First time directing paid music video

Justin R.

Justin R.

New member
Hey, i'm a young filmmaker and i will be collaborating soon with some local artists. They already have a basic idea in mind, but we're going to meet up and discuss things.

This would be our (me and my friends) first time working with new people and getting paid.

So if you guys have any tips, it would be greatly appreciated.
 
We're shooting for a small local band, the price hasn't been finalized yet.
I was hoping to get some tips about that and stuff
 
im in the same boat with the business end of things. ive been trying to see what others charge so i can base my price. as for filming keep the camera moving. ive found tht to help when shooting without a shot list. besides that get creative and the more footage equals more options for post. i shot a video we filmed for an unessary 6 days. used about 1/4 of the footage but all shots are "perfect" no need for b roll or fillers just all flow.
 
this is a very tough question to answer. you're better off either finding out what your services for the music video are worth (travel time, shooting, editing, if you need assistants/crew, rental equipment, profit, etc) and charging that, OR better yet asking them what they have budgeted and sticking to those prices for this gig. what they are able to spend will determine a final price - band A might have $500 to use for a music video, but band B might have $10k for one. in either case if you charge more than they have/are willing to pay, you won't be working with them. working with bands can be an amazing opportunity, a great experience and a lot of fun, but you need to let them know up front what their budget can and cannot cover. my boss at my day job and I have a running joke, that when people want more than what is covered by their budget it's the equivalent to them wanting a pterodactyl flying into frame and dropping them off - bottom line it just can't happen. a bit of rambling but I hope this helps. best of luck with the gig, knock 'em dead

cheers,
Adam
 
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adam everyone says to take into consideration of budget constraints. so im gonna ask a different question. in the end,on average how much profit for yourself do you expect to take home after a music video.
 
As far as a percentage I don't think there is a universal one that everyone goes by. Just make sure you are reimbursed from the budget for the time/effort/creativity/gear you put into the project. I'm assuming you've done music videos before judging by the first post - if not and this is your first then putting the money back into the project and coming away with the best video possible, good experience, and a reputation as reliable and hard working will be worth far more in the long run than a fleeting paycheck.

Cheers,
Adam
 
adamrahn said:
As far as a percentage I don't think there is a universal one that everyone goes by. Just make sure you are reimbursed from the budget for the time/effort/creativity/gear you put into the project. I'm assuming you've done music videos before judging by the first post - if not and this is your first then putting the money back into the project and coming away with the best video possible, good experience, and a reputation as reliable and hard working will be worth far more in the long run than a fleeting paycheck.

Cheers,
Adam
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Thanks for all the comments, you've helped me a lot :)
 
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