10/02/2018
This is part two of: WHY MUSIC VIDEOS DON’T COST $600.00
A) What the concept will or can be?
Some concepts, like “performance piece” music video (i.e. capturing a band playing live at a club) can be made very simply. However, more complicated music videos with high-end visual effects, motion graphics, complicated camera moves, and intricate costumes or props take time and resources. Basically, they cost much more money. In even the simplest, bare bones scenario, the costs are MUCH greater than $600.00. Knowing what funds are available helps us create or refine the concept so that it can be executed properly. Trying to produce a concept that is unrealistic for the budget simply sets you up for failure. When you engage our services, you're paying not just for the production, but for the ex*****on. You can be sure you'll get the absolute best video possible for your available budget. That's what we do. If you have your heart set on a $100,000.00 concept and you only have $5,000.00, we're not going to move forward. We want to hit home runs with every project we produce, not just collect checks.
B) What locations will be available?
Locations can often be an important component of a music video. Good locations typically require one of two things: money or a relationship. Even if you can get a “free” location, there is still cost involved. In this business you've got to call in favors carefully, because they are like gold. Most people only allow a film crew to take over their property one time, because, let's be honest, even a highly skilled film crew can be rough on a house/venue. Often the shoot and resulting video are not directly beneficial to the property owner. That means every time you get a location for free you are potentially losing it as useable location for future projects. It’s also important to understand that planning, booking, and cleaning up the location cost time, and time is MONEY (READ: man-hours cost money). A good location will typically run you at least $1000.00 for 10-12 hours, and frequently much more. $600 won't take you very far in the locations department.
C) What kind of gear we will use?
They say there's a million ways to skin a cat (who are these people who are skinning cats?). The same can be said for how a music video can be shot and edited. There are a plethora of high-quality professional camera options, countless lights with widely varied wattages and color temperatures, and a myriad of support equipment choices, all of which creates a multitude of options for directors and DPs. All these choices have different pros and cons and, most importantly, different pricing. Typically, the better the gear, the higher the price. The budget is important in this equation because $600.00 won't even get you the body* for most professional cameras for a single day. It's important to note here that most gear rents in 24-hour increments. Often you can get three-day weeks and eight-day months to incentivize longer rental agreements. This means that, for example, if you rent the gear for seven days (a full week), you pay three times the daily rate (rather than seven) and if you rent it for thirty days (a full month), you pay eight times the daily rate. Once again, $600.00 won't take you very far, even with the price breaks for longer rentals.
Next we are continuing talking about, skills, costs and post-production. Don’t forget to visit us next week and if you have any inquiry regarding a music video project please don’t hesitate to contact us at (310) 467-0579.
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