How To Film Your Own Music Video On A Budget

This is my latest video for my song Lighthouse. I spend about the same amount on most of my videos - £0. At times I cough up some extra money for props or pay for travel, but my initial investment is usually enough to kick out a quality music video.

The initial investment can be expensive, but it will definitely save you a lot of money in the long run. It will, however, cost you a great deal of time. 

1) Get a camera

I use a canon 550 d for all my shoots. You can grab one for about £250 on Amazon (that’s much cheaper than I paid for mine). You should also read up on lenses, as those are what really dictates the picture quality of your videos. If you have a choice, go for the cheaper camera and the pricey lens. Also think about getting a tripod, so you can shoot videos alone if you don’t have someone who can help you out.

2) Get some backdrops

This isn’t an essential step as you can just film in a back alley or around your house if you want to. However, if you want a professional looking video or you just want to try something creative, definitely grab yourself some backdrops so you can film crispy clean videos in the privacy of your own home.

3) Check out a few tutorials on editing

Editing is one of the most important parts (if not the most important) of creating your music video. Take the time to check out how other people edit their videos, then try to use that knowledge to practice and hone your own editing workflow.

4) Buy Lighting

If you’re filming out in the sun, you probably won’t need lighting at all. If you’re filming indoors or filming when there is a lack of natural light, you may need to consider purchasing some additional lighting. You should also research a bit about lighting beforehand in order to get the most out of your tools and money.

5) Learn About Colour Correction

Colour correction is one of the most important aspects of editing your video. The absence of it is what makes most amateur videos look… well, amateur. Take the time to learn a bit of the basics and give your music video a professional look. The use of colour correction can make up, a little, for bad lighting, but that is not the best situation to find yourself in - trust me.

6) Be creative

You don’t need high performance cars surrounded by beautiful models in your video. If you have no creativity whatsoever, then those can serve as a sufficient, although tasteless, crutch. Think simple when you plan your music video, and think outside of the box. Make sure it’s visually interesting.

Although these tips may cost you a lot of time and a bit of money, you’ll save loads of cash compared to what you’d spend if you hired someone to create a music video for you each time you needed one. If you really want to keep costs to an absolute minimum, you could choose to only purchase a camera, shoot outside and then use whatever editing software that comes with your computer to put shots together.

If you’re not convinced at all, or you’d simply like someone else to do all this handwork for you, you can hire me and my production company CoolCut Films and we’ll give you a great music video in no time. 

About Jay Carteré

Jay Carteré is a producer, rapper and singer from London. Having found his passion for a career in music at age 16, Jay put his entrepreneurial mind to work and built himself a home studio. After teaching himself how to engineer vocals and record, Jay then invested in starting a video production company, CoolCut Films, in order to compliment his music with equally gripping visuals. When he’s not making music or shooting videos, Jay Carteré also runs JCMpire, a music, media and marketing agency for bands, brands and businesses.

Twitter: @JayCartere

How To Film Your Own Music Video On A Budget