As an artist, your music is your lifeblood. It’s your passion, your art, and your livelihood. So when it comes to creating a music video, you want to make sure it’s done right. After all, a great video can help launch your career, while a bad one can set you back.
The good news is, you don’t need a big budget to make a great music video. With a little creativity and planning, you can produce a quality video on a shoestring budget. There are plenty of ways to create an affordable music video without breaking the bank.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to making an affordable music video:
Pre-production (Planning) of Your Music Video If You Are on a Budget
Pre-production is one of the most important stages of making your music video. It’s the stage where you will be coming up with your concept, make visual your main ideas (storyboarding), look for locations, and cast your actors, dancers, extras. The more work you put into the planning or pre-production phase, the easier it will be during the production and post-production phase.
If you’re on a budget, there are a few things you can do to save money in pre-production of your music video without sacrificing quality.
Concept Development
The first step in making your music video is to develop a concept. What is the main idea behind your video? Your main message or story? What kind of atmosphere do you want to achieve?
Spend some time brainstorming ideas and sketching out potential concepts. As soon as you get your first ideas noted down, you can work in more detail.
If you’re struggling to come up with ideas, try looking at other music videos for inspiration. But don’t just copy what’s been done before – put your own spin on it.
If you are on a budget, you should during the concept development phase, make sure you create a concept that is possible to produce with your budget. Read on to see what components of cost you need to think about when developing your music video concept.
Locations and Travel
The next step is to start thinking about locations. Where will your video be filmed?
If you’re on a tight budget, it’s best to film locally. This will save you the cost of travel and accommodation.
Research your locations thoroughly. It is important to know specifically what are your requirements from a location, before you start contacting places. The more specific you can be, the more likely you are to find a place that will let you use it for free or at a reduced rate. With a little creativity and some research, you can find the right location to make your vision come to life.
Here are a few tips to help you find the perfect location for your affordable music video production:
– As mentioned earlier, start by brainstorming the type of video you want to make. Do you want it to be performance-based or story-driven?
– Once you have an idea of the type of video you want to make, start researching locations that would fit that theme.
– Look for locations that offer free or discounted rates. All kinds of non-goernmental organisations are often willing to provide space for music video productions. The location can be a house or flat of you or your friends – in case it fits with the story of the music video.
– Furthermore, be flexible with your shoot dates. The more flexible you are, the easier it will be to find a location that is available when you need it.
– Use your imagination when looking for a shoot location. A music video can be shot in all kinds of “weird” locations, for example, on top of a moving van or somehere in nature. Conventional studio setting is not the only place! You can film in a variety of locations, such as a park, an abandoned warehouse, or even your own or your friends’ home.
Here is an example music video CineEye produced for the band Sweet Surrender featuring singer Anna Skyner Wolfberry.
Equipment and Crew
Now it’s time to start thinking about equipment and crew. What kind of equipment do you need to shoot your video? And how many people will you need to help you shoot it?
Again, if you’re on a tight budget, it’s best to keep your crew small. You can even shoot your video yourself if you’re willing to learn the necessary skills. In addition to that, the fewer people you have on set, the less money you will have to spend on food and other expenses. Work on your concept to reduce the amount of people you need to produce the video.
On-Camera Talent
In most music videos, you’ll need on-camera talent. This includes the people who will be performing in the video such as actors, dancers, extras and other.
If you know anyone who’s interested in being in your video, ask them. Many people are eager to help their friends and many are eager to be on camera too!
Makeup and Wardrobe
Depending on the concept of your video, you may need to budget for makeup and wardrobe. If your video requires special makeup or costumes, be sure to factor this into your budget. If you are on a tight budget you may want to plan to go with your own wardrobe and do your own makeup and styling.
Here is another music video produced by CineEye for singer Anna Skyner Wolfberry:
Editing And Post-Production – Keeping the Costs Low
Once your video is shot, it’s time to edit it and add any final touches in post-production. This includes things like editing, color correction and visual effects.
If you’re not experienced in editing or post-production, you may need to hire someone to help you. But if you’re willing to learn, you can save money by doing it yourself.
Busdet is an important consideration in all phases of music video production and, post-production of your video is not an exception. Editing and post-production costs can quickly add up, so here are a few tips to keep the costs low:
- If you plan to do the editing yourself, utilize free or low-cost video editing software.
- You may consider asking your friends, family members or close aquaintances to help you out with editing. Alternatively, you can look for a local and affordable video production company in your area.
- Shoot the video in one day to minimize time and costs.
- Keep it simple – if you are on a budget, special effects or elaborate locations will have to be skipped.
- Use existing footage if possible. For example, you can use footage from your past live performances or sessions in rehearsal studio. You can also add stock footage if you choose wisely to fit your overall concept.
By following these tips, you can keep the costs of editing and post-production low and still create a great music video.