GUEST COLUMN: 7 Tips to Enhance the Production Quality of Your Music Video

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7 Tips to Enhance the Production Quality of Your Music Video

by Lewis Robinson

A music video is more than a fun way to promote your band. It’s also a vehicle for additional storytelling, visuals and textures to complement the music you worked hard to create. Music videos provide an additional artistic layer to sonic productions, and a well-produced music video increases the likelihood that your work will engage new and different audiences. From start to finish, the production process is an art form with many moving parts. Heed these tips to guide your choices every step of the process, so that when all the pieces come together, you will have produced a video you’re guaranteed to be proud of. 

1. Know Your Editing Software

There is much debate surrounding the superiority of different video editing software options, and they each have their unique strengths. Whether you invest in an Adobe Creative subscription or opt for Final Cut, take time to get to know the interface of whatever software you’ll use in post production. When you’re aware of the capabilities of After Effects vs Premiere, for example, you can set up shots while filming with certain effects, transitions or color grades in mind. 

2. Create a Storyboard

The talent may be charismatic and great at improvising on camera, but a comprehensive storyboard will help you clarify your vision and develop a shot list to make the filming process more straightforward & efficient. A storyboard can be as detailed or simple as you’d like. Regardless of how in-depth you go with storyboard particulars, make sure you have a plan for each section of the song, and try to plan out camera angles, lighting needs, transitions, story continuity and crew responsibilities for each shot. 

3. Use High-Quality Equipment

While many excellent videos have been produced using bare-bones, these are more often the exception than the norm. Fortunately, a well-produced music video doesn’t require costly camera rentals or expensive dollies. Just be certain you have at least two cameras, a tripod or stabilizer to ensure smooth and stable camera movement, speakers loud enough to play the song while rolling and adequate lighting for your subjects. High-quality equipment doesn’t always guarantee high-quality results, however, and it’s important to know the ins and outs of whatever equipment you’ll use on set. 

4. Build a Crew

Your music video may not have a large cast, but it’s important to have a crew to take care of the nitty gritty details behind the scenes, too. The filming process will go a lot more smoothly with more hands on deck. Designate a director, camerapersons, a choreographer and a few production assistants to help with set up, lighting, music and any other various needs while on location. 

5. Shoot the Hardest Scenes First

Chances are, there are a few moments in your music video that will take a bit longer to film than others, and your workflow will benefit from tackling the more complicated shots at the beginning of the process. Choose scenes that will be filmed at a potentially difficult location, a challenging time of day or otherwise with several moving parts to consider. When you make it a point to get these scenes out of the way, you give yourself more time to work through any difficulties or risks that may come up while filming, and make the rest of the shooting experience seem like a breeze. 

6. Get Multiple Takes

You may have absolutely nailed a shot on the first take, but it’s a good idea to give yourself some options. Even seasoned filmmakers often notice a stray hair, an error in the background or that what they thought was a perfect shot actually ended up with soft-focused subjects. With every shot, do as many takes as time, and your crew, will allow. 

7. Take Time with the Edit

Much of the magic happens after filming wraps and the footage is finally placed on a digital editing timeline. There are thousands of ways to tweak and edit footage, so don’t be afraid to experiment with different cuts, overlays, animations, transitions or keyframes to enhance the visual intrigue of your footage. Put some thought into the edit. With time and effort in post-production, you’ll have the impressive, well-executed visual story you'd always envisioned.