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Anyone made a DIY music video?


Inazone

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I'd really like to find a way for my band to do a reasonably pro-looking video without spending thousands of dollars to hire someone (or several someones) to do things that could probably be "DIY" with the resources we have access to. Friends and family members have video cameras, the PC hardware and software, and just about everything else we should need. However, just as there are lots of musicians who consider themselves studio engineers because they have recording equipment, I'm sure the same is true in the realm of video.

 

This wouldn't be a live performance video. There would be some sort of storyline or concept, although there would be some performance parts too. Nothing groundbreaking to anyone who has seen "Headbanger's Ball" or similar. If there was no way to do it on our own with what we have, it probably wouldn't happen at all, as I don't think anyone is going to film and edit in trade for beer.

 

Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with this.

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You will need to spend some money to get any decent results. You might want to look into local film/TV production programs at community colleges, etc to see if someone is out there and willing to work on it in exhcange for a copy to add to their demo reel.

 

I have done several videos, but

A) I'm in Hollywood and I have friends willing to do me favors who are serious pros. One of my closest friends is a network director and will do a location shoot for me on the side for $700/day. That is unheard of pricing and includes cameras, lighting and himself as cameraman/director. I have to pay grips and sound techs seperately. I usually find film students for those slots. I also have to find locations and I have had to get a film permit from LA county ($$$ Ouch.)

 

B) I have some experience in the TV business and can executive produce a shoot efficiently.

 

A couple of tips:

Write a full treatment (script & shot list) and refine it until your vision of the outcome can be executed flawlessly.

 

Lighting is the most critical component. Find someone with some cinematography or videography knowledge. Think of it like you would an engineer who knows how to mic stuff really well.

 

Makeup is important, and it is an art to make it un-noticable. Someone who knows how to do that can be hard to find. The makeover girl at Macy's is NOT the person you want to hire, unless you are Poison 'ca 1986.

 

Get a signed release agreement for everyone who is recognizable in the video including your band members. If someone gets pissed off or quits, you could be in a situation where they refuse to allow you to continue using their image.

 

Leave nothing to chance. Shoot at least 3-5 takes of every shot.

 

Feed the cast & crew. A happy bunch on a full stomach makes for a smoother shoot.

 

Your shoot will take 1 1/2x - 2x longer than you think it will.

 

Editing will take 4x longer than you think it will.

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Another option is the public access produtions of local cable companies. THey can't charge you any $ except for your tape if you don't furnish your own. The crew are almost always amateurs, but occassionally you get lucky...being in L.A., and also holding a degree in Television Production, I have produced a few decent shows using amateur crews...some of who were actually retired pros, film students etc.

But in Podunk, Iowa, you may not be so lucky, but think...'Wayne's World 'was ostensibly a public access show...

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I hope to do this eventually, but as said somewhere above, it'd be almost impossible to make something good without a good deal of money. Sad, but true. Unless you have buddies that have appropriate knowledge/skill in related fields...

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Among the things I *do* have available:

 

- My dad has a few video cameras (not pro, but mid/high-end consumer or pro-sumer) and is fairly proficient in Adobe Premier.

 

- My wife is very experienced doing hair, makeup and costume work in independent films. We probably wouldn't need much of this anyway, but it's an option.

 

- My brother (also in the band) went to school for media production. His skills are probably pretty rusty after several years in an unrelated field, but it's something!

 

As far as resources go, what we lack is any lighting equipment. The cameras should be sufficient for the actual recording, as this would of course be done over the audio track from our CD. Putting together a script should be within our capabilities. I'm not sure if this is even worth pursuing, but if we can get our hands on the gear we need and persuade someone to do some of the filming/editing work, I'll make a script happen.

 

Thanks for the tips.

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Dude, you have everything you need! You are way ahead of the game. The main thing is coming up with a good idea for your video and watching videos you like. Notice the details about them - what type of angles do they use? What is the lighting like, what is the pacing of the videos, what is the camera movement like, how many different locations are in the video, what is the first shot, what is the last shot? That will get you into seeing what is going on in them, and you can go from there to come up with your own ideas.

 

You really don't need fancy lights. You can get what you need at home depot. Just buy some of those halogen work lights, they will be more than enough. If you are resourceful you really don't need pro equipment. Really, lights are the biggest waste of money. For all intensive purposes, halogens will do the same as professional lights, they just don't have a dimmer, so you have to move them closer or further or find ways to dim the light through putting things in front of them, etc.

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i am going to be making a music video of sorts... not really a story or anything, just me playing all of the instruments, edited together. i bought an hd camcorder and final cut express 4 to do the video stuff. i was going to mix it in surround using dp5 as well.

 

i am still learning how to use the camcorder and the software, but in the meantime i have been thinking about which kind of angles i will use when filming it.

 

fyi, what i found useful was to search youtube for videos posted by bands, i.e. practice, etc... to see what kind of stuff they do. let me tell you that you'll see a lot of what NOT to do.. some horrid videos on there.

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What about ripping off footage for a collage? I am thinking about making a video like Ocean Size by Jane's Addiction for one of our songs, lots of slo-mo wipeouts and surfing and all that stuff. We'd have to rip off existing footage to do that. It sure would be cool. As long as we aren't selling the video, but putting it up for free on youtube, would there be any huge legal ramifications as part of a collage?

 

GL21rnGzNjw

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Among the things I *do* have available:


- My dad has a few video cameras (not pro, but mid/high-end consumer or pro-sumer) and is fairly proficient in Adobe Premier.


- My wife is very experienced doing hair, makeup and costume work in independent films. We probably wouldn't need much of this anyway, but it's an option.


- My brother (also in the band) went to school for media production. His skills are probably pretty rusty after several years in an unrelated field, but it's something!


As far as resources go, what we lack is any lighting equipment. The cameras should be sufficient for the actual recording, as this would of course be done over the audio track from our CD. Putting together a script should be within our capabilities. I'm not sure if this is even worth pursuing, but if we can get our hands on the gear we need and persuade someone to do some of the filming/editing work, I'll make a script happen.


Thanks for the tips.

 

 

I've never shot a DIY/indie music video, but your resources aren't bad. If I were you, I'd use my family in addition to some external help i.e a couple broke film majors from the local university or college. Use your own equipment, have your mom do make-up, and let your brother and the other guys work as the cinematic think tank.

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As far as ripping off someone's audio or visual work even if you are not charging: it's stealing and a copyright violation. No money has to be made in order to infringe on a copyright owner's sole rights to performance and reproduction.

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As far as ripping off someone's audio or visual work even if you are not charging: it's stealing and a copyright violation. No money has to be made in order to infringe on a copyright owner's sole rights to performance and reproduction.

 

 

I guess I'm gonna have to learn how to surf.

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