Writing Music Videos with Words and Storyboards

I recently collaborated on a music video for an up-and-coming talent.

The director gave me a setting and a theme as my only parameters.  I wrote a treatment, which consisted of story beats that I later fleshed out with loose line art storyboards. Dropping in the music track, I rendered the frames as a QuickTime movie and presented to the director. During this process the director was able to prepare his production team for the shoot, get budgets approved, and schedule any post. My narrative called for two interior locations that the director secured up front, and one long exterior shot.

When designing music videos, I try to expand upon the story that the lyrics may be suggesting while enhancing the mood set by the music. I remember the rise of music videos in the 1980’s and how a video would tell a great story, using powerful imagery to lock the song into my consciousness. I would tell me friends about the video, anticipate seeing it again, and think about the video whenever I heard the tune on the radio. As a result, I fattened up my vinyl collection with artists that I might not have noticed had I not been privy to the complete audio/visual experience.  

I relish any opportunity to contribute on this level for any project. The energy and momentum I gain spills over into other assignments as well as my personal work. I will be sure to share the finished video and reveal more details about this talented artist and music video when it is released.