Except if you have an absolutely brilliant, divinely inspired idea during the shoot, it is best to keep it to yourself. Rule of thumb: Never give instructions directly to the crew, always talk to the director, he/she is the professional, and it is his /her job. Funny enough, more experienced crew members may actually ignore you. You may end up feeling bad and having to shoot the video by yourself!
Hopefully, you are a bit more enlightened on the ethics and discipline on your music video set. Of course there is so much more to it but what you’ve read so far should be enough to “smoothen the ride”. Here are additional tips that will help you get the most out of your shoot:
1. Choose your locations carefully. The more interesting the locations, the more likely you are to achieve superior results. Bare walls make it difficult to frame interesting shots. White walls, on the other hand make it difficult to light selectively since they reflect all the light in room.
2. Get the best equipment possible. Try getting HDV cameras. Their operation is very much like regular miniDV cameras and…
• They don’t cost much more to rent/hire
• They give a superb picture quality
3. Invest in a 35mm adapter and a selection of lenses. These tools alone (if used properly) will put your video in the professional league.
4. Give out specific tasks. Your shoot will be much easier and pleasant if each person is concentrating on one specific tasks. If you have dedicated friends and fans this shouldn’t be too hard to achieve,
5. Food and drink. Make sure the band and crew are catered for. They will love you more (read: work harder) especially if they are not getting paid much or working for free.
6. Get a good sound system for playback. Having a proper sound system (if permitted by location) will boost everyone’s energy levels and make your video that much more fun to watch!
7. Have fun! Enjoy yourself.