how do you come up with concepts for music videos?
Are you trying to make your move in the music industry? Do you have some incredible lyrics or beats and need some support in understanding how to develop a music video concept? In this blog, Dot Films will answer all of your questions to get you started. Take a read to learn the key steps to making a concept for your next music video.
There are three key steps that can help you generate new concepts for music videos. These steps include:
- Focusing on how you plan to represent the artist and brand
- Embracing the music, lyrics and story of the song
- Taking inspiration from other artists in the industry
- Thinking Resourcefully
Keep reading to find out more about who comes up with music video concepts and some examples of popular music video plans.
how to come up with concepts for music videos?
Whether you are an experienced music video producer or new to the industry, developing new concepts for music videos can always be a challenge. In such a saturated market, it can sometimes seem overwhelming to find a concept that is unique or going to draw in an audience. However, there are steps that you can follow to make it that little bit easier or at least stimulate inspiration.
1. music artist & brand representation
One of the first and most important steps to generating a concept for a music video is to start with your artist. Ask yourself questions such as:
- What type of music do they produce?
- What message is this particular song trying to convey?
- What is the artist’s brand?
- What is the artist’s style?
- What type of audience does the audience want to attract?
These questions are important because they will help you determine how to market the artist through the music video. The last thing you want to do is come up with a music video concept that may be popular but not align with the brand of the artist.
For example, some artists may produce music that involves a lot of dancing and vibrant lighting whereas other artists may produce emotional ballads that require nothing but themselves on set. However, some artists will also do both depending on the song. Therefore, getting the foundations correct by asking yourself these first questions will help you to start and head in the right direction with your brainstorming sessions.
2. embracing the music
Another key step to developing a strong music video concept is to listen to and embrace the music. The whole music video concept should originate from the song itself. The feeling the song gives you, the tempo of the beat, and the lyrics sung. All of the features can inspire an idea for how you are going to represent the music through videography.
Quite often, songs have a theme or story to them that develops throughout. Is there a way you demonstrate this growth of story through your music video concept? Can lighting, camera angles, and dancers be used to convey the messages of the song in a way that would catch people’s attention in the industry? Either way, this step is key to opening up your creativity to the possibilities of your music video.
Below is an example of how Taylor Swift tells a story in their music video Love story.
3.private film investors
Private film investors are high-net-worth individuals who invest their personal wealth into film projects. They are attracted to factors such as:
- An established script
- A skilled and creative director
- An experienced producer
- A realistic budget
- A saleable cast
Independent filmmakers must market themselves in order to obtain a private investor. This can be accomplished through social media and online platforms, film festivals, and growing your network.
4. inspirations from other artist
Being inspired by other artists is also a great way of coming up with a fantastic music video idea. Doing some research into your artist’s genre and competitors can show you what the competition is like at the moment. Is there a particular trend that is occurring within the music genre? What about doing the opposite and making a statement in the industry. Doing the unexpected is also a great way of helping your videography and artist to get noticed for hard work.
For an example of how inspiration from other artists works, take a look at the video below. It is the music video of Irresistible by Fall Out Boy which was originally inspired by the band NSYNC.
5. thinking resourcefully
Thinking resourcefully is also another important step to coming up with concepts for music video, especially if you are on a budget. By thinking resourcefully you may consider venues, costumes and styles that you may have never considered before. Could you upcycle costumes from a vintage store? Do you know of some friends that are looking to get featured in a video for their dancing careers? Could you film your video at a venue that is just opening and looking for coverage?
Either way, there are plenty of ways to be resourceful when it comes to making a music video. Quite often, being resourceful can lead to a better level of creativity too.
what are some examples of music video concepts?
In the music video industry, whilst creativity is encouraged, there are still some patterns in the types of music video concepts that tend to be created. Proven concepts that get a great reaction from fans and audiences time and time again. Below we have detailed some of these examples so you can see them for yourself.
performance music video
Performance music videos have been around for many years and tend to involve the band/artist performing on stage. They are usually lip synced and more focused on how the artists play their instruments. However, creative twists can be added to these videos such as starting with artists backstage-stage or in the audience.
Click below to take a look at some of the top rated performance music videos of all time:
narrative music video
Narrative music video concepts usually involve the artists conveying a story. Often they have a very clear beginning, middle and end structure but no lip syncing is used. The whole point of this type of music video is to focus on the narrative. Some producers prefer to do this in the form on animation to allow for more creativity.
Take a look at some of the highest ranked narrative music videos on the internet.
Narrative music video concepts usually involve the artists conveying a story. Often they have a very clear beginning, middle and end structure but no lip syncing is used. The whole point of this type of music video is to focus on the narrative. Some producers prefer to do this in the form on animation to allow for more creativity.
Take a look at some of the highest ranked narrative music videos on the internet.
concept music video
Concept music videos don’t typically have a storyline and instead focus on expression of creativity. Often there is no structure because they are more focused on sharing the artist’s vision. This results in a level of fascination from the audience whilst they attempt to understand the music video message.
Below we have linked some popular concept music videos for you to take a look at.
lyrics music video
Simply, lyric videos are music videos that show the lyrics on the screen as the song plays. Producers will often match the font or colour to the theme of the song and sometimes animate particular words for emphasis.
Example of effective lyrics music videos include:
animated music video
Animated music videos come in a variety of forms ranging from 2D animations to CGI. But just because a music video is animated does not mean it cannot have features of other types of videos including performance and storytelling.
Take a look at this popular animated video by clicking below:
Why not take a look at some of the different music videos Dot Films have produced by clicking here.
who comes up with music video concepts?
Now that you know the different types of music videos, you may be interested to find out who comes up with these concepts. If you are new to the music industry, rest assured that you do not have to take all this responsibility yourself. Often this is a collaborative effort to aid creativity. However, in the professional industry, it is typically the director and screenwriter who work together to form the music video concept.
They have to consider things such as budget, timings, and artist representation. The storyboard artist will also support this process by drawing up each shot and frame so that everyone on set has a strong understanding of the expectations for the music video.
music video production at dot films
Do you have a clear vision for your music video production but need some support with delivering it? Are you struggling with creativity and are looking for music video producers who can help you think outside of the box.? Dot Films have an array of experience in producing thought provoking, innovative music video concepts. Get in touch with us today to see how we can transform your music video idea.
share
