Treatment FAQ

how to write a music video treatment example

by Tessie Beer Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Here’s a general how to write a music video treatment example you can apply to future project:

  1. Everything starts with the initial conversation you have with the artist and their label. You’ll likely receive at...
  2. Carefully consider their budget and sit down and listen to the song a ton of times to come up with a concept. Balance...

Part of a video titled How To Write Music Video Treatments! - YouTube
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Let the artist or the person know what the video is going to look like if. You get too wordy withMoreLet the artist or the person know what the video is going to look like if. You get too wordy with your treatments a lot of people are going to tune out or lose.

Full Answer

How to create a music video Treament?

  • Cover page – Include the artist’s name, song title, and logo
  • Summary/elevator pitch – use bullet points and visuals for reference. ...
  • Scene breakdowns- use slides to clearly bring the concept to life. ...
  • References – include videos that showcase the type of style or tone you are aiming for. ...

How to begin a music video?

Steps Download Article

  1. Think of what song you want to use. You can't make a music video without music, right? ...
  2. Think of a plot. Doing cliches are boring. ...
  3. Make the characters. ...
  4. Start making the first scene. ...
  5. Create each screenshot. ...
  6. Consider adding custom backgrounds. ...
  7. Edit the video. ...
  8. Line up the music and screenshots. ...
  9. Add effects. ...
  10. Finish the video. ...

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How to best write a video treatment or pitch?

How to sell a movie idea: prepare, prepare, prepare.

  • Practice your screenplay pitch. Practice your pitch to get the sixty-second (or twenty-minute) timing down pat. ...
  • Research more on how to pitch a movie idea. If you feel you need more guidance on how to pitch a screenplay in a meeting, here are some resources.
  • Plan your night, day and journey. ...

How to make a DIY music video?

  • Select the polygon mask (the rectangle just under the layer in the Effects Controls panel).
  • Move the mask over the word in the frame and adjust so it completely covers the text.
  • Scrub to the end of that word in the song.
  • Go back to Effects Controls and click the stopwatch for the Mask Path.
  • Scrub to the beginning of that word or line.

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What should be in a music video treatment?

A treatment is a document that outlines the overall idea for a music video production by describing (through both text and images) the concept, direction, aesthetic, and style of the video.

How do you write a concept for a music video?

2:035:50How to Write a Music Video Concept (FREE TEMPLATE) - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd jot ideas down that you see when you listen to your own song. You can always scale it back laterMoreAnd jot ideas down that you see when you listen to your own song. You can always scale it back later when you start thinking about props.

Whats a video treatment?

What's a Video Treatment? A video treatment is your best effort in defining your project, presenting a clear synopsis of your story, developing your production and organizing its purpose. It is often the first and only chance you have in presenting a commercial project – making a pitch.

What should you include in a music video?

4:5413:16How to Make a Music Video on a Budget - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipI know that traditional 3-point lighting will tell you that always use a fill light and that's forMoreI know that traditional 3-point lighting will tell you that always use a fill light and that's for corporate lighting but you're going for more of a flat. Look.

How do you write a video treatment?

1:164:38How To Write Music Video Treatments! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou want the artist in the the person that you're pitching to to get a visual. Idea of the idea youMoreYou want the artist in the the person that you're pitching to to get a visual. Idea of the idea you have for their video. So you want it to be very picture and visual heavy to get your ideas across.

How do you write a music script?

0:111:41How to Write a Musical Script - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd think where how did these characters develop throughout the play these characters start at pointMoreAnd think where how did these characters develop throughout the play these characters start at point a and how do they end how does the plot. Affect their journey through the play.

What does a video treatment look like?

A treatment is a document that presents the story idea of your film before writing the entire script. Treatments are often written in present tense, in a narrative-like prose, and highlight the most important information about your film, including title, logline, story summary, and character descriptions.

What is a creative treatment?

A creative treatment is a pre-production document that summarizes a video's concept and defines the creative slant of the final product. Often included in a treatment are the program's overview and objectives, the creative concept, technical approach, potential contributors and project timeline.

How do you write a one page treatment?

Write a few notes to yourself about what your story is about. Go ahead and get philosophical. "It's about lies." "It's about how love can cure you." Your message can be cynical or positive, but be aware of what it is. You're going to have to cut out all kinds of important information to fit it into such a small pitch.

How do I make a music video interesting?

10 Tips for Making an Awesome Music VideoStart with your best track. Every good music video starts with a great song. ... What kind of video do you want? Narrative. ... Make a Mood board. ... Decide 'form' of your video. ... Know your audience. ... Use exclusive content. ... Be the star of your video. ... Add text overalys.More items...•

How do you make a music video cover?

1:2613:44How I Make A Singing Cover Video - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYouTube cover video is you're going to need to plan planning is the number one thing I always doMoreYouTube cover video is you're going to need to plan planning is the number one thing I always do before I even make any effort to set up the camera the computer the speakers.

How do I shoot my first music video?

1:006:08How to shoot a music video - the basics - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd you are also really good off if you have the artist in focus and in frame throughout the entireMoreAnd you are also really good off if you have the artist in focus and in frame throughout the entire shot you can use a tripod you can shoot handheld.

How to write a music video?

Write in detail about the setting of the video. If the music video tells a story, write a synopsis of the story from beginning to end, including parts of the story that may not be shot for the video or may only be implied. The treatment is what the scriptwriter will use to build a script. The more detail, the easier the scriptwriter's job will be. ...

What is a treatment in a video?

A treatment can include elements that won't be included in the script. These elements may include specific suggestions for how the performers in the video should act and specific locations in the song where a scene should occur. Lighting, special effects and other elements that affect the production of the video should be written out in ...

How are music videos made?

Like movies, music videos are made from scripts. Those scripts are written from a fully developed treatment. A treatment for a music video is written in present tense prose and details everything about the music video from its concept to the overall setting, look and tone. If you want to write a script for a music video ...

What is the concept of a music video?

The concept of the video is what the treatment you write will be based upon. Whether you're writing the script for the music video in the end or simply writing a treatment to deliver to a scriptwriter, your job is to capture the song subject and artist's interpretation of the song on video.

What is music video?

Music videos often feature large production budgets and can take on the form of mini movies. Types of music videos range from artists performing in live settings to videos with fully developed story lines. Like movies, music videos are made from scripts. Those scripts are written from a fully developed treatment.

What exactly is a video treatment?

The main purpose of a treatment is to convey your project’s concept and story in a concise way. It's a key building block of video production that could make or break a project.

Why should you write one?

Treatments can wear many hats. First, they’re a great writer’s tool. Their conciseness can help you get to the core of your vision. They can be the perfect stepping stone to writing a great script.

Treatment basics for shot films

Let’s kick things off with a general overview of what to include in a short film treatment. This outline is applicable to both narrative and documentary projects:

How long does it take to make a music video?

With no audio to worry about, and just around four minutes to fill, music video production is one of the most accessible ways for cinematographers and videographers to broaden their creative horizons and be paid. To secure music video work, your prospective client will expect a summary of your idea first, which is known as a “treatment.” This is a guide to what you should include, and how to make your treatments stand out for the crowd.

How to get an idea for rap?

This background work will help you decide which idea to pluck out of your idea bank. An urban rap artist isn’t likely to be impressed with a treatment referencing a Dolly Parton video, so it’s important to shape your idea to the client.

How to build up your Vimeo references?

This means you have to lean on your own knowledge of references, and the only way to build this up is to take a little time out of your week to watch new video content. Vimeo Staff Picks are always a great place to start. Take notes of the cinematography that inspires you, and use this as the bedrock to your referencing. This turns your downtime in front of the TV into important research for potential projects.

What is the second page of a music video?

The second page is a summary (or elevator pitch) of the idea for the music video, broken down into short bullet points along with key visual references which are often screenshots from referenced videos.

What is the problem with video referencing?

The problem with video referencing, particularly music videos, is that the components of the video are not often tagged for search engines. To show what I mean here, let’s take a look at Black Keys – The Weight of Love. It’s a gorgeous narrative video about a trippy, alternative female cult. Now, try searching "female cult music video" in YouTube and the Black Keys’ video won’t be anywhere in sight.

Is Premiere Pro good for video editing?

Modern NLE Editors such as Premiere Pro are extremely powerful for combining experimental styles and looks, so have a play around, and if you come across a powerful and original style, then share it in this section with a link to a short video on Vimeo you have uploaded using stock footage.

Can you recycle treatments that don't get picked up?

The last piece of advice I can give is to stick with it. You’ll probably lose more pitches than you’ll win at first, but ask for feedback, continue building up a body of work to reference from, and remember that you can recycle treatments that don’t get picked up. Each one will take time, so for every treatment that doesn't get used, that may save time pitching for one in the future.

What is the most important part of a music video?

The action lines are the most important part of the music video treatment and script. It is the literal action taking place on screen and should include everything visible and audible in the film or video.

What to do when you get a treatment like this?

When you get a treatment like this, especially one like this, read it, and re-read it as to not miss anything.

What is the most common hidden element in music video?

The most common hidden element, from personal experience, is your talent. Generally if they are overlooked it is due to a lack of dialogue. Another common hidden element is anything involving a screen within the world of the project. In this music video treatment, the talent appears on the screen of the interview camera.

When to ask every department head on the video?

You definitely want to ask every department head on the video when you share the treatment and script to be on the lookout for hidden elements that will be important to their departments and enter them in the notes, comments and tasks features.

Who sings the river in the Eminem video?

One of the most dynamic music videos in recent memory is for the song “River” by Eminem, featuring Ed Sheeran. If you're unfamiliar, watch below:

Can you run a report before a pre-production meeting?

There we are, one scene break down done. You can even run a report for ease of use before any of your pre-production meetings.

Do all treatments need to be dissected?

But even if it's not a passion project, every treatment needs to be dissected and put into script form for every department to understand what they will need in order to bring it to life..

What should a music video script list?

Unlike a traditional screenplay, your music video script should list your visuals on one half of the page, with audio, FX, and lyrics on the other.

How long does it take to film a music video?

With musical artists’ schedules constantly in flux, most music videos are shot over the course of two jam-packed days. Because of this constraint, it’s not a bad idea to choose one location for your music video.

What is StudioBinder scripting?

StudioBinder has a free screenwriting software that allows you to create AV scripts. You can write an unlimited amount of pages and scripts that will sync with each and everyone of the additional StudioBinder features.

What does it mean to break down a script?

Breaking down a script simply means listing out all the elements you’ll need for your shoot.

What happens when you listen to a song you're going to cover?

As you listen to the song you’re going to cover, your mind starts to fantasize.

Why do producers send out call sheets?

In order to organize the madness, producers send out call sheets to alert everyone when to come to set, and where they're supposed to park, etc.

Can you shoot music videos without music?

You can’t shoot a music video without music. Make sure you not only have a copy of the song on set, but also loud speakers so the artists can lip sync.

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