Define the story and performance balance
Decide whether the video is primarily a narrative, a performance or a mixture of both. If there is a story, write it as a short sequence of events rather than a screenplay unless dialogue and precise action genuinely require one. Name the important characters, relationships and changes.
Mark the passages where seeing the artist perform matters most. Chorus coverage, a featured vocalist’s section and the final musical lift may need different energy. That helps a videographer protect the essential performance material while still collecting enough narrative detail for the edit.
Explain what is already fixed
Separate decisions from possibilities. Confirm the artist, featured performers, song version, locations, wardrobe, props and any immovable release date. Then label ideas that are still open to production advice.
This avoids a common planning problem: the crew prices and schedules a concept around something that has not actually been secured. If a venue is confirmed, include the permitted filming hours, areas available, access route, parking, power, noise restrictions and the name of the person approving the shoot.
Give the crew a proper location view
A formal recce is ideal, but good photographs and a slow phone walkthrough can answer many early questions. Show the room from each corner, windows and mirrors, ceiling height, entrances, power points, exterior access and any features that must appear in the video.
Jake supplied location images and a walkthrough of Cecilia’s before production. That made it possible to plan a lighting approach for a real cocktail bar rather than arriving with generic assumptions. The same preparation helps a professional videographer identify reflections, tight working areas and likely camera positions.
Use references to define a visual language
Choose references for specific reasons: colour, contrast, camera movement, styling, editing pace or atmosphere. Add a sentence explaining what you want to borrow from each one. “We like the pink and blue separation in this frame” is more actionable than “make it cinematic.”
Include wardrobe and prop photographs where they affect the palette. In Partners in Crime, cocktails, playing cards, dice and classic cars were not decoration added at random; they belonged to the world described by the concept.
Let production own the technical translation
The artist should be clear about the desired result. The production team should recommend how to achieve it safely and within budget. You do not need to specify every lamp, modifier or camera setting unless you have a genuine technical requirement.
Our role on Jake’s shoot included the videographer, lighting, smoke and fog equipment and the practical setup behind those tools. The interior look used controlled coloured light to make a daytime filming window feel nocturnal. The exterior required a different solution because wind dispersed ordinary fog too quickly.
That distinction keeps responsibility clear: the artist protects the creative identity, while the music video production team turns it into a workable method.
Flag practical effects before the shoot
Smoke, fog, rain, confetti, flames and vehicles all affect permissions, setup time and safety. Mention them in the first brief, not on the morning of filming. A venue may need to isolate alarms, approve a fluid type, protect surfaces or limit atmospheric effects around customers and staff.
Exterior conditions matter too. On the car sequence for Partners in Crime, high wind made the planned fog difficult to hold. Cooling the output through an ice-filled chamber created denser low-lying fog around the vehicles. That kind of adaptation is possible when the effect is known and the right equipment is already present.
Build a schedule around setups, not only song sections
Group the day by location, lighting state, wardrobe and performer availability. Rebuilding a complex setup several times wastes more time than filming shots in a different order from the final edit.
List the moments that cannot move: access windows, sunset, vehicle arrivals, venue opening and a featured artist’s availability. Give the crew time to light before performers are needed. Also decide which scenes can be simplified if an earlier setup runs long.
State the deliverables and approval route
Confirm the main film’s resolution and aspect ratio, whether clean or vertical versions are required, and who supplies the final mastered audio. Name one person who consolidates feedback. Multiple conflicting edit notes can undo the clarity achieved by a good production brief.
Add the intended release date and allow time for a first cut, one consolidated response and agreed revision rounds. If teasers, thumbnails or behind-the-scenes material are required, include them in the scope before the shoot so the camera can compose for them.
A concise music video brief checklist
- Track: final audio file, duration, lyrics and release timing.
- Intent: the feeling, audience and one-sentence concept.
- Structure: narrative, performance or a defined balance of both.
- People: artist, featured performers, actors and availability.
- World: locations, wardrobe, props, colour and visual references.
- Practicalities: permissions, access, power, effects, vehicles and safety constraints.
- Outputs: master video, alternate crops, teasers and approval process.
See how these decisions became a finished production in our Partners in Crime music video case study. If you have a track and an early concept, send us the brief; we can help identify what is production-ready and what still needs resolving.
