Instruction manual

actresses to help tell a story. You shouldn’t have any problem finding family members,
relatives, and friends who will volunteer to be part of the action. However, be careful
when selecting Extras! Don’t choose someone who is prone to being late!
Never underestimate any person’s ability to throw a monkey wrench into your
plans by being late, unprepared or by not showing up, especially if they are expected to
work for free. Give everyone a written schedule that includes the arrival time, a map to
the location, and your phone number. It wouldn’t hurt to call everyone 2-3 hours before
the scheduled time of arrival.
Determine how much time will be required for setting up video equipment, lights,
and props. Ask the band to determine how much time it will take to set up their
equipment.
Let’s say that you want to shoot at 12:00 Noon, and it will take 3 hours for you to
set up, and 2 hours for the band. Then you and your crew (if any) need to be at the
location no later than 9:00 AM, and the band no later than 10:00 AM. After setting up,
everyone should take a short 15-minute break, and relax.
Make Sure that everyone understands the importance of being Prepared, On
Time, and at the Right Location, particularly if they depend on someone else for
transportation.
Too Many Cooks Can Spoil The View - As soon as each Take is completed, play back the
footage for review - either in the camcorder’s viewfinder or on a color TV. If using a TV,
it’s a natural desire for the band to want to see it too, especially if they’ve never seen
themselves on “TV” before. Unfortunately, this is when EVERYBODY becomes a
Director, making comments and suggestions. If there are friends of the band or family
members watching, the amount of unnecessary talking can get ridiculous, and waste
shoot time. As a Director, let everyone know in advance that the goal is to shoot, review,
and make decisions as quickly as possible.
MORE LOCATIONS
CLUBS - A local club with its own PA system and lights is an ideal location choice. The
best time to shoot would be during “off hours”. Some bands may be able to obtain the use
of a club for free, as a favor. Many clubs can be rented, and money talks. As an option,
the band could offer to play one or two free concerts in exchange for use of the facility.
However, they’ll probably have to pay the house sound/light person to come in early for
the shoot.
For a low-budget shoot, it’s unlikely that you’ll get to shoot during normal
business hours, which are usually at night. (Some cities have 24-hour clubs!) Repeatedly
syncing to one song would be a disruption to non-participating customers, who have no
reason to cooperate. The last thing a club owner or manager wants to do is lose
customers.
When shooting with an audience, don’t make open invitations to “Come Be A
Part Of Our Music Video Extravaganza”, or every troublemaker and rival band in town
will show up. Try to hand-pick the audience, if possible. The audience won’t be needed
for the entire shoot because they won’t be seen in every shot. Plan to tape the shots that
will show any part of the audience first, then thank them from the bottom of your heart,
and MAKE THEM LEAVE! Take a break, then tape the shots that won’t show any