Tips needed for low budget music video?

[Tom Jenkins]

hi there,

 

I'm producing a low budget British music video and need some tips on how to make it shine.

 

We're shooting on Digi Beta, in a cocktail bar, and the theme is quite upbeat and fun. I want to give the video a great look so I think we're going to grade it in post-production, so are there any tips on grading Digi Beta as well.

 

Tips on lighting, work flow and giving it the film look would be grately appreciated.

 

Many Thanks

 

Tom Jenkins

[John Ealer]

hi there,

 

I'm producing a low budget British music video and need some tips on how to make it shine.

 

We're shooting on Digi Beta, in a cocktail bar, and the theme is quite upbeat and fun. I want to give the video a great look so I think we're going to grade it in post-production, so are there any tips on grading Digi Beta as well.

 

Tips on lighting, work flow and giving it the film look would be grately appreciated.

 

Many Thanks

 

Tom Jenkins

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

First suggestion would be not to shoot Digibeta if you want a film look. Go with a 25P format, maybe DVCPRO50 with the Panasonic SDX-900. If you have to shoot Digibeta, plan on doing a filmlook process like Magic Bullet when you finish.

 

Try to do your color correction with the best colorist in the best bay you can afford. Doing tape-to-tape in a DaVinci (or equivalent) bay with a a great colorist who's experienced with music videos will make a huge difference.

 

J

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

What he said, but I'd add that to get the best out of an electronic grade you need to shoot it pretty under - shoot for what you'd get out of a technical film grade. Unless you happen to have access to an uncompressed online edit suite you won't be grading yourself, you'll have someone else do it in return for a very great deal of money, so all you need is a solid idea of what you want it to look like.

 

As to lighting, it would kind of help if you could talk about what you want it to look like, the kind of feel it has.

 

Also - I get the impression you're a director who's lighting out of necessity. If you'd rather have someone dedicated to the task and you're in the London area, perhaps I could get involved - I always have a great time on music videos. Not trying to shoehorn in, just got the impression maybe you were in that sort of situation.

 

Phil

[Rik Andino]

My first tip when shooting a low budget Music Video is:

Make sure you get your check! :)

 

I believe the best thing to have when doing a music video is a good editor.

I've shot crappy performances under green screen with little coverage

And I've seen editors turn it into really good videos.

 

In Music Videos editing is key!

What I recommend is maximum coverage-->give the editor lots to work with!

 

And don't worry about continuity in fact throw it out the windows

Videos work best with lots of variations...

So change the locations a bit, change wardrobe, change the lighting

If you use blue in one scene, use red in another, or daylight with interiors.

 

And if you're shooting a party scene try to keep the camera moving

Use lots of dolly shots and lots of handheld

And keep in mind people's performances make sure they've got lots of energy

 

A video is basically a showcase of the Artist and their talents as well as the music

So listen to the song and watch the artist performance

And then try to create a visual mood from these two.

 

Also don't be afraid to take creative risk

A music video can allow a cinematographers to experiment with lighting and shots

Try the funkest thing you've ever thought about and see if it works.

 

Oh and the last tip-->Never tell the Artist they look bad or corny.... :)

 

 

Good luck.

[Guest Daniel J. Ashley-Smith]

Music videos are usually quite high in contrast and saturation, although trying to get this effect in post may create a few problems because it brings out the digital noise. (Makes it worse quality, so if you can, try and use more optical effects than digital)

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

> Music videos are usually quite high in contrast and saturation

 

That's a bit of a generalisation, although hi-con does seem to be the look of the moment, it's far from universal. There are however plenty of cool steely-looking promos out there at the moment which look anything but saturated.

 

Phil