Things to do to make my Music video

Creativity 

Using my creativity is completely free and also limitless through what I can achieve by using it. Creativity can be applied to every aspect of creating and promoting (through the print products) my music video from casting to special effects such as the lumetri colour scale etc, obtaining gear and engaging the media and the correct target audience. The same creativity I may apply to writing, arranging and performing songs can easily be used across all aspects of my so called music video career. Especially how I may engage with media and the rest of the music industry. Generally I definitely shouldn't be afraid to use my imagination to achieve my goals! Overall, I feel that my imagination and using things such as storyboards and videos should be used in order to show my target audience what I may need to do and where I may need to do it.

Crew 

Due to the fact that I barely have any sort of budget at all my crew will probably just be friends and/or family. That being the case they need to understand the fundamentals of what it is that I'm aiming for each scene to be like. I do however need to make sure I review what I have shot again and again until I know that it is perfect. Issues with the exposure on my camera may hinder my result and may also waste time as I will need to re-film it. My crew are unlikely to be top professionals when it comes to making a music video. On a good note, friends and family are not likely to ask me for any form of money or wage, and they are likely to be motivated to help me create as good a video as I possibly can. I must also keep my crew motivated and focused. Having fun might keep a light atmosphere, but I still have to make sure every single shot is perfectly done and how I want it to be done. I also have to ensure that my crew/ cast are able to stick to the timings on the shooting schedule. Nothing annoys those who turn up on time more than others who hold up a shoot by not being there. Shooting can only start after the last person involved gets there! The smaller my crew actually is, the easier it will be to travel from location to location, and the less likely people are going to be late.

Concept, Themes and Style 

Medium and format are important considerations. I know that I must be careful when using black and white footage. The only time that I'm thinking of doing this is when the protagonist has a flashback. Black and white could have been chosen for things such as studio shots, lo-fi home cinema for one of the incidental scenes to give it that home-shot feel, maybe obviously hand-held to underline the idea of a home made aspect. To work without a concept is risky. It tends to lead to a disconnected sequence of images with no real pull through the song. I need to be asking myself things such as what sort of style and theme would my audience enjoy? What costumes should I use, the locations involved, choreography, props, story lines, scenery, lip syncing and more. Will my video fit into an established genre (historical, club scene, sci-fi, humorous etc). Will the entire video be story-boarded, or will there be a lot of improvisation?

Locations

With a little effort I should be able to find loads of free locations including locations such as colleges, universities, parks, churches, warehouses, public buildings, train and bus stations, woods, car parks, shopping malls... the list goes on. However, unlike last year I need to check if I need permission to film there, and where necessary get permission to shoot certain scenes of the video there. When you visit your locations, take some reference photographs. these may help with story boarding and any set design. Consider any lighting you may need, and of course whether electricity is available for you to use, or will you need to provide your own. It is good to have a choice of locations for a variety of reasons. As I mentioned in my previous blog post, the mise en scene of a Rap/Hip-Hop music video is something which is vital and plays a big part in how the music video is viewed. The semiotics and the amount of people who are in shot are also vital, so if there are people who are walking right behind or in front of shot, then you will not be happy and will need to retake it.