Complete Guide to Music Video Production

Introduction

A music video is more than a visual accompaniment to a song — it is a complete creative work that can define how an artist is perceived for years, establish a visual identity that carries across an entire campaign, and connect with audiences in ways that audio alone cannot achieve. The most memorable music videos are not just well-executed productions. They are genuinely creative works that say something specific about the artist and the music.

At 171 Entertainment, we've produced more than 300 music videos for Australian artists across country, pop, rock, and contemporary genres — from debut independent releases to major label campaigns. This guide distils what we've learned across those productions into a structured, practical resource covering every phase of music video production.

Whether you are an artist approaching your first video, a manager trying to understand what you're commissioning, or an emerging filmmaker building your production knowledge, this guide gives you a rigorous foundation. Each section links to more detailed standalone guides where additional depth is available.

Pre-Production

Pre-production is arguably the most important phase of any music video. It's where you develop your concept, plan your resources, and set the foundation for a successful shoot. Skimp on pre-production, and you'll pay for it on set.

Concept Development

Every great music video starts with a strong concept. Here's how to develop yours:

1. Listen deeply to the song. What emotions does it evoke? What story does the lyrics tell? What visual metaphors could represent the song's themes?
2. Research and gather references. Watch music videos in similar genres. Create a mood board of visual styles, colour palettes, and techniques you admire.
3. Choose your format. Will it be performance-based, narrative-driven, conceptual/abstract, or a combination?
4. Write a treatment. Document your vision in a 1-2 page treatment that describes the video from start to finish.

Writing the Director's Treatment

Once the concept is clear, the director writes a treatment — a 1–3 page document that describes the video in specific detail. The treatment is used to align the production team and to get sign-off from the artist, management, or label before production begins. A strong treatment includes:

• Concept summary (2–3 sentences): The essential idea in plain language
• Visual world: Tone, colour palette, lighting quality, camera style — the aesthetic universe of the video
• Structure: A section-by-section or scene-by-scene description of what the camera sees throughout the song
• Casting and location approach: Who appears, and where the video takes place
• Special elements: Any VFX, choreography, or technical approaches that distinguish the concept

Read our detailed guide on directing your first music video for a full breakdown of how to develop and write a director's treatment.

Budgeting

Music video budgets range from a few thousand dollars to hundreds of thousands. Here's a typical breakdown for a professional production:

• Crew costs (30-40%): Director, DP, camera operators, gaffers, grips, production assistants
• Equipment (20-25%): Camera, lenses, lighting, grip equipment, audio playback
• Locations (10-15%): Location fees, permits, insurance
• Art department (10-15%): Props, wardrobe, set design
• Post-production (15-20%): Editing, colour grading, VFX, sound design
• Contingency (10%): Always include this for unexpected costs

For a detailed breakdown of what each budget tier can achieve in Australia — including specific cost ranges and what they cover — see our music video budget breakdown guide.

Assembling Your Crew

The crew is the single most important variable in a music video production. The right team for a specific production concept is not necessarily the largest or most expensive team available — it is the team best suited to the specific creative and logistical demands of that concept.

Key crew roles for a professional music video:

• Director: Creative authority across the entire production
• Director of Photography (DP): Responsible for camera, lighting, and the visual look
• 1st Assistant Director (1st AD): Manages the schedule and logistics on set
• Gaffer: Head of the lighting department, working under the DP
• Key Grip: Manages camera support equipment — dollies, sliders, cranes
• 1st AC (Focus Puller): Manages focus during shots, critical for cinema-quality work
• Hair and Makeup Artist: Artist preparation and maintenance throughout the day
• Production Assistant: Logistics, set management, general crew support

For definitions of all crew roles and production terminology, see our music video production glossary.

Location Scouting and Permits

Location choice is one of the most significant creative decisions in pre-production. A location that authentically serves the visual world of the video elevates the production; a location chosen purely for convenience undermines it.

Location scouting in Australia requires specific attention to permit requirements. Filming on public land, in national parks, on council-owned property, or on private property without written permission can result in the production being stopped — often mid-shoot, with serious financial consequences. Australian permit requirements vary by state and council. See our pre-production checklist for a complete permit guide by jurisdiction.

Storyboard and Shot List

The storyboard and shot list are the director's day-of reference documents — translating the treatment's written vision into specific, executable instructions for the crew. A storyboard is a series of drawn panels showing the composition and camera movement for each shot; a shot list is the production-schedule version of the same information, optimised for efficient shooting order.

Not all professional productions are fully storyboarded — some directors work from shot lists alone, particularly for performance-heavy videos where the edit emerges from performance quality rather than pre-planned cutting. For directors with less experience, storyboards are strongly recommended: they expose gaps in the concept and prevent leaving important shots out on the day. See our detailed music video storyboard guide.

Production

Production day is where all your planning comes together. A well-organised shoot runs smoothly and allows the creative team to focus on capturing great footage.

Equipment

The right equipment depends on your budget and creative vision, but here's a baseline for professional results:

• Camera: Cinema cameras (RED, ARRI, Sony Venice) for high-end, or modern mirrorless (Sony A7 series, Canon R5) for indie productions
• Lenses: A range of primes (24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm) or quality zoom lenses
• Lighting: LED panels, HMI lights for daylight, tungsten for warmth (see our in-depth lighting techniques guide)
• Grip: Tripods, dollies, sliders, gimbals for movement
• Audio: Professional playback system for lip-sync accuracy

Managing the Shoot Day

A music video shoot is an exercise in making the most of limited time. Whether you have one day or five, the principles of managing the day efficiently are the same:

1. Brief the full crew at the start of each setup. Every person on set should understand what you're trying to achieve before the camera rolls.
2. Light the wide shots first. These take the longest to set up, and they establish the visual look for the entire location.
3. Get adequate coverage. Shoot more angles and takes than you think you need. Insufficient coverage is only discovered in the edit — after the opportunity to fix it has passed.
4. Trust your 1st AD to manage time. The director should be focused on creative decisions. When the 1st AD says the schedule needs to move, listen.
5. Review key shots on a calibrated monitor throughout the day — not just at the end. Catching a technical problem mid-day means it can still be fixed.

"The magic happens when preparation meets opportunity. On a well-planned shoot, you have the freedom to capture those spontaneous moments that make a video special."

Directing the Artist

Directing an artist's performance on set is one of the most nuanced aspects of music video production. Artists know their music far better than any director, but performing confidently on camera is a different skill from performing on stage — one that many experienced artists find genuinely difficult.

Effective artist direction on a music video set involves:

• Building trust in pre-production: Artists who have had a genuine creative conversation with the director before the shoot perform more freely on set.
• Giving specific, actionable direction: "More energy" is not direction. "Sing this chorus like you're performing to someone at the back of a stadium" is direction.
• Varying the instruction between takes: If a performance isn't working, don't just ask for the same thing again. Give the artist a different emotional context or physical direction.
• Protecting the performance space: Keep non-essential crew away from the artist's eyeline during takes. Artists perform better with fewer distractions.
• Knowing when you have it: A director who keeps filming after a genuinely strong take is wasting time and draining the artist's energy. When you have a great take and a safety, move on.

Post-Production

Post-production is where all the footage captured during production becomes a finished music video. This phase typically takes 2–4 weeks for a standard production and includes editing, colour grading, visual effects, and final delivery. (Source: ARIA — Industry production guidelines.)

Editing Workflow

The editing process for a music video moves through several stages:

1. Sync and logging: All footage is synced to the master audio track and reviewed. Selects (preferred takes) are marked.
2. Assembly cut: A rough arrangement of selects in production order. Typically longer than the final video. Not for client viewing — it's raw material, not an edit.
3. Rough cut: The first proper edit — performance footage cut to the music, narrative elements placed, an editorial rhythm established.
4. Fine cut: Refinement of every edit point, careful attention to musical sync, tightening of pacing. Client review typically happens at this stage.
5. Picture lock: The edit is approved and fixed — no further changes to timing or sequence. All subsequent work (colour, VFX, delivery) proceeds from this locked version.

The relationship between the editing rhythm and the music is the defining characteristic of music video editing. Great music video editing isn't just about cutting to the beat — it's about how the edit creates, releases, and rebuilds tension in ways that amplify the music's emotional impact. This is a craft skill that takes time and experience to develop.

Colour Grading

Colour grading is the post-production process of adjusting colour, contrast, and tone across the entire video to create a coherent visual look and the desired emotional atmosphere. Professional colour grading is performed in DaVinci Resolve or similar software and involves:

• Primary correction: Correcting exposure, white balance, and basic contrast across all shots for consistency
• Secondary correction: Targeted colour work within specific areas of the frame — skin tones, sky colour, specific objects
• Creative grade: Applying the specific visual look that serves the video's aesthetic — warm or cool, high or low contrast, pushed or muted saturation
• Shot matching: Ensuring consistent colour across shots that will be edited together

A professional colour grade is the single most powerful post-production tool for elevating the visual quality of footage. Footage that appears adequate on the monitor can be transformed into something genuinely cinematic through excellent grading work.

Delivery and Distribution

The final stage of production is delivery — exporting the completed video in all required formats and distributing it to the appropriate platforms. Delivery requirements vary by platform:

• YouTube: 4K H.264 or H.265, 16:9, 24fps or 25fps. The primary platform for music video discovery in Australia.
• Vevo: Broadcast-quality delivery requirements for label-distributed content. Higher technical specification than YouTube.
• Instagram Reels / TikTok: Square (1:1) or portrait (9:16) versions, 30–90 seconds, optimised for mobile
• Broadcast (CMT Australia): AS5000 broadcast standards, specific bitrate and codec requirements for television submission
• Press premiere: A link and a timing embargo for music media who have been offered premiere coverage

Coordinate your video release with your single or album release campaign. A press premiere opportunity — where a music media outlet publishes the video exclusively before its general release — can significantly increase initial viewership and press coverage. For your rollout timing and platform-specific strategy, work with your management team or publicist. Our production timeline guide includes a section on planning the release cycle from delivery to live.