How to make a music video, the Entertainment Central Way
Music videos are powerful tools that allow artists to visually convey their message, captivate audiences, and increase their reach. With the advent of online platforms and social media, creating a compelling music video has become more accessible than ever before. In this article, we will guide you through the step-by-step process of making a music video that resonates with your audience and helps you stand out in a competitive industry.
Step 1: Have a Killer Song
You know it when you hear it. It just comes out of the studio great. Our video production services producer and audio engineer agree that it rocks. You decide to make a music video because your killer song could be an original song, like 4eva29’s “Couldn’t Get A Sitter” a pop song for young moms desperate for a date night. If your song really resonates with an audience, like that one did, it’s like catching lightning in a bottle and there’s no better feeling in the world-(except maybe getting a full tax refund.)
(To learn more about songwriting check out this article: How to write an award-winning song (or die trying)
Your killer song could be a timely cover with a completely different musical take. For example a barbershop arrangement of Megan Thee Stallion’s W.A.P. I still believe this song is killer. It just hasn’t found it’s audience yet…so if you get a sec, share it with a friend. (Make sure that friend is a teenager and has a weird sense of humor. Any high school theater kid will do.)
Yup, this exists…
Your killer song could also be an amazing cover that stays true to the original musical style. Shalisa James, (“an artist at the top of her game” as described by Hip Hop Magazine) recorded a KILLER COVER of Adele’s Skyfall. It has over 33 tracks including soaring guitar licks and stacked vocals that sound like a Hollywood blockbuster production.
Step 2: Have A Killer Plan (Script, Shot List or Storyboard)
Step 3: Story board and script for our Skyfall video production services
Preproduction is key. Scripts and shot lists are essential. You can’t go into the craziness of a video shoot without a battle plan. Know who is doing what when. Actors love to be prepared, and hate to have their time wasted. So get scripts to them ahead of time, and make their call times precise. If you have a singer who is lip-synching, get them an accurate practice recording. (It’s also helpful if they actually sing while shooting to make it look as real as possible.
Skyfall Master shot at the Crystal Ballroom
Your shot list is different than the script because you will shoot scenes out of sequence according to location or an actor’s schedule. For Shalisa’s James Bond inspired music video, “Skyfall” our first shot was at a fancy ballroom. The ballroom scenes were weaved throughout the action sequences, so we had to get each member or our spy family leaving the ballroom and re-entering the ballroom out of sequence. Shooting out of sequence means you only have to do one set up in each location. This saves you TIME which ultimately saves you MONEY. Another essential is to have a script supervisor, or “script supe” as the kids say. This is someone who makes sure you get every shot you need at a location before moving onto the next scene or wrapping the talent.
Marking EVERY scene helps the editing process.
A storyboard is not essential, but can be really helpful when you make a music video to unify the vision of a project. A picture is worth a thousand words, so the storyboard helps the artist, the director and the videographer communicate what the music video should look like. It can even help determine location of a project.
STEP 4: Have A Killer Location
In Studio
Studios are great locations because you are set up to succeed. In the studio can control the lighting, the temperature, and you have plenty of space to change, do makeup and feed your crew and talent. (Nobody likes working with a hangry singer) Entertainment Central Productions has a green screen studio space where we can create all kinds of video magic, as well as a performance sound stage that’s perfect for showcasing bands and singers.
On Location
A great location is relatively private, with access to restrooms and changing areas and food, within driving distance for your talent, and cost effective. This is why lots of people shooting music videos in Florida often choose the beach. Just rent a beach front hotel room and you’ve got your production facility. Then wait for the golden hour just before the sun sets, and capture some magic. This was our plan for Shalisa’s video “It’s Too Late”
A great location is also the perfect location for your vision. For “Teams I’ll Never Make” I got permission to shoot the music video on a high school football field. For 4eva29’s original song, Dad Bod we had the vision to shoot in a grocery store…somehow we found a small privately owned one that let us shoot, but only from 9pm-5am. Tough schedule, but the result was worth it!
“Teams I’ll Never Make” was a virtual event video for athletes whose season was cut short in 2020
For our Skyfall video, we had to scout 8 different scene locations including a fancy ballroom, an exotic pool for an underwater scene, an abandoned road for a car chase, and a rooftop for a ninja fight scene!
Drone shot for a rooftop ninja stunt scene!
Step 5: Have A Killer Team
Surround yourself with like-minded people who share your vision of what the music video should be. Shooting videos is a long process, it pays to be with people who are not only great at their jobs, but also can share a laugh when bloopers happen. During the shoot you and your director/videographer should have many high fives and “Whoa that looks awesome!” moments. Your team should have a someone who is keeping track of the shot list, someone who is making sure the talent looks their best and is giving the best performance, someone who is checking lighting, framing, clearing the line, someone who is getting the food, securing the location…not to mention choreography, costuming, set design, audio, directing, editing, marking the shots….WHEW! Depending on your budget, these line item jobs can be as many as hundreds of people or as few as 2-3 really amazing people, so choose them wisely.
Have a Killer Time with Our Video Production Services
Shooting a music video should be fun. Whether I’m shooting something to fulfill a client’s vision, (a Jimmy Fallon style Virtual Hospital tour) or I’m working on my own creative, (puppets singing rap songs) I’m having a blast.
As the person in charge of the project, your energy and attitude are contagious. The best results come when your cast is having a blast, your extras are having a blast (maybe you served them champagne) you’ve done your planning and everything is going to plan. Even if you have some setbacks, (bad weather, a dead battery, an amazing shot that you need to re-take for a tech issue) if the energy and spirits of the cast and crew are high, the sky’s the limit. Sometimes it’s so fun that your 5-minute Skyfall video edit becomes the epic length of Michael Jackson’s Thriller! But hey, come on, you are making movie magic! What’s more fun that that? If your serious about shooting your next big music video, learn more about our branded experiences today!