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Who should write video script for music, the director or the musician?


Oluyemi Stephen

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I am currently working on a music video shooting as director. As an actor at the same time, I offered to write a play for the song. However, there is criticism from the music crew on this.

 

So I wish to know, which one is better to write video script for your client or choose to direct the "irrelevant" ideas penned along by musicians which you know won't work?

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He who pays the piper calls the tune. But if you're director, assert yourself that this is the way it will be. However ..... a good director looks for good ideas from others, and listens and looks around to see what others are thinking/saying. David Lean used to wander out of his trailer on the morning of an important shoot, look diffident for a while and have a coffee with his lighting cameraman Freddie Young, and sometimes simply ask "How are we going to shoot this scene?" Sometimes, at first, he just didn't know. And he didn't mind his crew seeing that he didn't know. So if in doubt, ask for ideas and input. But if as director you know it won't work, tell 'em. Musicians know music best. They're not always film minded as well.

Edited by Jon O'Brien
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Thanks @Jon O'Brien that was understandable.

I will be directing the musical video this Saturday. I will definitely throw the floor open for owners, cameraman and my DJ mixtapers ideas before the main show.

"Before the show" is key. It's usually too late to ask for ideas on the day. There's no time. You should have a plan before arriving. Often the best music videos are ones that have literally nothing to do with the song. And these days you can do so much with VFX later on that you can shoot simple stuff and make it great if you plan ahead.

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Well, this video got 97 million views on youtube so not what the average editor can create on his own. Helps when the vocalist looks like a movie star as well. This is professional, flawless VFX, so I wonder what the VFX buget was on this video.

"Before the show" is key. It's usually too late to ask for ideas on the day. There's no time. You should have a plan before arriving. Often the best music videos are ones that have literally nothing to do with the song. And these days you can do so much with VFX later on that you can shoot simple stuff and make it great if you plan ahead.

Edited by Bob Speziale
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  • 4 weeks later...

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