Creating music videos

M

matt9b

Well-known member
Hi,

I'm interested in making music videos. Does anyone have any experience with making pro music vids, to give some tips on the best equipment, software, filming, lighting, style, and post-production techniques to get that pro-music-vid style that you so often see on MTV?

I know it's all about "lighting" and "post production".. but if anyone has some specifics that would be helpful!

Thanks
 
hi matt, do you have any experience shooting video? your questions are pretty vague and would require a books worth of instruction to be answered in any helpful way.

My suggestion would be to shoot and experiement with the equipment you have and try to emulate the look you want, and then ask more specific questions when you have them.

good luck!
 
Um, mabey watch a couple of episodes of making the video on MTV? Tivo them and pause on the lighting setups?
 
Well... It´s not much, but why not check my previous thread here? Some pertinent info... (And video coming soon!)

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=58761

Anyway, the videos you see on MTV are all shot in high-profile cameras with the best in equipment, so sometimes it´s not only lighting and post-production. Granted you can do some really impressive things with low-end equipment, don´t take this for granted.

But even so, their best and most expensive piece of gear is their manpower and brainpower. having experienced and a talented director/DP and crew, is key. So there is a lot of information and experience to it. For a little basic technique, I recomend you start off reading "Cinematography" by Blain Brow, and"Reflections"by ASC press.

Good Luck!
 
I've worked on some these music videos. The overwhelming number of them are shot on 16mm or 35mm and spend a small fortune on production. Seriously, we're talking about 50grand a day on the low end to over 250 grand a day!

There's no realistic way for someone with little resources to try an get that "look"

You also need to bear in mind that these sets have a LOT of very experienced and talented people that have been doing this a LONG time.

Typically, the record company and the artist first sifted through a ton of 'treatments' from a lot of directors, all of who have a strong track record, and they pick the one they feel best suits the song.

The record company has their rep on site during the shoot and makes they get what THEY are looking for, regardless of what the director wants.

many of these shoots will spend 50 to 100 grand just on locations and production design!

I've worked on many low budget to micro-budget music videos as well. And they all show that the budget wasn't there, even the best of them that had decent production value and shot on the Varicam (which I love), it doesn't 'look' like MTV

You can make a good product with little money IF the song is right and the treatment can be written with a tiny budget in mind, and you can afford to use at least high-end video and have a great DP with a decent G&E (grip & electric) package. but this is very rare.
 
music videos don't need to have hundreds of thousands of dollers to make them .. the best directors in the music video industry work on the cheap side .They don't rent giant mansions . nor do they have an army of hookers to dance for them they don't rent out a hotel .. mind you this is how they started out over time they have more power and money to do that however that doesn't nesssarly mean there videos are better if there more lavish they just there brilliant imaginations to take us where we have never been ..

if you want to be inspired buy the directors label dvds .
for example

the spike jonze video prasie you was shot on hi-8 video tape and handycam mini dv . and they didn't even get permission to shoot at the theater .. but its one of the most brillaint videos ever made so good it won for best video at the mtv video awards .

Other such amazing videos
like the beastie boys video sabotage also by spike jonze . was filmed on 16mm on a cheapo camera . they couldn't even affored an underwater houseing for the camera when the villain is tackled into the pool so they just used a zip lock bag . (that filled with water so they had only a few seconds of actual decent footage )

Mark romanik who directed such classics as NIN's closer . just had one camera shoooting johnny cash playing his guitar and singing the rest was stock footage and locked off shots .. and its one of the most moving videos i have ever seen

one story being that spike jonze first video that cost in access of 500,000 with notoriious big . spike jonze had a panic attack because it felt so lavish to spend so much money .. when he could make like several videos with that budget alone .

Michel gondry is also another legend among his films being works of art and hilarious . He is the master illusionist of the music video world .

like around the world .. if you can put on a highschool musical you could make a video easily the same in budget and in requirements for the video like 26,000

when you make videos esp music videos . your tools and your look will change from video to video .. but your spirt behind it will remain the same .. don't try to be someone else be your self . play with it . and that may mean you will use super 8 , or hi 8 or maybe you will figure out away to get motion from an digital slr .. or stopmotion animation . you may use film and hd or just dv . the skys the limit .

www.palmpictures.com BUY all of the directors label dvds .. just do it . you will thank your self .


in the end remember that comfort is the enemey of achievement .

500,000 aday for a video is not needed . unless perhaps its in a space ship and bill murray is in it .
 
ya dude. You really got to think of the "look" your going for - in as much detail as you can imagine. Then figure out what you need technically to get to that look. But it takes a ton of time and experience to figure it out quickly. "Please rig me up 5 maxi brutes on that Condor." Like what J said - pause on the lighting set ups, study them, save them as JPGs and post them and hope the collective works.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top