June 4, 2018
There's a lot to say about making indie music videos inexpensively. I only intend to share my reflections over the opportunities afforded by the fluid and ever changing array of services that have been sprouting up for us indies to use as we promote our music. I have a song that I need to do a cool video for (Change My Mind) and I don't see how it is going to look good using what I already use/own. So what do I do? I don't have the money to buy or subscribe to Adobe's programs for video editing so I can choose some of the new and exciting tools coming out for Android and online music video production. This post is about what I found.
iMovie has its limits: Not everyone has Adobes After Effects and or a budget big enough to hire a video production team. I sure don't. So, while I have been looking for ways to create better music videos than the ones I can do in iMovie, I have been looking for a way to do it fast and cheap but still well. Just so happens that I was a multimedia teacher for a few years, so I am rather good at editing. But iMovie is boring because it has its limits. Some of the music I do needs a more pop culture framing than I can create there. Here are a few of the fun alternatives that I've stumbled over which may help some of you indies out there, too. It doesn't cost a lot of money to look professional there are numerous ways to make a few good clips turn into a great music video.
Tips:
High resolution: If you are going to record anything for a music video, do it in HD.
Props: Use a camera/cell phone stand to get maximum clarity and have some interesting thing or things that tie the theme of the song together. A clothespin, a coffee cup, a retro car or a balloon will do. It doesn't have to be expensive. Make sure everything is in place and do a test run before the shoot.
Light: Light is super important. Don't film into the light. Make sure you use lamps indoors. See Internet for details. Avoid lights from underneath you. Makes you look like a horror film zombie.
Stick out: Use your imagination and be bold. If you don't have any ideas look at what others have done on YouTube and be inspired. Don't copy anyone. Just take the idea they had and do something greater and a bit different with it.
Make sure you and your clothes look the part. Take a shower, get some make up if need be. Look your best. Doing country music. Get those cowboy boots on. etc...
Be yourself at all times. Be honest and believe in yourself. If you don't no one will. Just know who you are and what story you are trying to tell through your music. I am a bit all over the place doing music within various genres, but I try to let the form and feeling of the music video fit into that genre while keeping my story in place. It is tough sometimes to get a good balance there.
Use a friend or professional photographer who is not so well known and is within your budget.
Time: Plan ahead and do a manus including the different scenes and the way they illustrate the song. Plan at least one whole day for recording, one day for editing and one day for getting some people to give you feedback and conclude/upload. If the shoot didn't cut it or your reference group gives you the thumbs down, go back and get it right. (Btw, the sooner a few other hand picked fans are included in the process the better the outcome can be.) Once it's uploaded you'll never be able to bring it down completely. Don't upload crap. I have in the past and I regret it...
Using nature as your theme:
I film nature in 5 min intervals to use in my softer music lyrics videos. Waterfalls, the ocean, streams, wind-waved wheat fields, everything flowing in nature is a good motive for my slower songs. But when it comes to rock, electro pop, dance songs etc that just doesn't cut it. I think you get what I mean...use your imagination and try to get your video to match the feeling in the song. There are all sorts of tips on the Internet on how to make film, use different programs and choreograph your film.
Less is more! Keep it simple and powerful and build up your film according to or reflecting the various parts and the arrangement of your song. Do you have a build up or a climax in the song? Let something surprise the viewer right there. Timing is everything, so clip well.
There are some ways around traditional music video creation. Here are some cool things I've come across. You have to know when to use them and when not to. See what other people in your niche are doing and see if you can do something similar but better than they.
Creative Audio Visualisation - Here are some tips
Sometimes you just want a bubble to pop in time to your latest rap or dance track. See these videos on how to create a logo and audio visualisation music videos in an Android system with two apps:
I haven't tried this but it is cool, gotta admit. I guess this fits for Hiphop, EMD, House, Beats, Dance etc.
Online Music video services:
You can take your clips and upload them to various services and out comes a film. Sounds great? I dunno. You decide. Here are a few to look at.
Rotor
Rotor is an online video editor for the guy who just wants some random pics to fly by in a cool way as you serve your music to the world.
Just like you can master your tracks through a robot service, you can create a music video by dragging clips and film files into Rotor's robot editor online. It is an alternative to buying Premier or some other expensive editing software. You upload your songs, clips and film files and then let it edit for you, in the cloud. Then you pay when you are satisfied and download your song, paying per track with Rotorvideo.com (see video in the header up on top). Only download the highest quality. That will cost you $30 per track but it is true that most musicians get noticed through YouTube music videos, so don't spare your money on this. You can do your music video in Rotor if you don't have the opportunity or time to make your music videos professionally.
I am not endorsing them. I am just saying that this seems good if you aren't a wiz at making a music video. I tried it and it seems hard to get the editing right. It does it for you which means, you can't control it.
It's easy to sign up. It's free and relatively easy to use. I think the price is doable. Give it a try if you want to. This is never ever gonna be as good as a professionally edited, high resolution music video. Just saying.
Advantages:
- cheap
- quick
- easy to use
- you pay per download when you are satisfied
Disadvantages
- you can't control the cuts, editing
- it's more expensive than doing it for free on your own in iMovie
- very long upload time for mp4s
Warning. Upload one thing at a time. I tried uploading a photo while uploading a film and it didn't work. The uploading of the film ceased and only the photo was uploaded. Their uploading animation is a bit strange (hops back and forth within the bar) but that doesn't matter.
The first time around I uploaded a few of my pics and then used a slew of theirs. Put them in at random and chose a Directors cut. It was so incredibly terrible. Just didn't make any sense. Then I uploaded a simple video with candles that lasted 4 minutes and tried another filter. Finally I used the cut out text version together with an edited film and it sort of worked for me. Then it got stuck..I mean it crashed. I guess my final word is: You get what you pay for....
https://rotorvideos.com/
Animatron
Animatron works the same way but you have to subscribe and it is too expensive for the little indie musician trying to get their stuff out into the world. It has many more stock photos to choose from, thereof the pricing. I'm just saying, with a limited budget, you'd have to work fast and do many videos a month in order to beat the price of Rotor. If you have the money and release many times a month then this might be better for you. I'll pass. I'll say it again. You get what you pay for.
Finally, I just settled for iMovie. I hope I can save up some money for Premier.
https://www.animatron.com/wave/pricing
Animoto
This one is cheaper than Animatron, and has licensed music too. Maybe not able to upload your own music. Don't know, haven't checked it out yet.
https://animoto.com/pricing
Let me know what you have tried. I would love to hear from you.....
www.featherheadmedia.com
That's all for today.....