Music Video's - $$$$

[Skyweaver]

Hi All,

I've just been looking around locally at getting some video work done to go with an album.

below is a small excerpt from one production house.

" the range of budget but never go below around $15K and that is at a push. Budgets can range from that up to the hundreds of thousands."

has anyone else had experiences in this area ?

Any help would be great.

 

[Jackal_Strain]

It can be done with a decent camera, a tripod, some skills and a GOOD idea.

 

[Skyweaver]

Yeah I almost dropped a stump when I saw the cost - sure if your a house hold name and you have the $ go for it.... I'm keen to see what others have done on smaller budgets (like the cost of hiring a camera)

 

[Kazrog]

You will pretty much (with little exception) have a crap music video unless you get signed or get the "bro deal" from a film student friend.

I don't really like videos much anyway most of the time. Most of the shit on "Headbanger's Ball" is laughable posturing and cliche' imagery. I fail to see the purpose.

Sometimes the best approach is to film a few shows and splice all the footage together in iMovie or Final Cut if you're on a budget. Devildriver is signed to fucking Roadrunner, has done some videos with bigtime pro studios, and yet their best video (IMO) is for "End of the Line," and was done by a friend of theirs with a decent camera, a Mac, and Final Cut. There's an honesty and a level of fun to that video that recalls Pantera in their prime, and it stands out from the rest of the drivel on HBB.

Of course, having a video like that requires band members with charisma, and some kickass fans...

 

[Skyweaver]

Yep the Pantera ones were great, still got to check the dimevision DVD out

 

[arv_foh]

this video was done by a local band from where i live, that is no longer together. you guys might hate the music, but that's besides the point. this was done in the basement of an old local venue with some strobes, handheld cameras, and a few different camera angles... for free. having someone that knows final cut pro helps too

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEWrvOlPkIQ

 

[Benny H]

I don't really like videos much anyway most of the time. Most of the shit on "Headbanger's Ball" is laughable posturing and cliche' imagery. I fail to see the purpose.

Word to that.

If fact most metal/alternative/whatevercore videos only make me feel a similar sort of disgust that mainstream chart videos like Justin Timberlake etc invoke.

 

[Skyweaver]

thanks arv_foh - that gives an idea

"If fact most metal/alternative/whatevercore videos only make me feel a similar sort of disgust that mainstream chart videos like Justin Timberlake etc invoke."

LOL you remeber the 80's too ??

 

[KeithRT99]

just go to a local film school, or college and make flyers looking for someone to make a music video for you. they might be able to check out a decent camera from school, or you can rent one for a day.

 

[--TiMmY--]

The best bet would be to find someone in your area that has the skill and is trying to get his/her name out. I did a video for some friends just to test out some 3d/compositing/tracking ideas (the leeches on the guys arm at the end.)
We promoted that we where going to shoot at one of their show for a few weeks, got some lighting students from Full Sail and hired a homeless guy for $60. Total cost - $130 ($60 + $70 bar tab for the lighting crew.) On the flip side I have also done stuff for Clear Channel and have charged $15k +

http://www.concussion.cc/video/ITD_Shoes.mov

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

$15,000? Holly fuck thats way to much for a music video. What do they want to shoot it with 10 HD cams and 3 steady cams? Seriously jesus. If your not pro or signed a budget of 5k would be more like it. Alot of music videos are done on cannon XL-2 cameras and maybe a crew of 5-6 guys. (at least budget ones are). My friend does this kind of thing professionally (works out of springfield MO). They can shoot in HD but for a music video most of the time it ends up on TV wich get turned back down to the 4:3 aspect ratio anyways. You shouldn't have to hire anyone to do sound and the lighting should be fixed (unless you shoot outdoors) for the whole thing. So I would say you could get a high quality video done with a camera crew of 3 and the cameras would need to be anything better than a canon XL-1 or XL-2.

The best deal would be to find a college with students that have to make one. Then it's free. And most colleges have kick ass cameras for sign out. But really 15k is way overboard, maybe for a wedding 15k...

 

[--TiMmY--]

$15,000? Holly fuck thats way to much for a music video.

That really all depends on 1) what your shooting with and 2) who is doing it. If it was on film, 15K is cheap!

They can shoot in HD but for a music video most of the time it ends up on TV wich get turned back down to the 4:3 aspect ratio anyways.

With HD its not really the aspect that matters, its the fact that the raw footage is being shot at a higher resolution - 1280 x 720 or 1980 x 1020 (almost the same as 2k film) where dv is 720 x 480. Its like recording at 16bit 44.1khz when you can record at 24bit 48khz and then sample down.

 

[carl@laruso.com]

That really all depends on 1) what your shooting with and 2) who is doing it. If it was on film, 15K is cheap!



With HD its not really the aspect that matters, its the fact that the raw footage is being shot at a higher resolution - 1280 x 720 or 1980 x 1020 (almost the same as 2k film) where dv is 720 x 480. Its like recording at 16bit 44.1khz when you can record at 24bit 48khz and then sample down.

Also most DV is interlaced (half the amout of lines per frame interchanged alternatly) even the 3 chip stuff (some is full frame but at the cost of fps i belive) and with hd you can go full frame with better CCD etc, sure the res gets scaled down but we all record @ 24bit even tho it's dithered down to 16.....

Also as well as the quality of the footage the "Grade" is very important... make sure you ask about that man - it is like mastering for film/video

hope that helps dude,

C.

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

Your missing my point:

It isn't nessesary to shoot in that high of quality for a music video. Who shoots a music video on film that your know of? A cannon XL-2 isn't that bad, actually it is quite good for music videos. Although I suppose if your hiring somebody you use what they have.

 

[--TiMmY--]

Your missing my point:
It isn't nessesary to shoot in that high of quality for a music video. Who shoots a music video on film that your know of? A cannon XL-2 isn't that bad, actually it is quite good for music videos. Although I suppose if your hiring somebody you use what they have.

You would be suprised at how much film is used..
I own a XL-1 and GL2 and love them, but when it comes to grading/pulling a key/compositing, the image falls apart very quickly..

 

[egan.]

We only spent a few thousand on our video and we were pretty happy w/ it. Just like w/ recording, the most important thing is to find like-minded people who can do the best work within your budget.
Here are some links to our vid:
youtube
download

Your story reminds me a lot of when my band was shoping for a studio for our first record. I told one studio manager our budget and he said "you can't cut a record for that." People like that are going to be a waste of your money b/c they'll view your project as a waste of their time. As others here have said, there are talented and hungry people out there willing to go the extra mile.

 

[Nebulous]

Nice video man. Cool song too.

 

[Skyweaver]

great Video and very cool advice - thanks Egan, thats the route we are taking !