The Art of Creating Music Videos: 10 Effective Tips for Captivating Visuals

Music videos are essential in every music artist’s career as well as the industry. Starting from MJ’s ‘Thriller’ to Coldplay’s ‘Up&Up’, there are multi-hit tracks that garnered more attention due to their accompanying music video that offered an ethereal experience to the audiences. The music videos these days are not just supporting videos but full-fledged short films that can captivate viewers even in a short duration of a few minutes. The creative elements in the music videos can propel a music artist’s career forward while boosting their popularity in the market.

Music videos are also one of the best mediums to create a greater bond with fans while gaining more online visibility and recognition. Whether you are a filmmaker, a music video director, or a music artist who is trying to grow a bigger fan base; you must know the art of creating compelling music videos that help to cater to the attention of global music enthusiasts. Let’s take a deep dive into the process of making visually stunning and engaging video content for your music. 

The Art of Creating Music Videos

1. Focus On Storytelling and Concept

A strong concept of narrative can make music videos even more compelling and engaging for the viewers and make them watch till the end of the video content. Join forces with other creative artists to come up with a story idea that also resonates with the lyrics and theme of the track. This approach through music video adds more depth to the subject matter and allows viewers to have a broader perception of the song you have created. Instead of giving straightforward facts, utilize more symbolic elements, nonlinear narrative structure, and visual metaphors that help to come up with thought-provoking video content. Such music videos do only offer a visual treat but also leave a lasting impact on the viewers. Make sure to wrap your vision in music video treatment that helps to sell the narrative.

2. What kind of Video do you want?

Ask yourself, what kind of music video you want to make? Is it based on the Narrative, its Visuals, or the Performance? Based on that, you can figure out how will you create the video.

    • When music videos are focused on narratives, they mainly focus on the underlying message offered in the track. 

    • In the case of visuals, you just need to make sure there are plenty of visually compelling inputs in the video that make the audience watch the video, glued there screen. It can be both, real footage or animated versions. The visuals also embrace the style and genre of the tracks.

    • Music videos that are built based on performances are mainly comprised of one or more artists who perform the track with their respective creative aura. In this case, music artists can sing, act, and dance with co-performers in a music video such as BTS or BLACKPINK songs. 

3. Make Mood Board

A mood board is important for the making of a music video that reflects a certain mood or emotion. It represents the real feel of your music video which can described via a handful of elements whether it is an aesthetic color palette, still images, or grainy retro filters. The mood board helps to offer a voice to the music video and lets it communicate with the audience in its own way. Watch other artist’s music videos to gain inspiration and come up with a mood board that goes perfectly with the song you made.

4. Understand Your Target Audiences

To be honest, music artists cannot gain enough success without the support of their worldwide fans. Therefore, you must clearly define your target audiences based on different demographics who have the potential to become your fans. Once you understand your audiences, you will be able to find out more details and their preferences as well as exceptions. Based on these factors, you can make plenty of additions that connect with the viewers even better. For example, if you have a rap song about rebellion and you release a music video that shows rebels fighting against the wars; it is definitely going captivate youth and individuals who strive to make a change. 

5. Start with Your Best Track with Exclusive Content

If you are going create your first music video, make sure to start with the most hit single as people will watch and listen to it more since they already know about it. Once you gather more attention, you can proceed with dropping more music videos for other tracks that you have created or going to create. You can definitely take inspiration from other videos but make sure not to bluntly copy which ruins the authenticity of the music video. Use only exclusive content that is fresh and relevant. Make sure to offer high-quality videos and it is recommended to use only the landscape format that is commonly used for most music videos.

6. Be the Star of Your Music Video

Your music video is supposed to embrace your music and also you as a music artist. Be the star of your music video and make sure to give your best. It does not only help to gain more fans but also establishes your versatile aura, creativity, and skills. Make sure to think of a cool spot, the right timing, the act, the script, and all the other elements required to make this music video perfect. Make sure to practice a few times as rehearsal can bring out your natural performance without any room for error.

7. Make Sure to Add Text Overlays

Add text overlays on your music video so that viewers can easily get to know about the artist and the title of the track. Make sure to keep out other information such as web links or gig info that dates the video. Such information is best when added with an accompanying post of the video description offered. 

8. Make Short Teaser Videos

When creating an exclusive music video, you should not limit yourself to one single video content only. Consider creating shorter video clip versions as teasers which are highly important to create anticipation among the viewers before even the release of the tracks. The teaser video should not be longer than 15 to 30 seconds which is the optimum duration to gain the attention of the viewers quickly and effectively. You should ask your team to capture ample Behind-the-scenes images and videos in order to create BTS videos later. Such videos are much loved and appreciated by the fans as they get to know the secrets behind the making process. Mostly, it is funny, wholesome, and emotional at times. 

9. Share with Your Fans to get a Feedback

More than 500 million hours of video content is being watched every day by global users on YouTube. If your music video can be part of a major number of users’ watchlists; there is a chance to get viral. After the making of your music video, make sure to share it with the fans in order to get their feedback. You can also send the video to the tastemakers and industry experts for their opinion and whether it requires any changes. 

10. Shooting Recommendations to Get Started with the Music Video Project

Now that you have a complete idea of the Art Behind Music Videos, it is time to get prepared for the shoot. Once you start shooting, it is a few days of the project including post-production. Before you embark on the journey, here are some expert recommendations to get started with the shooting.

    • Emphasize the subject matter to create the story rather than props to build a frame

    • Collaborate with make-up artists and hair stylists to add a unique flair to the characters or yourself

    • It is not a direction of a performance, but a collaboration project among artists and experts

    • Keep the camera moving since it makes the video more visually engaging and adds an element of surprise and excitement. Cut shots, jump shots, and shaky camera perspectives are also trendy in the industry right now

    • Since light plays a vital role in videos, use lighting to set the right mood for the track. For example, if it is the sad and mellow track, you might want to dim the light or keep it warm but for a more energetic track you can use brighter light. Neon lights are also recommended for a colorful flare effect 

    • Make sure to capture B-roll footage and Behind-The-Scenes tapes (as mentioned before)

    • Expect the unexpected and be prepared for it. Try to keep up with a flexible shooting plan

    • Make it a fun experience for all, in front of the lens and behind it. Not only viewers, but your team of production and other professional should also enjoy the process

Concluding Thoughts

Shooting a music video is one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences for a music artist. It is also one of the most important elements for the growth of their musical career. Make sure to take professional help and come up with a music video that can capture all.