T2i Music Video Help

brandondull

brandondull

Well-known member
I need help in general on filming & editing music videos. I want tips from the people that make outstanding music videos. I shoot on a Canon t2i with 5 lenses. I have; 18-55mm, 55-250mm, 35mm, 50mm, 8mm fisheye. I just need overall help about how to approach music videos. You can check out my work at http://BrandonDull.com to see what direction I have headed in. A lot of people say my music videos look the same. I want to break away from that and have my music videos be unique. I edit on Final Cut Studio. I am looking to better myself in color grading. I know I am talented at filmmaking but I am lacking concepts. I am great with the camera & editing when I put the time into the project. I guess this past year I have rushed a lot of projects. I film/edit for free so please don't bring up and money issues saying I am ripping my client off etc etc etc because all my clients I have filmed for were happy with there video it's just from my standpoint I think all my videos suck. I am openminded so please give me all the positive feedback you can. Also a lot of people said I need more moving shots, I don't have the access to a dolly & I sold my glidecam because it was not working out for me. I am completely lost & don't tell me to quit because I am striving to better myself with filmmaking. Please help :)

Thanks,
Brandon Dull
 
Just from taking a look at a couple of videos, I think what primarily stands out as a little amateurish is the "shake". I think perhaps a shoulder rig might help you, as opposed to a Glidecam or Steadicam sort of device. Moving and filming, without one of those devices also has a tendency to attract attention...and not in a good way.

With regards to your lens choices, I think you're better off using your primes. You have a good base with your 35mm, 50mm and 8mm. Try sticking to primes for a bit - it'll change the way you shoot, compared to having the option of using a zoom. You'll reconsider framing and think a bit more before you roll.

I think developing your colour correction skills is a good idea, but to really do that...I think that creating the idea and concept for the video and how you want it to look before you even go into production will help you when you get into your edit suite. For me, once I started to focus on how I visualized the video in my head from scene to scene and from start to finish, the production value of my work skyrocketed.

How old are you again? If I remember right, you're a bit younger. Hell, you're better than I was at your age. Much better. Keeping a positive attitude is the only way to make it in this industry. If someone says you can't do it, %$*! 'em.

Best of luck for 2011 man,

Kegan
 
Thanks for the great feedback. I just turned 21. I did hear prime lenses were better to shoot with. My last couple videos were strictly primes. What shoulder mount do you suggest? I am working with a couple people now that we are strictly going to have an idea and map out everything before we just shoot & think of ideas on the spot. Thats how most my videos are just thinking on scene. That defiantly needs to change. I am pretty lost on how to color grade. I don't know what colors to use in certain situations. For example I am working on a video that is going to have a theme from the "Hangover" in it at a house party but I don't know what to grade it with, I just don't want the same colors I filmed with.. I use the 3 way color corrector & I have tried Apple Color but haven't got the hang of it yet. I personally don't like the interface. but yeah thanks for the feedback!
 
I looked at some of your footage - thoughts:

I don't think your work is "bad" or anything, but yes, it does look like every-other-rap-video short of the major high-dollar stuff.

It sounds like you need (a) some visual inspiration, (b) perhaps a take on telling more of a "story" and (c) skill at convincing rap artists to do something away from the norm.

However, the genre you appear to be working in - rap - is so freaking limited (IMHO) in ideas. I'm no expert, but it all seems like a bunch of guys talking about how badass they are and how wicked their town is and how they're tougher than their community, etc etc... I simply have no clue how people can listen to the same basic thing over & over... on the other hand, 90% of pop radio is either "you broke my heart" or "I will spread my wings and fly" (Cough, barf, etc)... (can you tell I'm more into Radiohead/Wilco/etc...???)

So... one thought would be to look for artists with a more abstract & challenging sense of lyrics and musical structure - many of these guys will have ideas in their head already. Or, if you've become close to some hip hop artists, maybe start a conversation about the limitations of the genre, and consider coming up with a short story/short film idea, where the music would be the "soundtrack" to the story and do a multi-part concept EP set to video - I haven't seen much of that, and it would be more like true filmmaking, possibly far more engaging to the viewer, and the kind of thing that could get attention from a wider market. Basically break the mold and invent something new that's a true collaboration.

I suppose a lot of what people like in rap has more to do with the rhythm and drive, the "cleverness" of the rhyming scheme, and the sense of violence/edginess/wrong-side-of-the-tracks danger. How do you visually go there vs. "shots of guys shouting" and (metaphorically) slapping each other on the back with a "you're so bad!" "No, YOUR'E so bad!" feel. How do you make the camera & color & scenes become a metaphor for the "essence" of the song vs. the content?

Another approach: look at genre films that are lesser known to the wide market - 60's french new-wave, 70's US golden-age, Japanese cinema, Korean horror, Merchant-Ivory style period films - how do those guys tell stories, what's the visual language common to a film or genre? Look at paintings & art books, spend an entire day in a big museum. There's a wealth of experimental film on the web, much of it from the 30's to 50's, much of it beautiful, disturbing, frightening, etc - experimental film often tried to break from the bonds of "story" and get to the essence of emotion, symbolism and subconscious, and there's a wealth of ideas there.

For the few music vids I've done, I listen to the song and sketch notes of the first visual images that pop into my head, the sort of dream-state imagery, and try to figure out what my subconscious has to say about the song. But, I've never tried to do that to "rollin' in my es-ca-lade, beatin' ho's like lemon-ade, got a glock I ain't a-fraid, ever-body got real paid". Which of course brings me back to content that's more metaphorical and lyrically challenging.

If this genre inspires you, you may want to spend more time studying things like freeing the creative process, the "Artists' Way" kind of things, taking art from raw subconscious imagery to finished visuals, and maybe get a copy of "The Visual Story" which takes shooting, color, framing and editing into a very abstract realm, but in a very concrete way that addresses pacing and intensity (this book is really a secret weapon). Getting an artists to go with that may be hard, and you may have to seek out artists that have more of an intellectual bent or instinct , or at least a willingness to try something new (especially if they don't have to pay you - amwazing what you can get away with for free).

Good luck - I assume these thoughts are a little left field, but there are hundreds of folks here who will coach you on camera moves and lenses.
 
I find one of the most important things when starting out in video is to identify your strengths and weaknesses, and find collaborators for the weaknesses. It's great to be able to do a little bit of everything, but if you want to start taking stuff to the next level you're going to need to work with people. There's a reason that there are specific jobs and departments in film, it's hard work! To task yourself with conceptualizing, shooting, directing, editing, and color correcting (and i'm assuming you're also working as sound designer on non-music videos.) is just too much, and the end product will suffer. Kids your age form bands all of the time, just think of it that way. Find a core 3 or 4 people that you can work with, and take the time to focus on whatever it is you do best while they focus on what they do best. That way, instead of 1 person's energy being split up into 4 different departments, you now have 4 people's energies focus on their one specific job. Injecting new people into projects is also a good way to add some variety into your work creatively too. If people are saying all your stuff feels similar, maybe finding a DP to shoot your stuff or an edit to give it a fresh take. You'll be pleasantly surprised by the result when you trust other people (just make sure you see a reel beforehand!)

So yeah, that's my two cents. You're lucky enough to be living in a biggish city like Pittsburgh, I'm sure if you posted on Craigslist looking for like minded people you'll be able to find a handful of like-minded people willing to work for free. Just stress that you're looking for collaborators, not workers. There are a ton of idiots you'll have to wade through, but I'm telling you, be patient and if you can get a solid group of 4 people that are all willing to work their asses off for one another, the results will amaze you.

Keep up the good work! Creative people are never satisfied with their past projects, that's the drive that makes you want to keep making more and more and getting better and better! Embrace that!
 
brandondull said:
I need help in general on filming & editing music videos. I want tips from the people that make outstanding music videos. I shoot on a Canon t2i with 5 lenses. I have; 18-55mm, 55-250mm, 35mm, 50mm, 8mm fisheye. I just need overall help about how to approach music videos. You can check out my work at http://BrandonDull.com to see what direction I have headed in. A lot of people say my music videos look the same. I want to break away from that and have my music videos be unique. I edit on Final Cut Studio. I am looking to better myself in color grading. I know I am talented at filmmaking but I am lacking concepts. I am great with the camera & editing when I put the time into the project. I guess this past year I have rushed a lot of projects. I film/edit for free so please don't bring up and money issues saying I am ripping my client off etc etc etc because all my clients I have filmed for were happy with there video it's just from my standpoint I think all my videos suck. I am openminded so please give me all the positive feedback you can. Also a lot of people said I need more moving shots, I don't have the access to a dolly & I sold my glidecam because it was not working out for me. I am completely lost & don't tell me to quit because I am striving to better myself with filmmaking. Please help :)

Thanks,
Brandon Dull
Click to expand...

You put out close to 60+ videos in one year..... The first problem you have is you are working for free. You need to start getting money for your art so the client can expect a certain standard and for you to deliver. Seems to me like you are working harder and not smarter. I would rather have 30 good Music Videos in one year that 60+ that feel and look like they were rushed.

$00:02
 
life4eva said:
You need to start getting money for your art so the client can expect a certain standard and for you to deliver. Seems to me like you are working harder and not smarter.
Click to expand...

Or if you want some higher production value, at least get money for the project, even if it all goes to sets, locations, talent, rentals or hired help.

I'm not trying to make money off of strictly "creative" projects right now, which is how I think of music videos (and I've started producing a couple things on the recording end as well). I'd sure love to have the $$ to build a set or rent a specific location though.
 
Michael Carter said:
Or if you want some higher production value, at least get money for the project, even if it all goes to sets, locations, talent, rentals or hired help.

I'm not trying to make money off of strictly "creative" projects right now, which is how I think of music videos (and I've started producing a couple things on the recording end as well). I'd sure love to have the $$ to build a set or rent a specific location though.
Click to expand...

+1

I seen your video you posted a while back and I must say, fantastic job. If I were doing Music Videos I would push for creative projects instead of normal ones. Sure you can do normal projects but they should be creative.
 
The music video market is very over saturated with so many filmmakers making videos these days. The old day of decent budgets are over. I would really thing of music video as commission art. Most project will require more effort and money then you have. if you're doing some free or super low budget deal then you really need to push the ideas. I mean try things that will push you. Go thru all your work and look for thing that you just scratch the surface or just played it safe and maybe expand on that. Take a risk. what do you really have to lose? Yes you can add movement to you shots with a dolley or whatever. But concept is more important. When you watch a really good music video is the sweet dolly shot that you remember. I personally think camera movement it over done these days. People move the camera because they can and not because they should. I've seen this one cool rap video where it's all handheld b&w following this guys who make some nasty drug mix at a party and then the following scenes they start to fall apart. Throwing up, having nose bleeds, and skin comes off. The concept was awesome. It was some independent group but they really caught my interest. Can't remember the artist names because it was some time ago. It was raw and good editing and well thought out. But you know what I mean. You're young so try whatever, discovery, fail, go with it, plan a super complicated idea. These are times to do it. Just don't hold back. Goodluck.
 
Agree Life4Eva & Shoot me - odds are you won't make much (or any) money on music vids. But how many times will someone come to you and say "shoot a short film that expresses paranoia (or lust or envy or happiness, etc)" and allow you to go nuts idea-wise?

I see it as a way to do something closer to "art" - with all the tech gear I have. When it comes to learning a massive amount of stuff in a super-compressed time frame, it's hard to beat music videos.

Do 'em cheap or for free and (A) the artist will love just about anything you come up with, and (B) you'll always get free drinks at their shows.
 
Thanks for all the great feedback. I have released a couple videos in the last month or so that are developing concepts. I also have limited myself to working with one artist in my area. I will be taking the time to sit down and think about each project. My theory was to shoot the music videos for free but get side money from a part time job or other film jobs such as weddings, events, etc... I just can't find any artists in my area who is willing to pay so thats why I am limiting myself for value in my work instead of working with everyone!!!
 
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