How to Make a Music Video

Developing The Concept

Get a sense of your budget. Great music videos don't have to be expensive or elaborate. Some of the most creative, memorable music videos in history are simple, shoestring productions. Some are multimillion-dollar affairs. Knowing how much money you have at your disposal beforehand can help ensure you don't go over budget.

Keep a notebook. You don't need anything fancy, digital, or expensive. You want something to gather your thoughts, take down notes, and sketch scenes. Keep pencils and an eraser or two with your notebook and keep these items with you throughout the filming process. Ideas may come to you when you least expect them.

Talk to the artist or band. They may have ideas about how they want their video to look. Some of them will be good. Some might even be great. Some will require a cast of thousands, cutting-edge CGI, and Peter Jackson at the helm. If you have the budget, there's no limit to what you can do, but it's up to you to decide which of the artists' ideas to incorporate in to your video. Have a realistic outlook - know which ideas are feasible, which are unfeasible, and which are just plain bad. If you happen to be a member of the band whose music you're using, you're in a position with unique benefits and challenges. You'll have firsthand, personal access to the band's creative process. On the other hand, music video making can be stressful. Your personal and creative relationships might be taxed - beware.

Before making any plans, listen to the song. Don't do anything else the first time — just listen. Then, listen to it many, many more times. Listen to it with the artist or band members. Even if you know the song by heart, try to listen to it as if it's the first time. How does it make you feel? Does it make you want to dance, cry, act silly, or head for the bar? Or does it make you feel strange combinations of feelings? Jot down your reactions. To get the most out of your listening experience, consult our guide on listening to music like a pro.

Refine your ideas. Once you have an idea of the song's emotional core, brainstorm ideas for your video. It can be very useful during this process to consult with members of your technical staff - they'll know what's easy to film and what's not so easy. Music video ideas can be straightforward without being ineffective. For instance, an idea for a country song about meeting people on the road like "following a man driving down the highway, meeting people in small town grocery stores and gas stations along the way in situation reflecting lyrics" can work great if well-executed. Adding small, specific details can make your video memorable or even iconic. The following notes have much more personality than the somewhat vague description above: "Main character driving a '57 Chevy convertible on long, straight stretch of highway out west; farmer at roadside grocery in verse 1, soldier in Hummer at gas station during verse two, pretty girl in verse 3 (star cameo?) hops in car and rides away with our hero as song plays out. Comedic side-story: huffy business suit embarrassing himself in each scene: squirts mustard on shirt in v1, bumps into hummer with his Porsche or pours gas on expensive shoes at gas station in v2; clumsily putting moves on girl in v3." Odd, abstract ideas for music videos can make for great videos. Footage doesn't necessarily have to closely reflect the lyrics - having a contrast between the visual and lyrical content can make for a striking contrast. Some videos are even bizarre or nonsensical. Don't be afraid to confuse or shock viewers if you think it's the best choice for your video. It's a great way to fight The Man.

Scout locations. Before you start shooting, you'll need to know exactly where you want to shoot. Sometimes the video concept can necessitate traveling to a remote location or building a custom set. For example, our country video may be easy to shoot if we're in Wyoming, but if we're in New York City, we'll have to plan a workaround in advance. Our How to Be a Location Scout guide has tips for amateur scouts. Talk to the owners or management of any location you want to use. Make sure they are OK with your shooting. If you're lucky, they may also be a perfect fit for a character in your video (if they're willing.) It's also a good idea to notify neighbors about your shoot beforehand. If you don't, they may be confused or distressed by your shoot. Know local noise ordinances beforehand so you'll be prepared if they complain to the police.

Create a storyboard. One of the most effective video-planning tools at your disposal is a storyboard. Storyboards are shot-by-shot sketches of a video that are consulted to direct the video's action. See How to Create a Storyboard for detailed storyboarding advice. Music videos often employ special cinematic choices or visual effects to create a unique experience. If you plan to incorporate either into your video, be sure to incorporate them into your storyboard. Storyboards don't have to be flashy. They can be as simple as the position of actors and props in each scene, or they can be as detailed as individual cutaways, expressions, direction of movement, etc. If you can't even draw a straight line, don't worry: make a text storyboard. As long as you have an idea of what is going to happen in each shot, and you can communicate that to your crew, you'll be good to go. Look to break your video into "scenes" that match your vision. You can minimize shooting time if you shoot all the footage in a certain location at once (even if it's out of the order it will appear in as a finished video.) Plan your shooting so that you travel as efficiently as possible.

Staffing Your Shoot

Find your crew. Depending on the scale of your production, you may be able to rely solely on yourself and your actors, or you may need to create large a crew for the video. If you need to hire actors, look for people who are great at conveying emotion and feelings nonverbally. Here are some positions you might consider filling based on what work you'll need done: Director: This will most likely be you. You'll be managing all the different parts of the shoot, from sharing your vision to the cast and crew, to mediating disputes between lighting and sound, to making sure there's gas in the car and that all your locations are cleared for shooting. You're the boss, but you're also responsible for more than anyone else. Videographer: The videographer will be in charge of capturing the action on one or more cameras. You'll define the shot, but she will actually frame the scene, work with the gaffer to ensure the set is properly lit, and let the sound guy know when the boom is in the scene. Gaffer: Somebody needs to make sure all the lights are lit, the actors are visible, and everything is right for the shoot. That person is the gaffer. Sound man: On a movie set, he's the guy sticking mics in everybody's faces. For a video, which often doesn't feature dialog, he'll be the guy cuing up the song so the actors have something to work with. In between pressing "Stop" and "Play" and "Rewind," he'll be running to get Cokes, pizza, and other sundries. Grip: This is the lucky soul who gets to move all the wires, all the lights, all the gear, seating, tables, props, and everything else that is brought on set. It's a lot easier to run a shoot when you have somebody to handle those things while you handle the bigger-picture items. Wardrobe: Depending on the budget, you may simply provide direction to the talent ("wear jeans and a tight shirt,") or have costumes made to order for the actors. Whichever way you do it, if there are costume changes involved, make sure somebody can coordinate that between scenes, and that your actors have a bit of privacy for changing. Props: Again, this might be you, but somebody has to find the vehicles used, plus things actors on the set use—mustard bottles that squirt reliably on cue, anything an actor picks up or puts down, or is not part of the location. Continuity: Unless you are going to shoot from start to finish in one take, there will be need for somebody to make sure that where people start is where they stopped previously. That is what continuity does. They make note of positions, usually with the aid of a camera. They make sure the mustard stain on the suit in the first scene it still there 3 days later for the last scene's shoot. (Or, conversely, that the mustard stain is *not* there if shots prior to the staining are done later.) Dancers: This part is unnecessary, but if you are a great dancer you can hire back-up dancers. Choreographer: If you do want dancers and it's in your budget, get a choreographer. They will make sure the dancing is smooth and coordinated.

Find the right acting talent. Make a list of all the characters in your video. Your video may or may not include footage of the band performing - if it does, you'll be directing their acting, too. If your video tells a story, write down any characters, making notes about what they look like and how they behave. Hold auditions and choose the talent best-suited for each character. For our hypothetical country music video, we would look for actors to play these parts: The Traveler- He doesn't need to speak, but will need to look cool, confident, and like he belongs driving down a country road in a vintage convertible. Jeans. Shades. Shirt? The Farmer-Older, weathered from the sun. Old hat, jeans and untucked shirt, friendly smile. Brief camera time, so he doesn't need to be a pro. The Soldier- Young, tall, muscular, buzzcut, stronger and more confident than the hero, but also more humble. The Gas Station Attendant- Scrawny? Plump? Greasy mechanic shirt, friendly with a bemused outlook, good at rolling his eyes. The Suit- Metro, almost handsome but not quite. Slicked hair that is un-slicking in heat. Expensive looking wardrobe, car. Socially and physically awkward, has condescending sneer. Unlikeable on first sight. The Girl- Strong, independent woman. Confident with her body and therefore beautiful. Brunette. Confident, carefree, tanned, good sense of humour and constant half amused grin. Never upset by The Suit, only amused. Casually objectifies The Traveler.

Saying It: Lights, Camera, Action!

Set the stage. Now that you have all your ducks in a row, the actors are well-rehearsed, and your crew is loaded for beer, it's time to prep your set and shoot your video. Pick a scene to shoot. For this example, we'll choose the final scene of our country video. Here, The Suit trips all over himself, the Traveler helps him up, and the Pretty Girl hops in the car with the Traveler. Put the vehicles and anything else that's in the scene into position, and have the actors stand on their marks. Set your lighting. Lighting can make a big difference in the overall mood of your video. As this is an outdoor shoot, if you don't have powered lights you might be able to use a reflector, which is a large piece of white fabric or poster board that reflects the sunlight, softening shadows and brightening a scene. For the most effective way to focus light, use more than one reflector, or even a mirror. Your gaffer will manage this, under your direction, if you have one. Remember, the main person on screen is always the brightest on screen. When outside, always have the main character's back to the sun except when the sun is in the middle of the sky. This way, the reflectors can illuminate the person's face and front. Although there is a lot to do to get efficient lighting, it is worth it when you want a high quality video.

Set the camera. You may want to shoot part of your video on a tripod, for static scenes. Jiggly cameras can sometimes distract the viewer from the video itself. Other times you may want to use a handheld Steadi-Cam for more dynamic shots, or a totally free-form "shaky cam" for higher energy shots. If you have the people and the budget, shooting a combination of angles and styles will boost creative options in the editing suite.

Get your actors in place. If they're in the scene as the camera rolls, have them take their marks. If they come into the scene as it plays, have them at their entrance point.

Cue up the music. Have Sound locate the proper point in the song, and give it a good lead in time so people can "get in sync" with the music. Longer is better, at first. If you do multiple takes, you may be able to shorten this part up. When Sound is ready and music playing, he'll shout "speed!" (An expression that hearkens back to when recordings on set were done with magnetic tape driven by motors, which took a moment to come up to speed). The sound guy may also want to feed the sound into the video, so there is a reference track for the post editor later.

Power the Lights! Have all your lighting people in position, and all powered lights on.

Starting the Camera! The videographer presses the record button, and starts shooting the scene.

Saying Action! You know the drill here—on "Action!", the actors come out and do the scene.

Repeat for all the scenes in your video. You may end up with multiple takes, multiple angles, great takes, and awful takes. This is where the fun begins! Movie making is a complicated, detailed process that can't be completely described in one article. Consult our wide selection of movie making how-to guides for more focused looks at the film making process.

Working Post-Production

Transfer your video to a computer. Generally this is done with USB, Firewire, or proprietary connections. However you do it, you will want to load everything into your computer and store it in one directory.

Fire up your editor. Your software editor, that is—whether you're using Sony Vegas, iMovie, Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro, or have a deluxe Avid suite, this is where the magic happens.

Use your best material. Work through the video from beginning to end, looking at all the takes, and finding the best ones. Use the scratch audio track on the video to match up the cuts with the music, but don't worry much about slight pops or noise on the audio track. This track won't be used for the final video.

Lay the music track over the footage. With the track loaded in, check to see how your edits and the music sync up. Unless you're lucky, they'll probably be close, but not perfect. Make minor adjustments to each cut so that everything happens when it should — which will be especially noticeable when you're working with shots of the band playing the song. If using footage of the band performing, be prepared to cover mistakes. For example, if the guitarist was miming "Stairway to Heaven" on the video during a passage where he's simply holding a single note on the recording, cut to another band member, or back to a different scene during that moment. Use moderation when editing. Tons of short, choppy cuts can be disorienting, while takes that go on go long can start to look fake. It's usually obvious when a cut looks bad - take your time and use your best judgement.

Add a title and credits if so desired. It was once standard procedure for the song title, artist name, record label, and video director to appear in text at the beginning and end of most videos. Today, some artists choose to leave this information out or take a more "movie style" approach to titles and credits. Talk to the cast, crew, and band to see what they feel about your choice.

Learning from the Greats

Study the classics. Like any art form, music video creation has its "classics." These videos have influenced future artists and directors' videos. Know that many of the greatest music videos are great for completely different reasons. Some are visually inventive, some have a razor-sharp focus, and others just fit the music perfectly. By understanding what made certain music videos particularly influential, you may have a better perspective for how to make your own unforgettable video.

Tell a great story. Many of the most beloved music videos of all time tell stories that are funny, shocking, tragic, or triumphant. A truly great story stays in the viewer's head for weeks, months, or even years. Arguably one of the most famous videos of all time, John Landis' video for Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video tells a classic story. This video also greatly overruns the length of the actual song. It works here, but use caution - too little music and too much video can make for a boring combination. The video for Radiohead's "Just" directed by Jamie Thraves also tells a great story, albeit one with a drastically different tone. This video uses excellently-cast squares and an open-to-interpretation ending to skewer the inanity of white-collar life - a great match for Thom Yorke's spiteful lyrics.

Create a unique visual style. Music videos are great places to showcase visual innovation and trickery. The video can be an opportunity to employ abstract visuals, unique effects, or animation that visually compliments the song's audio. The visuals don't even have to "make sense" in a traditional sense. As long as they're striking and accompany the song well, they can leave a lasting impression. Steve Barron's video for A-ha's smash hit "Take on Me" features a romantic story playing out in a combination of live action and sketchbook-style rotoscope animation. This stylistic choice perfectly matches the song's whimsical, smitten tone and makes for an unforgettable visual style. The video for The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army" (made by directing duo Alex and Martin) employs visual trickery to give the illusion of one four minute long continuously-zooming shot. Combined with the striking lighting choices, this creates a tremendously disorienting effect that gives the video a great dark atmosphere. See also: Muse's "Stockholm Syndrome," Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing."

Play with parody and pastiche. Cultural references are frequently used in music videos - sometimes, the entire video is a loving homage or a scathing lampoon of the material being referenced. With a good sense of humor, the results can be classic. If the artists don't mind a little self-deprecation, all the better - people love musicians who are humble enough to poke fun at themselves. Hype William's video for 2Pac and Dr. Dre's "California Love" is a parody of the Mad Max series of films. The parody serves two purposes - besides being just plain funny, it also suggests that early 1990s California is a lawless, do-or-die playground where only the strongest survive, similar to the post-apocalyptic wasteland depicted in the Mad Max films. An even funnier parody music video is the video for the Beastie Boys' "Sabotage," directed by Spike Jonze. Having the Beastie Boys portray over-the-top caricatures of gritty 1970s TV cops, Jonze makes an unforgettable, hilarious video that somehow fits the music perfectly.

Be extravagant. It can be entertaining simply to throw as much money as possible at the screen. Shoot in an exotic locale. Plan enormous choreographed dance sequences. Hire supermodels. Great music videos can be pure spectacle, plain and simple. Hype William's video for Jay Z's "Big Pimpin'" is a classic example of music video as spectacle. There's very little in the way of narrative or story - it's mostly just Jay Z and friends having a good time on a massive yacht, partying at a tropical villa, and throwing money to a crowd, all while surrounded by beautiful women. As a display of wealth and braggadocio, it's very effective. Lady Gaga is another artist famous for her elaborate music videos. Steven Klein's video for her "Alejandro" depicts a bizarre, sexually-charged militaristic dystopia, complete with insane (but appropriate) sets and costumes. It's a striking, extravagant production.

Keep it minimal. Conversely, many great music videos follow a "less is more" philosophy. Minimalist music videos allow the viewer to focus on the action (and its emotional relationship with the music) with no other distractions. A minimal video is also a great choice for directors on a limited budget. Saam's video for The XX's "Islands" uses repetitive shots of a short, tightly-choreographed dance to great effect. By making very subtle changes to the dancer's moves each time the shot repeats, we're able to see hints of a tragic romance unfolding. The gradualness of the change makes the final shot all the more shocking. OK GO's early videos used imaginative choreography to make instantly memorable viewing experiences on a minuscule budgets. Their video for "Here it goes again" (directed by Trish Sie and the band) is great example of a well-done video shot for almost nothing. The video is done in one static shot in an undecorated room, the only props being eight treadmills. Because of the strength of the choreography and the memorability of the concept, the video was a big viral hit when it was released in 2006.