Treatment FAQ

what is a music video treatment

by Lizzie Torphy Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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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.

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.Jan 21, 2020

Full Answer

How do you write a treatment for a music video?

May 07, 2015 · But music videos are like mini films, and they all start with a treatment. A producer’s or director’s experience in writing a treatment is invaluable. Treatments can plan and plot the visuals in detail needed to prep more efficiently. Let’s breakdown the treatment for Eminem’s, “River,” to see how that production team did it. Know the Material 1.

What is a video treatment?

Feb 21, 2013 · A treatment is a simple PDF document that summarizes your vision for the video using pictures and a written description including style, concept, budgets, etc. Not all treatments have to be formatted a certain way.

What is a song treatment?

Dec 23, 2014 · Rapsody's Treatment: Her Process: "The first step for me when thinking of the creative direction for videos is to define the feeling or mood I want to portray.

What is the concept of a music video?

Oct 30, 2013 · The goal is to write a single document that defines the videos concept and summarizes the creating approach to be taken. Usually this can be as short as a single page. The best part of making a treatment is that is formalizes the creative process for the video producer.

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What is the purpose of 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.Nov 1, 2010

How do you make a good music video treatment?

2:498:08Write The Best Music Video Treatments! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe number one thing is just the visual art to it music videos in general are a much more visualMoreThe number one thing is just the visual art to it music videos in general are a much more visual platform. They're not as narrative. So what you want to do with your treatments is make it as visually.

How much should I charge for video treatment?

Starting base rate for jobs with one camera, one shooter, existing light and no set dressing: $250. Pre-production and post-production, graphics work and all other production time: $50/hour....Video Production Rates.Total RuntimeShooting TimeTotal Cost1 minute2 hours$4992 minutes5 hours$5994 minutes8 hours$699Aug 26, 2020

What is a music video concept?

What is a concept music video? The best description I can give is that it is an artistic expression. There's an idea behind it or theme that drives the visuals like Childish Gambino's Sweatpants.Jul 13, 2017

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.Sep 3, 2021

How do you write a concept for a music video?

1:525:50How to Write a Music Video Concept (FREE TEMPLATE) - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipLet your imagination run wild. And jot ideas down that you see when you listen to your own song. YouMoreLet your imagination run wild. And 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.

How much should I charge for a 2 minute video?

A 2- to 3-minute professionally produced corporate video typically costs anywhere from $2,000 to $7,000. Most production companies agree that the average cost of video production is usually around $1,000 to $5,000 per finished minute, and we agree that it is a good starting point to consider when budgeting.Jul 26, 2021

How much does it cost to shoot a music video?

The total cost to produce a professional music video can range from $20,000 to $500,000 and up. There are a handful of music videos each year in the seven-figure budget range, but those are exceptions in the overall market.Aug 23, 2013

How do you price music videos?

0:387:17How to Price Your Video Production (Music videos, Weddings, etc.)YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipShort films whatever whatever type of work you're doing a video production. This is going to workMoreShort films whatever whatever type of work you're doing a video production. This is going to work for you as well. And I'm not going to be telling you all how much I charge how much you should charge.

What is the purpose of a music video?

Music videos aim to: Promote both album and single sales. Promote new artists to an audience and maintain an audience focus on an existing artist. Promote an image of an artist or band that is exciting and dynamic.

What are the two types of music videos?

There are usually two types of concept music videos, these are: Thematic and symbolic.

What are music videos called?

These kinds of videos were described by various terms including "illustrated song", "filmed insert", "promotional (promo) film", "promotional clip", "promotional video", "song video", "song clip", "film clip" or simply "video".

1. Do What Works for You to Get Your Idea Across

There are no true rules to follow when creating a treatment. They can range from a page to 10 or more pages. The goal of the treatment is to clearly lay out the concept of the video and support that through words, images, or other visuals.

2. Make It Easy To Navigate

Use a template to streamline the process and to ensure your treatment covers all the essentials. Much like you may create a storyboard for your shoot you will want to have a condensed version that highlights key scenes, transitions, and effects. Pair images with short descriptions to better get your ideas across.

3. Be Creative

You want your treatment to grab your client’s attention. The more colorful and eye-catching your treatment is the more likely your client will look through the whole thing. Be sure to include specific styles and techniques you have mastered and will enhance the concept.

4. Keep Your Client In Mind

Do your homework. Whether you have reached out with a pitch or they have reached out to you you want to have a solid idea of who you will be working with. Know what the client is looking for and what they expect. Music artists have their own style which you will need to highlight through your video.

1. Make It Too Wordy

While words may clearly list your idea they often will not grab your client’s attention or help them visualize the video from start to finish. The words you use should be straightforward. Don’t spend a lot of time trying to compare or find analogies for your concept.

2. Procrastinate

You want to get this part of the pre-production done in a timely manner. Take your time to create a great treatment but don’t waste time and give others the opportunity to land the job before you. If you are asked to write up a treatment get it back to the client as soon as possible.

3. Lack Details

You want to narrow down your treatment to include specifics. It is not necessary to include every single shot and transition. You need to ensure you are getting the main points across. You can’t just say a guy walks away into the sunset. This leaves little for our imagination to work with.

What is a treatment for a music video?

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 that will allow you to present a music artist in his best light, writing a treatment before you begin is the best way to accomplish this ...

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.

Who is Carl Hose?

Carl Hose is the author of the anthology "Dead Horizon" and the the zombie novella "Dead Rising.". His work has appeared in "Cold Storage," "Butcher Knives and Body Counts," "Writer's Journal," and "Lighthouse Digest.". He is editor of the "Dark Light" anthology to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Inspiration: Get an idea!

I was having a beer with my friend Tim a few weeks back and we were talking about work and money in general when he asked me a question: “What kind of music video would you make if you had a million-dollar budget?” Being a little drunk and thinking about the freezing walk home on a wintry night in Berlin, I said.

Section 1: Title Page

Start with a title page. Include the name of the band and the song. I also usually try to find a nice image of the band or artist if it fits with the mood of the video. You can also put your production company logo in along with the record label.

Section 2: Elevator Pitch

Explain your vision in a paragraph or two.

Section 3: Script

Some music videos get to be very literal when it comes to the lyrics of the song; some are completely abstract. However you decide to do it, this is the place in the treatment to go into detail. I like to break down the video into scenes and describe each separate scene in a paragraph or two and will usually add some photos as well.

Summary Section: Sum it up

Summarize your video in a few sentences reminding your client why it’s a great idea. Keep it short and simple.

About Kaleb Wentzel-Fisher

Kaleb Wentzel-Fisher is a filmmaker from the U.S. now currently based in Berlin. Kaleb has been making films and music since his early teens and went on to study audio engineering and production at the McNally Smith School of Music while teaching himself video production.

Know Your Client

So you have opened up a dialog with an artist looking for a music video. This could be by contacting them directly through social media, through word of mouth, or via a website designed to bring creatives and artists together like Creative Commissions. Once contact has been made, this is the time that a treatment must be put together.

Know Your Industry

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.

Structure

My treatments follow the same format, and having a template prepared is the easiest way to speed the process up. I use PowerPoint and export to PDF when sharing. Each treatment includes a front page with the artist’s name, song title, and my logo.

Inspire and Inform

Never lose sight of what the end goal is when putting your treatments together. You want get your idea across to the client in a way that is going to inspire them to work with you because of your creativity and your reliability.

Brian's Treatment

"When I get a song (and this is assuming I have no relationship with the artist) the first thing I like to do is listen to it a few times and try to not to just come up with the idea off. the top of my head, but to get a feel for the song and how it connects with me. Then I will do some research on the artist.

Rapsody's Treatment

"The first step for me when thinking of the creative direction for videos is to define the feeling or mood I want to portray. From there, I'll find photos or YouTube clips for inspiration to build from. So, I'll have a desktop folder of photos that capture that feeling, or a line in a song. It kind of looks like a collage of sorts.

The Final Treatment

"After receiving Rap's concept, it would then be my job to combine ideas (mine and hers) into something that we are both pleased with. Her concept takes place in a surreal environment, as does an element of mine.

What is a treatment in film?

The treatment is considered a standard part of the development cycle for most film and television productions. The truth is that all kinds of video producers can benefit from creating a treatment. The goal is to write a single document that defines the videos concept and summarizes the creating approach to be taken.

How to develop a treatment plan?

I recommend the following approach to developing a treatment: 1 Define the Goals and Set Parameters. What is the core message you are trying to convey in your video. Who do you want to watch the video? Whats the desired outcome youd like to create (volunteering, purchases, political change, or a good laugh?) Whats your budget and how long will the video run. 2 Whats the Concept? You’ll want to be able to quickly summarize the theme and objective for the video. Describe to others the core message and frame its delivery method. 3 Whats the Approach? Nows the time to lay out the specifics. This is generally a narrative summary of the journey the audience is going to take. In a way, it might resemble a book report you wrote in school. A clear summary that reveals all of the important details which will be presented to the viewer. Describe specifics that will elicit response by the audience including music choice, shooting style, and editing approach. Describe the emotions you will solicit along the journey and how the audience will feel at the videos end.

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Who is the publisher of Photofocus?

By shopping with our partners and affiliates, you help keep content on Photofocus free. Click here to learn more. Rich Harrington ( Publisher ) Richard Harrington is the CEO of ThinkTAP and the Publisher of Photofocus. He is also the founder of RHED Pixel, a visual communications company based in Washington, D.C.

What is a music video script?

A music video script is nothing without a film crew, ready to hit the ground running. If you’re operating on a low budget, hit up your friends to round out your production.

What is an AV script?

AV scripts are like any document with a two column table structure that, more often than not, have the audio in the left column, and corresponding video in the right hand column - which allows you to sync you music and visuals. StudioBinder has a free screenwriting software that allows you to create AV scripts.

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.

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.

What is 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.

Why use a dozen index cards?

The advantage to using a dozen or so index cards is that you can not only more clearly define your vision and plan for accomplishing it on video, but you can shift the resulting cards around as one element takes priority over another. And it’s easier to use both sides if you want.

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