetery. Each of the gravestones poked up through red and golden leaves, and there was absolutely no one there.
We ditched the apartment complex and filmed the whole day there.
Not that things like that will always happen, but they can. Stay flexible.
Record you singing the song at least 3 times through
You’ll need good video of you actually singing the lyrics. And you’ll need multiple shots of you in any given location singing those lyrics. So, for any given location, get at least 3 shots (short, medium, and long-range) of you singing along to the lyrics.
I can’t guarantee you’ll use any of them. But man, having multiple versions of that base video (you singing along to the song) for any given location is great when you get back to the editing room.
Plan for things to take three times the amount of time you expect
Whether its days of shooting, or days of editing, or days BETWEEN editing, remember that unless you’re spending top-dollar for an agency to make you a video, everything is going to take longer than planned. And that’s ok.
In the mean time, get additional footage, write blogs about your experience, work on your Patreon page, and brainstorm how best to market your content when it does come out.
Because while your music video might take longer than planned, so will the rest of the content you plan to provide for your fans. So just dive in and do something productive, even on down days.
Collaborate, co-market, and give kudos whenever you can
Remember, this is not a zero-sum game. Giving credit where it’s due to everyone you worked with is important – to future creative relationships, to your reputation as an artist and businessperson, and because sharing the spotlight doesn’t mean losing the spotlight.
Feature your collaborators on your Facebook and in your stories, get their opinions and their feedback, and maybe they’ll do the same for you!
A little goes a long way in showing people you care.
To sum it up…
Be authentic. Plan for extra time. Play to your strengths, and let others play to theirs. Share the spotlight. Oh, and write good songs.
And in the end, remember – you’re making this art for you. If it never goes viral, you better be ok with that. Because you won’t keep making art if it’s not satisfying to your soul, anyway. Fans will come later, or they won’t.
Just feel lucky you’re making music and art in the first place.
~Cecil
