The first thing to note before getting into this, it is not a budget which determines the quality of a music video production. Coldplay's Yellow is the perfect example of this. Minimalist, provocative, and intimate whilst matching the mood of the song perfectly. Not only did the video cost less than £1000 to produce, but has become so ingrained in music popular culture that it's been mimicked tirelessly ever since.
One of our ultimate goals is to help new bands and artists express themselves and create exceptional music videos to support there music.
What is music video production
Lets start with the basics. Music video production is simply the process of creating visuals to accompany a song or piece of music. The videos can: echo the sentiment of the song, tell a story, showcase the band/artist, inform or educate, convey a message, provoke a response, help people, document something, effect change... Okay, so we think the point has been made here.
Let's stay away from any drab list or definition, a music video can be just about anything the artist wants it to be. The process however always starts in the most important stage, the stage that defines the quality of the production, the idea.
Why do I need a music video?
Music videos get eyes on you as an artist and ears on your music (is that a phrase?). You could simply reduce it down to an advert for you and your music. You could also see it as something that expands on the song and gives it an even bigger scope. The music video for Childish Gambino's "This is America" got 66.7 million streams in its first week of release with 44.7 million of those streams being it's supporting music video. Music video is an art form and when used to support music can be something very powerful.
How much do music videos cost?
A music video can cost anything from £500 to £7,000,000 - this all depends on the idea. Fortunately a lot of good ideas don't cost the earth. Working with a a music video producer here is key. We have worked with hundreds of artists helping them achieve their vision. The role of the producer is to use whatever budget you have available and work within it to help create your vision or idea.
The Idea
Often artists have a vivid or vague idea of what they would like to accompany their music but what if you don't have an idea or concept? This is perfectly normal in the industry and often directors or production teams, like us, will come up with an idea that they believe will really explore the ideas promoted within the music. An external interpretation can of course be beneficial, as it can bring all kinds of new ideas to light. Obviously all artists have control of the idea from that point, as ultimately the video will be theirs once it is released.
At the end of the day human beings love stories and if you can work a story into a video this is ideal. Even the most abstract of ideas can have structure and story.
Billie Eilish's music video for "when the parties over" is a great example of structure and story telling even within a completely abstract idea.
Visual Quality
The music production has been through hours and hours of painstaking work, which you don't want to then associate with a poorly shot video that's full of bad lip-syncing (shot of a potato). Research shows people notice the poor video quality within the first 3 seconds and then tune out. Visual quality doesn't always break the bank. We have managed to create some of our most striking imagery on the smallest of budgets.
Know your audience
What genre of music do you sit in? Who are your fan base? What content would appeal to them? What potential fans do you want to reach? These are all key considerations when producing a music video. However sometimes, as with the music itself, the most powerful music videos are those that challenge genre expectations and tread new paths which will come to define new genres and fresh ideas. Get people talking. This is the most effective way to get eyes on your videos and music.
Conclusion
Ultimately music video can be a powerful, engaging and pretty inexpensive way of getting your music out to the masses. Once a video has been created and is out there it serves as a great was to get people engaging and listening to your your music. With all these points aside it's also very fulfilling. From experience we can say there is nothing more rewarding an experience that laying out visuals over a track and having that connect with fans across the world. What do you think makes a great music video? What is one your absolute favourite music video. Here are a bunch of ours.
You can also check out some of the music videos we have created and produced over the years here
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