Music videos are a great way for a band to vividly unleash itself to the world. A video does more than simply allow the viewer to hear a song; it provides the artist with the creativity to tell a visual story at the same time. In order for an artist or band to succeed great videos to accompany their tracks are essential. Great ideas and the latest technologies are crucial to creating a brilliant music video and its easier to create one now then ever.
“We shot this comeback video for Dave Edmunds in a recording studio based in Oxford. Dave plays all the instruments on the song and so the idea was to create a video that showed him creating the track in a fly on the wall style.”
At Studio8 we have a great production team able to create the perfect video for your track. We have worked with artists from all kinds of genres. Please give us a call and send us your track to discuss your video. we can work with a range of budgets.
Here’s a few pointers . . .
Uniqueness
Everyone has seen music videos at some point or another, so artists need to make sure that their creations are unique. One of the best ways to make them unique is to tell a story, no matter how strange or bizarre it may seem at first. In fact, many of the world’s most influential bands have used this very strategy.
The video for ‘Everlong’ by the Foo Fighters is partly a parody of the cult movie Evil Dead. It also features the lead singer, Dave Grohl, as a superhero with an enormous hand. Although this is a strange and surreal video, it leaves viewers feeling satisfied at the end. This is a perfect example of modern production that stirs interest and popularity.
‘Be There’ Official Video Clark Wiseman and Katherine Hewitt from studio8 on Vimeo.
“This track was composed and recorded at our studio. We worked with an animation studio to create a story for the track. The concept is that the earth is in danger, a meteorite shower is going to fall over the Arctic. In a base a robot is been building to save everybody: EXP.
Dedicated to the assamblement is another robot, AKA. Day by day they get closer and fall in love. The day of leaving comes, AKA is worried, dosen’t know if they will meet again… – we said unique!”
A New Spin
Another great, modern way to create music videos is to put a new spin on a classic story. Everyone has seen those videos in which the sad girl who has recently been dumped rides the subway or bus in tears and sings about her loss. It’s something that has been done so much that it won’t really create any interest for the viewer – no matter how good the musical aspect might be.To put a spin on it, artists might choose to have her do something in anger, like burn down her ex-lover’s house, drive his car into a lake, or even chop up his furniture with an axe. Though it may sound bizarre for a sad song, it will get the viewers’ attention – and it may actually fit the song surprisingly well.
Remember the Classics
Music videos also have to be incredibly memorable if they are to afford the artist any success at all. This may mean digging through the archives to the videos that everyone remembers for inspiration. How about Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ or A-Ha’s ‘Take On Me’? These videos are incredibly popular, everyone can remember them, and many bands even choose to model parts of their videos around them. Even the video for ‘Carrie’ by Whitesnake is memorable because it was one of the first to feature a scantily clad woman on the hood of a car. Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ inspired an entire generation and the dance moves are still incorporated into shows across the country. How’s that for inspiration?
“This video was shot in the USA. Great fun!”
Why Choose a Professional to Shoot the Video?
Many artists and bands believe that with all of the technology that is available to use in homes and studios, there is simply no need to hire a professional to shoot music videos. This couldn’t be further from the truth. In this day and age, the quality of any production must be outstanding if viewers are going to enjoy it. It must be able to be viewed in high definition, too, since this is the technology of our times. To put it simply, without the proper knowledge and skill set, these videos can never truly reach their full potential. In fact, it is possible to hire a professional to take care of the shoot on just about any budget.
“Not Me was shot at a Boxing Ring in Banbury. It features Australian singer Yasmine Amari and was shot over two days.”
Not Me – Behind the Scenes Video from studio8 on Vimeo.
“Here’s a short behind the scenes video for ‘Not Me’”
Anyone who has written an outstanding song with great music should get a music video made! It is a fantastic way to get the word out about their work. The combination of audio and visual stimulation not only captivates the viewer, but it also helps to make the song memorable – and, perhaps in a few decades, a classic!