The document provides guidance for the pre-production, production, and post-production phases of creating a music video. Some key recommendations include obtaining necessary copyright permissions, keeping ideas and narratives simple, choosing a clearly identifiable genre of music, filming with the track playing to aid lip syncing, and using editing markers to precisely sync audio and video during post-production. Accuracy of lip syncing to the music is emphasized as an important grading criteria.

1. Pre-Production “Must Do’s”…
• Copyright letter to artist or record label.
• Use a strong simple idea. This works so much better than making something overly complicated.
• Use a genre that is clearly identifiable.
• Consider the genre of music you use; Rock Music is performance heavy and Pop Music is mainly
narrative based.
• Avoid complicated narrative.
• If you use the theme of narrative for your video don’t stick too closely to the lyrics.
• No sound tracks with drugs or swearing.
• You will need to re-brand the band so new name and logo and the promo must have a completely
different look and feel to the original band. That is why you may find it easier to choose an
unsigned band.
• Avoid too many locations and set-ups, stick to one if possible.
• Don’t be afraid to experiment.
• Focus on one element e.g. narrative or performance or being visually striking, don’t try and do it
all!
• Make sure your storyboard is true to your idea down to the last shot as this is essential in helping
save time during filming.
• Ensure the singer knows the lyrics and sings along accurately.
• You will need to know, as you will be marketing the artist through your ancillary tasks if this is the
artists 1st, 2nd album so you know where they are in their star status and how developed they are
as a star. You will need to do a professional photoshoot with your artist if you are choosing to use
their face on the advert or digipack.

2. Production “Must Do’s”…
• Edit the track down to three minutes before you shoot if it is longer
than this so you comply to the requirements set out by the
examining board.
• Shooting plenty of footage is vital to making a good finished
product.
• Shoot one shot all the way through from start to finish to act as
your music video base and then add other shots into this. This
makes for a much easier edit.
• Film with the track playing so it can be picked up on the
microphone clearly and be heard by the artist to lip sync along to.
• Lip Sync – you are graded on accurate lip sync.
• Use lots of close ups to reveal your artist.
• Performance – believable.
• Different shot angles.

3. Post-Production “Must Do’s”…
• Expand your audio track so you can see clearly where
particular words occur and then can line them up with
the visuals. Lip sync is crucial to how you are graded.
• Use markers (on Premiere Pro) to help you then mark
these sync points. Editing to markers is a MUST as it
helps create alignment of track.
• Keep the recorded music track in your timeline but
mute the timeline so it is only used as reference when
need be. Then work from a top quality recording of the
track, which you will import into your timeline.
• Ensure the production is no more than 3 minutes long.
• Editing to the beat of the music – this is what editing
markers are for.