WHAT MAKES A GOOD VIDEO/ Sample of a story board

When I was in Nashville I had an opportunity attend the shooting of a number of music videos.  As for me I must say sitting around at a shoot is one of the most boring things I got to do in my entire music career.  A music video is a very important part of your career as an Artist.  As with everything else in this industry it is very competitive.  Getting eyes to your video must be a well thought out plan.  In my opinion the key ingredient is a strong story board.  Below is a sample of a story board.

To implement this task effectively, you will need a business plan and a very detailed and accurate marketing plan.  The first step will be thorough research.  This is the basis of every new venture.  The research will focus on studying what other successful video producers did to succeed, working with unknown bands.  The point here is not to copy what others have done, but to learn from the cause and effect of their success and failure.  A good research will give you an idea of approach and most important what to avoid.  The second area of consideration is the Advertising/PR of your business plan.  The timing of the adverts must be at least 1-2 months before the launching date.  The next step will be executing the field plan, which involves a video manager and crew, equipment, select locations, determine when and what to shoot, and select the song for the video.  A studio-recorded song must be ready for the video.  This will be recorded over the video, as the singers will be expected to provide “mime vocals,” that is, singing along the video as it is being recorded.  The mime vocals will not be used as final vocals, because you do not need noises from the environment during filming.  The studio-recorded song is then “dubbed” to fit the mime-vocals line, and your video tape is ready.  However, as the band is unknown, most of the work should be invested in advertising.

Storyboard: This is where it all begins. The first step is to understand what you are trying to communicate and what your intended message is.  If you don't understand your message, no one will. Creating a script or storyboard will help ensure that you and your audience understands your intent.

Think of your video as a story.  All good stories contain certain elements.  When creating your story keep in mind the 5 W's; Who, What, When, Where, and Why.  This will help you fill in the main body of your story.  Additionally, there are some general terms that you should be familiar with; protagonist, antagonist, plot, setting, turning point, dialog, introduction, conclusion, narration, and points of view.

There are two main styles for laying out your story - a storyboard or a script.  They each have their pros and cons.  Continue on to find which one best suits your needs.

StoryboardAs seen in the accompanying picture, a storyboard contains a rough sketch representation of the video. A storyboard is essentially a timeline going from top to bottom, with the top occurring first. Using a storyboard allows you to see what the scene will look like. This is one of the major advantages a storyboard has over a script. The storyboard method is also generally thought to provide a better overview than the scripting method. Click here to view a blank storyboard form that can be printed for your use.

Script The script style is similar to reading a book. It is very useful for dialog intense pieces. If you do have a piece with a considerable amount of dialog, use the video side to indicate who is speaking, or what reaction the character should have. This is more in line with a traditional play script. Often your talent will benefit more from this method than the storyboard, as they are more interested in their lines than creating a story. Click hereto view a blank script which can be printed out for your use.