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Music Video Production: roles and responsibilities explained

  • Shubhit S.
  • 14 Jan, 2014

A professional Music video Production is not a one man job and requires individuals with different skills to come together and work towards a common goal. In this article, we discuss in brief their roles and functions.


A professional Music video Production is not a one man job and requires individuals with different skills to come together and work towards a common goal.

In this article, we discuss in brief their roles and functions.

The Pre-Production Stage

This is the first phase of the production cycle where planning for different aspects of production takes place. A lot of different people are involved in the processes even in a cheap music video production.

  1. Planning the story
  • Director – The main responsibility of production lies with her/him. A music video director is involved at every stage of the production process, helping and guiding others to do their job.
  • Screen Writer – They are responsible for coming up with a concept that fits the budget of production. They will then write down all that is going to happen in the video into a script.
  • Storyboard Artist – They sketch key frames of the video from the provided script onto a sheet of paper, so that others in the production team have a better understanding of the flow of the story.
  • Casting (Director) – In small productions casting is done by the Director himself, whereas in bigger productions, there are specially appointed Casting Directors to cast the talent that will be used in the video.
  1. Art Department
  • Art Director – Looks after and finalises the visual side of the video.
  • Set Director – Looks after and finalises the build of set and placements of objects in line with the script.
  • Conceptual Artist – When there is an out of ordinary element in a video, it's look and feel is thought out by the Conceptual Artist. Should those aliens be green or pink? Will they have three eyes or four hands?
  1. Finance
  • Executive Producer – Pays for the entire cost of the video.
  • Producer – Purchases everything needed for the shoot, carefully picking the right brands.

Production Stage

This is the action stage of the production cycle where the video is recorded.

  1. Costumes
  • Costume Designer – Considers the storyline and designs different costumes for characters according to their role in the video.
  • Costume Maker – Finishes the designs of the Costume Designer into a final product that is ready to use.
  1. Planning the set
  • Location Scout – They locate various settings where the music video can be shot.
  • Set Builders/Set Constructors – They construct the set from scratch to shoot the video.
  • Prop Master – They supply the various props that are needed for the construction of the set.
  • Lightning Designer – They look after the placement of lights for the entire video.
  1. Direction
  • Director – Directs the video, considering all aspects of pre-production.
  • Assistant Director – Assists the Director.
  • Production Assistant – Cues in the talent and arranges for everyone and everything to be present at the right place and the right time.
  1. Camera
  • Director of Photography – Makes the entire video look cool and authentic to the script.
  • Camera Operator – Actually shoots the video.
  • Camera Assistants – Assist the Camera Operator.
  1. Sound
  • Production Sound Mixer – Listens to the volume and different sounds on the set to mix and record them as required by the script.
  • Boom Operator – Prepares microphone plots for the crew and records the sound by using specific equipment such as 'boom mics'.
  1. Lighting
  • Chief Lighting Technician – They are responsible for taking care of all lighting needs on the set.
  • Best Boy/Runner – Manually operates the light when it is needed.
  1. Grip
  • Key Grip – Lays down tracks and other equipment firmly in place to facilitate shooting.
  • Best Boy/Runner – Holds the camera or equipment in place when directed.
  1. Wardrobe
  • Wardrobe Supervisor – Looks after specific wardrobe needs for the prominent characters in the video.
  • Daily Costume Facilitator – Arranges for costumes that would be used by people in background to easily blend in with the set.
  1. Props
  • Property Master – They are the owners of properties that will be used as props in the set.
  • Standby Prop Manager – They arrange for standby props for the set.
  1. Hair and Make-up
  • Make up Artist – Applies make up to people who will be in the video according to their character roles in the script.
  • Hair Stylist – Styles the hair of the lead characters.
  • Prosthetics Artist – Readies the characters with make-up for special effects.
  1. Performance
  • Talent – May be Actors/Singers/Dancers or someone else who will perform in front of the camera.
  • Stunt Performers – Act as body doubles for stunts that may be dangerous to perform for the lead talent.
  • Choreographer – Choreographs the entire setting of the set, from entry to exit.

Post-Production Stage

This is the last stage of the production cycle where the final look and feel of the video is shaped.

  1. Editing
  • Editor – Sits down with the Director to cut the final video.
  • Assistant Editor – Helps the Editor with the work.
  1. Visual Effects
  • VFX Team – Applies all necessary effects to the video.

To know more about the people working in the Music Video Production  Industry also read: How to get into Music Video Production?

Shubhit S., ©Epik Music Videos 2014

14/01/2014

Last modified on Tuesday, 13 January 2015 16:41
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