DIY music video production is no walk in the park. It’s filled with challenges, but these challenges are what make the adventure. They aren’t roadblocks; they’re opportunities to learn and grow. With each obstacle you overcome, you become better equipped to accomplish a greater undertaking. Todays undertaking will be to understand what a realistic timeframe expectations for a music video production are.
To succeed in world of music video creation., planning is your best friend. And that literally is not just a formality; planning is your shield against setbacks. When you plan meticulously, you’re better prepared to handle the unexpected twists and turns that often accompany creative projects. This will keep you on track and ensures that you’re making progress toward your goals.
In the realm of music video production, timetables are the guiding star. They are absolutely crucial if you aim to release your music regularly to steadily build your audience. Setting and adhering to timelines is how you maintain momentum and stay connected with your fanbase. Timetables are the foundation upon which successful music releases are built. So let’s dive in and discover some helpful timeframe insights for music video production.
A Tool In Your Arsenal
Music videos are a potent tool in your artistic arsenal. They don’t just complement your music; they add a whole new visual dimension to it. This visual element has the power to captivate and engage viewers, potentially introducing your music to an entirely new audience. Music videos are your key to expanding your reach and leaving a lasting impression. If you are getting ready to start making your own music videos you are going to have to choose what type to make. Here is the link to a great guide on the different types of music videos you can create. Good luck!
Time Management
In the world of video production, time management reigns supreme. The process is complex, with many moving parts, and without efficient time management, you risk getting lost in the chaos. Being organized, setting priorities, and managing your time effectively are all critical components of a successful video production journey.
Let’s delve deeper into the production process. We’ll explore various aspects of music video production and discuss each ones average timeframe. Because breaking these down will help provide you with valuable insights, helping you plan your project more effectively.
The time required for your DIY music video can vary significantly. It hinges on factors such as the scale of your project and your own skills and experience. A small, straightforward video will naturally take less time than an elaborate production. If you possess video editing and filmmaking experience, you’ll likely work more efficiently, potentially reducing the overall time required.
You should also take into consideration which should be released first; your single or your MV. That will also help to inform your timetables. We have recently posted an article that goes into an in depth discussion on that. Here is the link!
On average, from the initial stages of pre-production to the final touches of post-production, creating a DIY music video timeframe typically spans a period of three to four weeks. This timeframe offers a rough estimate to get you started on your planning your music video production. It’s a reasonable benchmark to consider, but remember that your specific project may vary.
Release Strategy Variables
Your single release strategy plays a pivotal role in shaping your video production schedule. If your goal is to release new music every month and post a new music video for each song on Youtube, your production timeline will naturally revolve around this ambitious plan. Consistency is key when following this strategy.
If you are deliberating on whether or not to produce a new music video for every new song you release; we have published a great article. In it we go into great detail on the pros and cons of doing that. Here is the link!
However, not every artist follows a monthly release schedule for videos. Many opt to create videos for only a select few songs from their collection. In that case, they may have a little more flexibility in setting their deadlines.
The Steps To Completing An Organized Video Production.
- The conception and ideation (all the time)
- Pre-Production (1 week)
- Production (1 day – 1 week)
- Post Production (2 weeks)
We’ve identified four critical steps in the video production process, each with its own timetable. To gain a deeper understanding of what is involved with each, let’s explore one after the next. Taking a deeper look should serve to provide valuable insights into the intricacies of every stage.
Essentially what we are doing is taking the time to organize our thinking about each. The purpose is to recognize exactly what needs to be accomplished in each of the stages. Doing that will help you to organize the time-critical processes in stages and serve as a sort of blueprint. That will assist you in setting, measuring, and efficiently meeting your expectations and deadlines.
Conception and Ideation
Planning anything within a timeframe is just how it goes. For this step, however, we haven’t designated any specific timeframe.
Still, creating a video concept does take time, and while we may not have specified a timeline in this article, there could be a deadline.
For DIY musicians crafting music videos, we strongly advise that you continuously reflect on how to visualize your music. Start right from the moment you first create the song. Picture it as the background music or theme music for a movie. Then imagine what that movie looks like.
Doing that might help you define the mood of your video. Make sure you keep a notebook handy to journal all of your great ideas. Since making music is an ongoing practice, make it a habit to keep that notebook handy.
If you’re hiring a director, and they’re tasked with crafting the video concept independently, you can expect their ideas within a few days to a week. This allows time for your approval.
Now, if you’re approaching it DIY, it’s essential to plan ahead. Jot down your ideas for each song you’re planning to turn into videos. This way, when that particular song moves up the production queue, you’ll have a great list of concepts ready to go. It’s your key to efficient preproduction.
We’d like to share our guide to concept and treatments for music videos. It will be a big help for your continued efforts and planning. Bookmark and save it!
*The most important take is that conception and ideation you should be doing this all the time
Pre-Production
(1 week)
Pre-production starts by brainstorming how to make your visual ideas a reality. In addition, it is the step where you organize and arrange all the particulars. This is the step when you must actualize your idea, modify the idea, or reinterpret it. It is also the step where you start to change the ideas into a scripted story, figure out where you are shooting, who is helping, and organize everything.
Here are some of the moving parts that go into pre-production:
- Script Development
- Shot List
- Recruiting Talent
- Scouting locations
- Organizational Logistics
- Scheduling
Script Development
This is where you decide what your major shots will be. You will also have to decide whether you will have people acting to depict a visual story throughout the video. Additionally In this step, you’ll have to account for what talent you will need to tell the story. With all of the necessary characters defined its time to craft your script. Your talent will need that to inform their performance. Your team will need it to inform what you are trying to achieve with the shoot.
Shot List
The shot list will describe all the shots you’ll need. It will also catagorize to each of the different locations where you will be shooting. The list should include the camera angle and type of shot. It should serve as a checklist when you are on location. That will help you keep track that you’re capturing what you need to for the edit. order to later be able to cut the footage into a proper music video.
Recruiting Talent
If your video is going to have a visual story thread, you will need to recruit some people to act in your production. Depending on the scale of your production, it may be your best friends or family. Especially if they are willing to help you out. If you have the budget you’ll have to cast to hire talent that you’ll pay for their effort. If you are just getting started, you’ll have to make it work however you can. Be sure that “whatever you can” falls within the boundaries of the law and everything will be great.
If you’re releasing new music and videos monthly, always think about potential video locations. Stay actively aware of your surroundings. If you come across a place that suits one of your songs, note it in your journal. Reach out to your fanbase in the vicinity of your shoot location. If you can involve your fans in suggesting ideas, it may be advantageous. Fans in a specific area might recommend visually interesting places as backdrops.
Organizational Logistics
The scale of your shoot matters. So if it your not making a home movie than permits might be required. In addition to those you’ll also have to handle all of the other shoot details. Those would include any purchases or rentals that you need to organize. There may also be any number of other arrangements necessary to ensure that everything goes off without a hitch. Organizing logistics is all about covering all of the bases for a successful shoot.
Scheduling
To ensure a successful music video shoot, you’ll need to plan and coordinate several key elements. This includes scheduling your team, talent, chosen location, and the permitted shooting times. Careful planning and coordination are crucial for a smooth shoot.
Production
(1 day – 1 week)
The amount of time it takes for production will be determined by the complexity of your shot list. It is also affected by any scripted story thread that needs to be performed by actors and actresses. If you approach it in a well-organized manner you could do simpler shoot in a day. You’d have to limit the scope and focus on just the singer or the band. You could shoot it in multiple takes at two or three locations.
However, shooting something that is more elaborate will require more time. Especially something that has a cinematic story element at multiple locations. Capturing a suitable performance from all of your talent takes time. A bigger production may even take a few days to a week to coordinate. It can be big task to work your way through all of the shots on your shot list.
Ultimately the time needed for production depends on your shoot’s complexity. Because It’s directly influenced by your shot list and any scripted story elements involving actors and actresses.
At the end of the day it isn’t about making a music video; it is about making a music video that is good. If you are interested in making good videos; then we have an article for you. Read it here!
Post Production
(2 weeks)
In post-production, you will have to transfer all of your footage onto your computer. From their its time to open up your editing platform of choice. In addition to conforming all your footage works together, you will also have to do all of your color correction. The color correction ensures that the overall look of each shot matches and works together seamlessly.
Then, you will be in for the hard work. Piecing together a rough edit of the music video for which you can take notes and begin to make revisions. After you have finally come to a consensus on an edit, you can decide what filters you might use and to what effect they could be used.
Depending on how elaborate your shoot is, you may even have some CGI elements or special effects that you will need to process and edit into your work. You should also know you can contract out those elements to save time and headache.
After your video is edited and ready you’ll need to switch gears to prepare for the release. In order to be sure that your release goes well; feel free to use our checklist to make sure you’ve completed each task. Here is the link!
The Last Few Steps
Like anything else, organization and preparedness are critical components of success. Developing good habits in regard to scheduling and processes will help you reach your goals. Doing so, it will also help you maintain consistent a monthly release schedule of new music and music videos. For help with consistent organization, we’ve recently posted a music video checklist. It is a great guide that we are sure will be a continued recourse. Get it here!
Additionally, it’s important to keep in mind that the more you do something, the more competent you become in doing it. As you progress, learn from your mistakes and adjust your expectations accordingly.
Develop routines and rely on what works for you. At the same time, make an effort to push the envelope and grow as a filmmaker and artist. Do so deliberately and within windows built into your timetables that allow you to explore more advanced and time-consuming techniques. This can be done while keeping a safety net underneath you in the event you need to double back to meet your deadlines.
Keep a journal to chronicle all your ideas and thoughts for your music. You should also make regular entries with ideas to how and best depict your intentions visually.
To help you prepare to promote your new music video, we have published a guide to budget friendly music video promotion. If you haven’t begun this step, our guide can get you up to speed quickly. Good luck!
In Conclusion
The very last step is realizing that you have the capacity to manage and coordinate your own DIY productions in an organized way. In the end it isn’t about how your work is judged, but rather how it works for you. We hope that we provided you some insight and helped you to better familiarize yourself with realistic timeframe expectations for music video production. Now, good luck going forward!