Study day top tips

1. MUSIC VIDEO STUDY DAY
TOP TIPS

2. PLANNING
• Try not to pick popular current songs
• View previous students work, for ideas and add them to the blog.
• Use a variety of inspirational videos
• Do some re-creations of websites, photos, album covers and blog the skills that you have developed
• Make a timeline of a song and mark out the sections, for example performance (band), performance
(dance) etc.
• Make sure you plan everything! Props, equipment, shot lists, location reeces, costumes, lyrics, dance
routines, storyboard, flat plans, model release forms and call sheets (minimum amount)
• Need to have at least 70-100 blog posts- view other students work as guidelines
• START EARLY- This gives you chance to reshoot and rework

3. LIGHTING
• Make sure all elements of mise-en-scene are visible
• Add depth by carefully positioning lights- try having the lights facing the camera

4. ON SET
• Make sure all equipment and is charged
• Have loud audio playing and that performers actually sing along rather than mime
• Do full length takes of songs, even if at one camera angle.
• Make sure you are organized with props and make up
• Aim for 10 takes per filming day
• Make sure participants perform- the role of director needs to excite the performers
• Take photos of the shoot (performers, cinematographers, director etc.)
• Make a time lapse of shoots and reflect on it
• Blog each shoot- what went well, what didn't, what will you do on the next shoot

5. EDITING
• Sync up audio and footage before editing
• Do a full edit go back and tweak and play around with key frames, split screens etc.
• Continuity is key
• Ensure cuts are aligned to the beat of the music
• Don’t hold shoots for too long- Follow the dynamic of the song (highs and lows)
• Ensure location variety

6. SALT AND PEPPER MOMENTS
• Salt and pepper moments mean adding something new into the video to make it more
exciting for the viewer to watch for example you may start with the artist singing in a studio
then start to add some more narrative, that would help make the viewer more engaged and
keep watching. Another example would be when you add another location this will once
again make the viewer more bothered about it rather than just watching an artist sing for a
whole 4 minutes.

7. GOLDEN RULES
• Make sure you give yourself enough time to actually film the music video, don’t leave everything till last
minute
• Recruit performers early if needed, if not make sure he performers are good enough
• Pick a song which isn't very popular at the current time/in the past 5 years
• Be organized! Make sure all costumes are ready and you know what you want to film when you get to
the location
• Make sure the music video has 3+ locations
• In the edit make sure when changing to a different shot it fits with the beat
• Try and get a wide range of shot types, so get some close ups of instruments or side angles of the singer
• Put the effort in!