The Ultimate Step by Step Guide to Music Video Production

Are you interested in making your own music video? Have you been dreaming of creating a visually stunning audio-visual masterpiece showcasing your songs to the world? Well, look no further! In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk through the entire process of how to make a quality music video – from planning and pre-production right through to post-production. Even if you plan on hiring a production company to help make your music video it’s important for you to know what to expect and everything that goes into making your musical project. Now let’s get started with our step by step journey into music video production.

Why Make a Music Video?

Since the 1980s, music videos have become just as much a part of the music industry as the music itself. Not only do they offer a visual representation of the song that can captivate an audience, but they also allow for another form of art to be integrated into the music experience. Plus, let’s be real – having a music video is cool. From iconic dance moves to memorable costumes, music videos have delivered some of the most unforgettable moments in pop culture history. So why make a music video? It’s simple – to enhance the music and create a visual masterpiece that will leave a lasting impression on your audience. Plus, it’s just plain fun to get creative and bring your music to life on screen.

Music Video Pre-Production

This is the exciting (and sometimes chaotic) part where you get to lay the foundation for your visual masterpiece. First things first, you’ll need to start with the basics: brainstorming your concept, creating a shot list, scouting locations, and assembling a team. Remember, this is your chance to be creative and think outside of the box. Don’t be afraid to take risks and try something new. And if that all sounds overwhelming, don’t worry – take it one step at a time and reach out for help if you need to.

Develop the Concept

If you’ve decided to make a music video you probably already have a song in mind, but what do you want to do with it? Let’s begin with the tone of the song. Is it upbeat and bubbly or slow and sultry? This will help guide your concept and ensure it matches the mood of the music. Next, think about your audience and what they might enjoy seeing in a music video. There are tons of options of what you could do. You could focus on just performing the music, you could tell a narrative story or you could make a montage of images and moments that give the audience a feeling or vibe that you hope to convey with your music. Get creative, brainstorm, and let’s get ready to rock!

Find Your Crew

Once you’ve decided on what you want to shoot, building a strong crew is the next essential step. With the right team behind you, your vision can come to life in ways you never imagined. Be sure to start by defining your needs and budget so that you can begin to identify potential candidates. If you don’t know where to begin looking for a crew, consider starting with a good producer who will know what roles you’ll need to fill and will have the resources to find those people.

Create an Outline and Shot List

Depending on what you’ve come up with for your music video concept you will either want to create an outline for your video or a list of different scenes you’d like to shoot for your video. This will help you know what to prepare for when your shoot days arrive. What locations you’ll want to find, what actors or dancers or other talent you’ll need to secure, how long your shoot will take; all these thing will become apparent once you’ve created a good outline. Next you’ll want to create a more detailed shot list for your video. If your outline is your dinner menu, the shot list is the recipes for each individual dish. Maybe you have a choreographed dance you want to shoot from different angles. Make sure to list those different angles because you’ll need to set up for each (the lighting, the camera, etc.) It’ll help you know how much time to give to each scene and keep your day running smoothly.

Find the Perfect Locations

This may seem pretty straight forward: find a place to film your stuff. Sometimes it is, but other times you’ll need to make sure those places will work for your needs. Does it have enough power outlets? Parking? Space for your crew? And are you allowed to shoot there?  You always want to check these places out before hand with your team to make sure everything has been thought of. And you might need to add some production design elements to your location to make it look cooler or closer to your desired vibe.

Cast Some Talent

Maybe your band is all you want for your video, but if you have any other performers now’s the time to find them. From dancers to actors, selecting individuals who can bring your creative vision to life is a crucial step in the production process. But how do you go about finding the perfect fit? Fortunately, there are plenty of resources available to help you track down talent, such as talent agencies, social media platforms, and local performing arts groups. With a little research and a lot of creativity, you can assemble a team that will take your music video from good to great. And don’t forget background actors. If you have a full party scene or live performance scene, you’ll want a crowd of cool people. Pro tip: sometimes offering pizza and beer will get some crowds to come hang out for an afternoon!

Shoot Your Music Video

You’ve done the hard work of planning your music video and now it’s time to bring your vision to life! Shooting can be both exciting and nerve-wracking, but with a solid plan in place, you’ll be able to capture the perfect shots. Make sure to communicate clearly with your team, whether it’s directing your performers or working with the camera crew. Remember to take breaks when needed, stay hydrated, and have fun!

Camera and Lighting

Your director, director of photography and lighting crew will be your experts when it comes to what equipment you’re going to need for your music video. By now they should know what look and style your concept calls for and what kind of budget you have. No matter the quality of cameras you use, your lighting set up is a key element of making the highest quality music video. Amazing lighting will even make the camera from a smartphone look incredible.

Other Tips for Shooting Your Music Video

Here are a few more tips to help you with the filmmaking of your music video production.

Play Along to the Real Song

If your music video has footage of the musicians performing the song, make sure to play the audio of the track on set. Every time. You want to be able to match the audio to the visuals when you get to video editing. If you get footage of the band just playing the song live, the audio might not synch up exactly. Make sure they lip-synch the music lyrics exactly, too.

Take Notes

You’ve been super organized to prepare for your music video shoot, make sure to stay organized while you’re shooting. Write down anything unexpected that happens on camera that you might want to use later. Or if you especially like a take, make note of it. You don’t want those things to be lost in the footage. You’ll find that the editing phase becomes a lot easier when you’ve made detailed notes throughout the shooting day(s).

Work as a Team

Your team is working with you to create the best music video and they know how to make it happen. If you have ideas or want to try something by all means get that footage but trust that your hired professionals will do a great job. They might know that something will look very different through the lens.

Be Creative

The great thing about a music video is that they can be a bit experimental and you might want to throw something unexpected into the edit. If you finish a scene early, consider playing around a little and see if you can stumble upon gold. Just, you know, be safe.

Post-Production and Beyond

Once you’ve captured all the footage for your music video, it’s time to move on to post production. This is where the magic happens and the true vision for your project comes to life. Whether you’re editing in-house or working with a professional team, it’s important to approach this phase with a keen attention to detail and a collaborative spirit. From color grading and sound design to special effects and final cuts, each step is crucial to creating a polished and impactful music video.

Video Editing

Whether you’re using professional video editing software or a streamlined app, the key is to take your time and carefully craft each frame to ensure that it supports the overall tone and message of your song. Remember, a great edit can mean the difference between a mediocre video and one that truly stands out. Don’t be afraid to experiment and try out new techniques, but always keep your end goal in mind – after all, you want your audience to feel the emotion behind your music and connect with you on a deeper level.

Distributing Your Music Video

You did it! You now have an amazing music video for the best song on your album and that’s it, you’re done. Bye.

Just kidding, now you need to get people to see your great video. Luckily, there are many ways to distribute your video. You can start by uploading it to popular social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook and Tiktok. You can also submit it to music blogs and websites, or even reach out to influencers and media outlets to see if they’re willing to share it. Remember, the key is to be persistent and consistent with your promotion efforts.

Promoting Your Music Videos

Which brings us to promotions. One of the best ways to get started is to post it across your social media platforms. Get your friends and family to help you spread the word and post about it, and make sure to include it in your electronic press kit. Collaborate with other musicians and music bloggers to help widen your audience; and if you have the budget, consider investing in online ads or a publicist. Use your band name or performer name as much as you can, with your Youtube channel and social media accounts. If someone hears your name they’ll want to search for you, make sure your music video is easy to find.

Music Video Production Can Move You To the Next Level

Music video production is an incredible way to show the creative and expansive nature of your music. You’re now set up for success when it comes to developing a new platform for your art. Don’t forget, music video production is an incredible opportunity for you to get creative with your video and have some fun! It can be intimidating at first, but leaning on experienced music video producers will help guide you through even the most complicated projects. If you’re ready to take your music career in a new direction as well as develop a high-quality finished product, contact BLARE Media today. We’d love to collaborate with you.