Everyone has some indelible memories of albums and music video; images that stay with them for ever. For me, there are some music videos that can never be forgotten, like Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Beastie Boys with Sabotage, Losing My Religion by R.E.M., etc. Of course these musicians and music bands have been on my play-list but the music videos have had more of an effect. Growing up the art of creating your own music video seemed like a distant dream. But today having learned how to create your own music video, I know there is nothing more to making good music videos than proper planning and a lot of creativity. If you are trying to get a foothold in the music business and want to make a video to create an impression on honchos in the industry but are worried about the costs then do not despair. Learning how to make your own music video is extremely easy.
Steps to Create Your Own Music Video
The most important thing that you need to do before you get down to the task at hand which is to create your own music video, you need to decide what is the soundtrack that you want to do this to. If you have your own band and the video is going to be a means of promoting your own music, then there is hardly a decision to be made. But in case this process of creating a music video is a practice exercise of your video editing skills, then decide which song you want to make a video for. This should be your first and most important decision.
Concept
Once you have decided on this song that you are going to use for making your music video, you need to come up with a concept for the video. If you take a look at the top 10 popular music videos of all time, you will know that the reason for the popularity is the theme of the video. Depending on what kind of song it is, decide on the type of video you want to make. While for a first timer it may be a good idea to stick to simplistic themes, if you are confident about your out-of-the-box creativity, then try out innovations in the video. Remember that there is a constraint on the budget. So, while flying through the air and special effects may seem interesting, it is an expensive affair. Once you have decided on the concept, move on to planning the video.
Planning
The next step to create your own music video is to plan the video properly. Create a storyboard if you have to with every shot and scene planned out properly, including the positions of the cast and the camera positions. You may have to compromise on the technicalities of video production due to lack of resources but that does not mean your video should look sloppy. With proper planning, even a video made on a budget can look brilliant. Decide on your location, your clothes and other such nitty-gritty. Paying attention to detail is key to any good music video. Take all necessary permission for the location and for shooting.
Casting
This step needs to go hand in hand with the process of planning. Casting for a music video depends completely on your script. To save money you can ask friends and family members to star in the video. If that seems like a bad option, then you could request people in the drama club at school or college to act in your music video. This will get them exposure and get you your actors. Remember that while you try to create your own music video on a budget, you can always work on barter system. There will be several people out there who will be ready to help you with your video in exchange for credit on the video or a role in the album. You may meet many people out there looking for a break in the music industry. Team up with these people.
Shooting
Now to move on to the main part of learning how to create your own music video. Try and arrange for a digital video recorder. This is important but not essential. With the availability of camera phones with brilliant resolution, it is possible to shoot music videos on your phone itself. But while doing so be patient. A phone will not allow you the same specifications as a video recorder and therefore, it is important that you plan accordingly. Since you have your storyboard in place, shooting the music video is not going to be a difficult task at all. Once you have all the necessary shots, transfer them to your computer ready for editing.
Editing
You do not necessarily need the best video editing software that exists to create your own music video. Even the softwares that most operating systems provide you with are pretty good to work on. Since you have spent enough time planning the storyboard for the music video, all you will need to do is now set these shots to music according to the script. While shooting remember to always take extra shots. You can use these while editing as breaks. Assemble the video and once you are happy with it you can burn it on a CD or upload it on a video sharing site.
These are just the simplest steps that you need to know about if you are learning how to create your own music video. There are many ways of making your video unique and eye-catching. If you know someone who is into graphic design, you can add graphics to make your video more colorful. You can also create a music video that is completely animated, if that works for you. Creativity knows no limits and while creating your own music video give it a free reign to come up with some thing that will definitely give you your desired break in the industry.
