The art of the music video: How to make yours ‘iconic.’

You’ve just released a killer track, it has been positively received locally and you want something that will boost it further while also showing off your persona and creativity; a video.
A music video can make or break the popularity of your track; it represents it, and is what 99 percent of viewers will associate the song with when they hear it. You definitely want to think it through, and make it right. These following words of advice will help you achieve that. PS. No matter the director you hire, it’s ultimately you/your band’ video and your responsibility to make it how you want. This coincides with being involved with your PR, who help boost your video to be seen. Check out that blog here: http://www.quitegreat.co.uk/blog/devoted-to-the-cause-the-importance-of-being-involved-in-your-pr-campaign/

Have a gimmick (but keep it true to your brand.) You aren’t selling out by having a gimmick, you’re using the most accessible piece of your vision and exaggerating it. This creates iconography, which is an element in a video that leaves a long lasting impression on the viewer that’s well…iconic. For examples, think of the Bohemian Rhapsodies multiple heads, Miley Cyrus licking a hammer, and Michael Jackson’s zombie dance in Thriller. (shown above)
To find a suitable gimmick, think; what about your personal style is unique, what interests do you have that are unorthodox, perhaps including one of these things in a seemingly ‘normal’ set-up would be a smart way to go. As long as you don’t mind it being seen by possibly thousands or millions of people as a product of your image, it should be good to go.

Do something new that no one else has done. Don’t let the modern look alike videos fool you, the secret to those videos reaching millions of views and ratings are the money and the connections, not the video itself. There are thousands of high quality videos out there of the same caliber, but unless you’re already a notable name chances are repeating what already exists won’t get you far, and certainly won’t gain you a favourable reputation. Sure you can use elements and aesthetics inspired from other videos, but you also need something that screams uniqueness. For example, don’t just film your band playing a club with people dancing, and shots of a woman playing sexy to the camera, or you at a piano with shots of your lover crying over you in their room and reflectively walking down a tree lined park. Use your intelligence and try not to rest on any cliches. Pour a bucket of banana slugs over your head and play it in slow motion.

Keep the lighting and colours bright. This is actually really important, because despite if you want a grungy urban feel to your video, bright, positive colours will attract a viewer to click. You want to be able to see band members clearly, and you want to be able to see what’s happening. If the setting is meant to be low lit, use bright clothing and bring lighting to people’s faces so you can see their expression despite the dark chaos. To make colours pop, make them clash against each other; in a darker location wear yellow or light blue, to generate comfort and positive connotations. In lighter locations, red adds energy and warmth. It’s better to save the black and gothic attire for white backdrops.

An example of brighter colours used this way in All Washed Up by Pluto Jonze. When you watch many other ‘pop’ music videos you’ll surely notice the use of primary colours against ‘dull’ colours.

Conceptual VS Performance
Many modern videos combine the two, but each type holds their differences. Conceptual videos tell a story from the beginning to the end, quite often ending up evoking sad emotions. Other conceptual videos ride along the concept of a whole album, but still contain some kind of story. If you have a bunch of random bear people walking around and talking to civilians cutting to a band playing music, and no logical story is following through, it’s still a performance video. Zaida by Pablo and the Appleheads (shown above) is an example of a performance video, despite having a small contextual story of Zaida doing drugs. If you want to combine performance and concept, just remember to balance the ratio of the two. Assume half the audience wants to see the band itself perform and half wants to see the story, as long as there’s a pay-off of some kind, such as a twist ending.

At Quite Great, our team has worked with some of the following artists including Pluto Jonze and Pablo and the Appleheads, and we understand that by creating a better quality video, the easier our PR job will be, and the more likely your act will have greater success down the road in this work-hard industry.
