Common Myths About Making Videos
Busting myths and valuing planning in music video creation.

Music videos are a big part of every artist’s journey. When you start, it’s all about releasing songs and performing at any event that will have you. As you progress, however, you’ll take the next step from audio-only to video content. It’s not always an easy step, and you must prepare for it properly. As with all big endeavors, however, there’s plenty of misinformation.

Luckily, you have a friend in me. I spoke to several artists with one question: what are the most rampant myths about making videos? I’ve gathered all that gossip just for you. Let’s begin.

Videos are super expensive

I’ll admit, I also believed this one. If you’ve been putting off making a music video because you think it’s super expensive, it really isn’t as bad as you think. Making a music video definitely costs more than recording a song, but it’s achievable. Depending on what kind of video you want to make, your phone camera may be enough.

There are several ways to get a good video on a budget. Identify a small but decent video production agency and reach out to see your options. Don’t let the price you imagine in your head stop you from making your music video.

I need plenty of experience

It’s good to have experience. The more experienced you are, the better. That said, experience starts from inexperience. The good thing about being an artist is that nothing is stopping you from trying things out. Whether your experiments work out or not is left to be seen, but that’s all part of your journey.

So find someone with more experience to help you out if you must, but be bold enough to try and fail. This is the only way to build experience. Consider it part of your journey as an indie artist.

I can wing it

What do all the best music videos of all time have in common? They each tell a clear story to back up the audio. This is what you must aim for every time you make a video. Take whoever’s watching for an experience. You can’t do that without a plan. One common misconception many young artists have is that they can just wing it.

No, you can’t.

Plan meticulously. What’s the flow of your story? What are the different scenes you need? How about the locations? You can film several scenes in a location even if they’re not sequential. Is your outfit ready? Will other people appear in the video? I’m hoping by now you’ve gotten the idea. Plan every single part of your video.

Everything will work according to plan

Congratulations on planning the video. You have a storyboard, shot list, and all you need to ensure a smooth process. I’m here to assure you that it hardly ever is a smooth process. You must be prepared for your plan to start unraveling. You must be prepared to wing it. I see the irony and I can explain.

Winging it without a plan is a terrible idea because you’re just punching haphazardly. When you have a perfectly laid out plan and something goes wrong, winging it will save you. Winging it is only effective when you have a plan on the ground. It helps to guide your freestyling such that you’re still moving in the same direction.

That said, don’t ever think that your plan will work out exactly as you planned it to. Boxing legend Mike Tyson puts it like this.

Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.

All I need is a camera

You need way more than just a camera to make a music video. I can only smile whenever an artist says this to me. Cameras are the obvious, big thing, but it doesn’t stop there. You need a microphone, for example. You need lighting. You might need a drone depending on what kind of shot you want. One camera is hardly even enough if you want a complex video.

Making videos is a profession that people are paid for. Don’t ever underestimate the job and think it’s just a simple thing anyone can do. If you’re making a video for Instagram, you can do whatever you like. But a proper music video requires more.

The video is all that matters

This misconception goes hand in hand with the last point. If you think the video is all that matters, of course, you might think a camera is all you need. It’s a music video, I know, but it needs more than just a crisp video to be good. You need the audio to be on point as well. So you have plenty of work to do to make sure the audio quality is good and that it matches the video properly.

You don’t want a video where your movements aren’t in sync with the audio. Something so disjointed will only irritate potential fans. Be deliberate about your audio file as if it’s the only thing that matters.

The more sophisticated, the better

When it comes to music videos, one very good example is NF. In Story, he directed a full thriller movie. In Clouds, he had different scenes and some neat transitions with lots of editing. In The Search, he did the entire thing on a desolate, abandoned, stretch of land and remained there for the whole video. What’s my point?

Your video doesn’t have to be complex to be good. While the Story video was quite complex because it was a full video, The Search was different. And it was still an amazing video. So you can make something simple that still hits the right spot.

Final Thoughts

Making a music video is a big step if you’ve never done it before. Even bigger if you’ve never performed in public before. If you’re a complete beginner, it’s easier to start with shorter videos of you singing only a part of your song. You can make short videos that can be Instagram reels, YouTube shorts, or TikToks.

As you feel more and more comfortable in front of the camera, you can take things up a notch with a full music video. Avoid the wrong information. Find a trusted source and stick to that for any advice you need. It’ll keep you away from myths that will end up costing you time, effort, and money.

Stay safe, my friend.