Mastering the Genres in Your YouTube Videos
YouTube videos cover a wide range of subject matter that appeals to a wide range of viewers. Though each requires its own, special finesse to make it effective, all share the same need for quality.
The following few sections take a look at the different types of video and the spe- cial needs for each type.
Mastering music videos
Music as a subject pervades the YouTube landscape in many forms. These include everything from the official video for the song from a recording artist to live con- cert performances to high school musicals and musicians seeking viral exposure. When it comes to musicians creating those “breakout” videos, consider the South Korean pop star Psy. He became an international sensation with his “Gangnam Style” video back in 2012. To date, that song has been viewed more than 3.5 billion times, and counting. Of course, music videos, official or otherwise, represent a large share of YouTube’s content, so you’ll have to be creative to stand out.
With any type of music comes copyright concerns about either the song or the band performing it. See Chapter 16 for more details on copyright.
When it comes to making your music-based video, here are a couple of sugges- tions to consider:
» Get the audio right. If the music doesn’t sound good, the picture won’t look
good. That statement applies to just about any video, but when the subject is music, it takes on an even greater purpose.
» Keep it visually interesting. Conventional wisdom suggests that some
situations require compelling visuals, like in an MTV-style music video, whereas in other situations, the performances are more straightforward and may work well with merely a limited number of camera angles. Just be sure that the visuals work with the music — just because you have a great tune doesn’t mean that you should skimp on the camera work. Remember that it’s an audiovisual experience, so take advantage of it, as shown in Figure 4-5.
FIGURE 4-5:
Still frame from the “Beautiful Eyes” video, by Alice Ripley (video produced by
John Carucci).
If you’re making a music video, here are a few tips to follow:
» Listen to the song. Do it over and over. That’s the only way you can get a true feel for the most eff way to visually depict it.
» Create a concept. After listening to the song, you should have a better sense
of what it would take to write an eff script. Just don’t let your vision exceed your capabilities. If you’re not careful, you can run out of time, exhaust your budget, or maybe embark on something you’re not ready to accomplish.
» Find your locations. You have to shoot your video someplace, so why not fi the best place possible? Uncovering the best spots to shoot the video,
obtaining the necessary permissions, and planning lighting and set decoration are all tasks you’ll want to do well in advance. For the music video shown in Figure 4-6, the area was scouted for proper lighting and setting.
» Communicate with the artist. A music video is a collaboration between the
artist and you. That’s why it’s a good idea to make sure everyone is on the same page regarding concept and ideas. If a disagreement crops up during production, you may fi yourself majorly frustrated.
FIGURE 4-6:
Still frame from
a shoot in California’s Muir
Woods.