The document provides guidance on planning and pre-production for a music video. It discusses visual planning, including pre-visualization, concept boards, storyboarding, and shot listing. It recommends exploring themes, locations, and visual elements to represent different parts of the song. A structural breakdown shows how each section of the track relates to visual ideas and technical requirements. Details are also given on locations, crew roles, and planning permission requirements. The goal is to fully visualize the video before filming for a streamlined production process.
3. Pre-Production: Visual Planning
• This section is concerned with the visual planning of your music video
• You should use this section to develop the sequencing or your video,
establish the relationship between the visuals and the track itself and
create a structure for you to follow when filming
• It is important that you ‘pre-visualise’ the video before you make it; it
will make filming and production a more streamlined process
• The following tasks are part of your visual planning
• Pre-visualisation and concept boards
• Storyboarding
• Shot list
4. Pre-visualisation/Concept Boards
• Tool for exploring the direction and visuals
• Provides inspiration and information for the “look & feel”
• Presents key moments in your video
• A means to sketch/plan ideas
• Information on colour/lighting
• Defining the “mise-en-scene”
• Include as much here as you like, but keep it relevant to the
production, the following slides have been left blank for you to
approach in your own way, add more as you need to
• Extension suggestion: edit a short sequence of clips that have
inspired or influenced your video [similar to this:
http://io9.com/5941145/this-directors-video-pitch-for-hunger-
games-might-be-better-than-the-real-movie]
5.
6. • In these photos I have explored some of the common themes that I am going to use in my
own work for example I have found a lot of similar locations for example, the beach, a
woods, a aesthically pleasing background and I am going to follow this lead however it
could be that I have to edit it more to make it more like my plan. In this concept board
there are a lot of bright cold colours going on for example a lot of the locations are dark
and simple with a bright neon colour that pops out and I think that this also appeals to my
audience more. For my own music video I plan to have many different scenes for example I
want to include a shot of the moon/sun as I think that this links in with the sky and makes
quite an interesting shot however i have to take into consideration about all the many
different factors for example ‘what time the moon/sun comes out, will there be clouds
covering it, what angle will it be facing’ this is similar for many of the other things in my
plan for my music video especially for the beach as I have to think about the weather
conditions and what time the tide comes in and out and what I am really wanting from the
beach especially as I wont have the chance to go back and re film bits that I don’t realise
until come to the editing part.
7. Structural breakdown
• Breakdown your track into it basic sections [e.g. intro, verse, chorus,
verse, etc] and apply broad visual ideas to each section
• You can use this as the master template for your production, then
add more shots to each section when you develop your full visual
plan
8. Structural breakdown – 1/3
Section [e.g. verse,
chorus, bridge, etc]
Approx
duration
What happens, visual elements, shots Notes of technical aspects/requirements
Introduction 0.20
seconds
In the beginning of my music video I will start with
slow shots that include a more nature/ mellow
vibe as this will link in well with the beginning of
the song as it is slow and not too much happens. I
will start with floor and body shots of the model
as I don’t really want to include some of the best
bits in just the introduction.
Here I am going to be shooting a lot of
nature/ outside shots therefore I am going
to need a unique looking sky / something
more interesting to look at rather than just
filming it on a normal day with just a grey
sky. I will also like some rain/ice/snow
when filming the floor low down shots.
Introduction 0.15
seconds
This is the beginning of the song where the singer
is starting off slow and gradually building up
towards the main bit however for this bit, like the
song I want my video to gradually get more fast
paced and interesting for example including full
body shots/face close ups which starts to get the
viewer more interested in what is really
happening
For this scene I am going to use a model for
all my close ups and simple yet more
technical shots, I will also want there to be
a bigger focus on the actual words
themselves so adding a relation in the
video can really show people what the
song is really talking about.
Introduction 0.10
seconds
Towards the end of the introduction I will try to
make the video more interesting as it goes into
the chorus and make it more upbeat so that the
viewer stays watching therefore I will move onto
lip syncing and making sure that it is more upbeat
to match the song.
For this part I will need a high quality
camera to capture the lip sync and make
sure that it looks realistic, maybe a slow
motion will make it better i will also need
the model to really move there mouth
more otherwise you wont be able to see
that he is lip syncing and not just
mumbling.
9. Structural breakdown – 2/3
Section [e.g. verse,
chorus, bridge, etc]
Approx
duration
What happens, visual elements, shots Notes of technical aspects/requirements
Chorus 0.30 For the chorus of the song I will have faster and
more in your face clips to keep the viewer here
and very much concentrated , at the beginning of
the chorus I will make sure to add some words on
screen that the viewer can hang onto.
At the beginning of the chorus I want to
add a lot of editing as in the introduction
there wont be a lot so I want to suddenly
add a lot of colour and fast motion clips to
attract the audience.
Chorus 0.40 This part of the song is very repetitive and is
saying the same lines over and over therefore in
this part I will make sure that the viewer is really
listening to what the song is about and what he is
talking about. After this I will have a lip sync as I
think this will look good and as it transitions into
the last end part of the chorus.
Here I will want to have good camera work
however not too much editing as I don’t
want anything to take away from the song
and I still want the viewer to listen and
really understand what the singer is saying.
Chorus 0.10 The last part of the chorus means that I want the
viewer to remember the chorus as after this part
it’s the ending and then the song is over therefore
I need this part of the video to leave a lasting part
in the viewers head and make them want to
watch more and watch it again.
I will use lot of editing that looks good to
the viewer so that they associate that with
the song for example a lot of bright colours
and fast editing scenes.
10. Structural breakdown – 3/3
Section [e.g. verse,
chorus, bridge, etc]
Approx
duration
What happens, visual elements, shots Notes of technical aspects/requirements
Ending 0.20 In this part of the ending the song is starting to
wind down and finish however the song is still
playing so I want parts of the song as it is slowly
drawing to the end. I will use this part of the song
to include some more nature and lower shots as
the song is coming to an end.
For this part I want to use a lot of softer
colours followed with a bright colour
however I don’t want to use too many
edits as I think this will overdo the actual
clips as they will be very calm and videos
panning off other things.
Ending 0.10 This is the actual end of the song and it fades out
to silence so for this part I want to make sure to
match the clips to the ending therefore for the
very end scene I want the camera to slowly move
down or to the side as the music gradually slows
down.
In this part of the video I want the viewer
to remember and make a lasting memory
therefore I will make sure to end on a good
clip as it fades out. To do this I will add
maybe a black and white colour scheme
onto the end clip to really make sure that it
makes it look more like an actual ending.
11. Storyboarding
• Your storyboard should bring your idea to life
• Provide an idea of the sequencing of you video
• Provides a basis for production
• Suggested online storyboard creators are:
• https://www.storyboardthat.com
• http://www.pixton.com [very complicated]
• http://www.storyjumper.com [allows you to insert your own images]
• Alternatively, hand draw or photograph your storyboard and scan or
copy to insert it onto your slides
• There are lots of tips collected together on Blackboard!
12.
13. Shot List
• Your shot list should contain the sequential breakdown of what you
need to shoot for your video – it is both a creative tool for planning
and practical tool for filming
• It should work in partnership with your storyboard
• It will be your working document when you film
• It should contain the shot number, scene number, shot description,
framing and action you will see
• It should also have information on performers in the scene and other
props, etc
• Shot list template is on Blackboard in the pre-production folder.
15. Production Group Info
• Include names, contact info, and defined roles at difference stages of
production, using a table is suggested
• My models name is Joe Bowden and he will be my main focus for my music video he will
help me for the parts of the video where I will need to use a person for example in a lot of
the scenes I am doing low foot shots therefore he will be my model for when it comes to
that, this will make it helpful for when I want the model to move around. I will also use
Josh Palmer and Imogen Minto to help me in the studio, having extra people will help me
with setting up lighting and to have extra ideas as sometimes you might find that some
shots just don’t work therefore having extra people will give me that extra bit of support. In
the studio I plan to do very simple shots of just the two models standing and then when it
comes to editing I will put some cool colours and effects. I also have a shot where the
models are just standing against a white background with the lights and turning the lights
on and off give a whole other look to the shadow and vibe they are giving off.
16. Location information
• Information and images of your location[s] for filming
• You should have address details,
clearance/premissions for filming, recce photos and
floorplans [including camera, equipment and
cast/crew layouts]
• Where possible, have a plan B fallback location
option
• Assess each location for any issues and suggest
solutions
• The location for where I will be filming the outside nature shots will be at
brimham rocks and the address for this is Summer bridge, Harrogate HG3 4DW.
Here using this national park is completely free for use at any time of the day.
• A backup plan for the outside filming will be the Nidd Gorge which is very similar
to the first primary location and the address for this is Ripley Rd, Knaresborough
HG59HE.
