How to Make A Music Video: The Master Sheet
This video series covering how to make a music video features the insights of professional filmmaker Nita Blum. She’s worked with a wide variety of musical artists, from big stars like Missy Elliott to many different local indie artists nationwide. Nita is currently a residential faculty member at Arizona State University, working at the Sydney Poitier New American Film School.
This post is a master sheet containing the table of contents for this entire interview series. We’ve broken the music video creation process down into seven steps, and you can find more information and video content on each of them below.
Step 1: Finding a filmmaker, and setting the concept for your music video
It’s important to find the right person for the job, and to set a clear creative intention from the beginning on what you’re trying to achieve with your video.
Finding the right filmmaker for your project
Performative vs. narrative concepts
Saving to work with the right people
What you get from a more experienced filmmaker
Step 2: Budget and timeline
Once you’ve found the right person and agreed on the concept of your video, we move on to setting appropriate budget and timelines to execute the vision.
What causes video budgets to skyrocket?
Types of shots that keep budgets reasonable
Financial transparency during hiring
Step 3: The shot list
The shot list is a foundational technical document that the filmmaker uses to execute the details of your vision precisely. Making sure this document is accurate, and isn’t subject to constant changes at the wrong times, is an important part of making your video project a success.
Make sure your music is locked before you begin production
Step 4: Preproduction
Preproduction activities define the many things that need to take place before you can set up the cameras and get shooting. Props, locations, talent booking, costumes, makeup, extras, art supplies, art department, sets, lights, gear rentals, logistics, etc.
Anything that would need to be prepared and ready to go in advance of the shooting day gets handled in preproduction. For a simple DIY style video you might not need to do very much: maybe it’s just a trip to the thrift shop for some impromptu costume ideas. For more involved video projects, this step can require a number of different departments working together.
The beginnings of preproduction
Step 5: Dates and scheduling
Once you’ve got everything you need prepared, it’s time to get scheduling for shoot day. This may seem like a simple step, but it’s really critical to take seriously, and to communicate clearly about with everyone involved.
A lot is riding on everybody showing up on time, ready to go, on the same day, in order to execute the correct vision, and get the shots that you need.
The importance of dates and scheduling
Step 6: Shoot day!
The big day! After all of this advance planning, the whole crew is finally showing up on set, ready to go, and we’re making the video. Here’s some tips on getting the most out of your shoot day.
Capturing the best performances
Step 7: Editing and exporting your finished video
You’ve successfully completed your day on set, you’ve got a bunch of amazing looking shots, and now it’s time to move to the editing process. Here’s how to work with your video editor, and how to export your music video project for different types of media distribution.
The first cut: give your editor time
Other misc info and fun stuff
Here’s some additional clips that didn’t fit neatly into our seven step process, but are interesting and valuable nonetheless.
Topics include: how to get started as an aspiring filmmaker, how to effectively communicate during the creative process, and a fun chat about our favorite DIY-styled music videos.
How to get started as a filmmaker
