How to Create Your Own Music Video

Tap to Read ➤ Tulika Nair

Are you a member of a music band or are you looking at a career in video production? Creating a music video is something you need to learn in both cases. Here, we will tell you how to produce the same.

Everyone has some indelible memories of albums and music videos; images that stay with them forever. There are some music videos that can never be forgotten, like Michael Jackson's Thriller, Beastie Boys with Sabotage, Losing My Religion by R.E.M., etc.

Of course these musicians and music bands may have been on your playlist forever, but the music videos have had more of an effect. Growing up, the art of creating your own music video may have seemed like a distant dream. But today, we know that making a good music video is all about proper planning and a lot of creativity.

If you are trying to get a foothold in the music business and want to make an impression on honchos in the industry but are worried about the costs then do not despair. Making a music video is actually child's play.

The Steps to Follow

The most important thing that you need to do is to decide on the soundtrack. If you have your own band and the video is going to be a means of promoting your own music, then there is hardly a decision to be made. But in case this process of creating a music video is a practice exercise of your video editing skills, then decide which song you want to work on.

Concept

Once you have decided on the song, you need to come up with a concept for the video. If you take a look at the most popular music videos of all time, you will know that the reason for the popularity is the theme of the video. Depending on what kind of song it is, decide on the type of video you want to make.

While for a first timer it may be a good idea to stick to simplistic themes, if you are confident about your out-of-the-box creativity, then try out innovations in the video. Remember that there is a constraint on the budget. So, while flying through the air and special effects may seem interesting, it is an expensive affair.

Planning

The next step to create your own music video is to plan the video properly. Create a storyboard if you have to, with every shot and scene planned out properly, including the positions of the cast and the camera positions.

You may have to compromise on the technicalities of video production due to lack of resources but that does not mean your video should look sloppy. With proper planning, even a video made on a budget can look brilliant. Decide on your location, your clothes, and other such nitty-gritty. Paying attention to detail is key to any good music video.

Casting

This step needs to go hand in hand with the process of planning. Casting depends completely on your script. To save money, ask your friends and family members to star in the video. Or, you could request people in the drama club at school or college to participate.

This will get them exposure and get you your actors. You can always work on barter system. There will be several people out there who will be ready to help you with your video in exchange for credit on the video or a role in the album. Team up with these people.

Shooting

Now to move on to the main part of making a music video. Try and arrange for a digital video recorder. This is important but not essential. With the availability of camera phones with brilliant resolution, it is possible to shoot music videos on your phone itself.

But while doing so be patient. A phone will not have the same specifications as a video recorder and therefore, it is important that you plan accordingly. Once you have your storyboard in place, shooting the music video is not going to be a difficult task at all. Once you have all the necessary shots, transfer them to your computer.

Editing

The software that most operating systems provide you with are pretty good to work on. Since you have spent enough time planning the storyboard for the music video, all you will need to do is now set these shots to music according to the script.

While shooting remember to always take extra shots. You can use these while editing, as breaks. Assemble the video and once you are happy with it you can burn it on a CD or upload it on a video-sharing site.

Creativity knows no limits and while creating your own music video give it a free rein to come up with some thing that will definitely give you your desired break in the industry.