YouTube viral video clips and the like are the engines of fame and fortune. Everybody looks there. While radios, MP3s, and CDs are still kicking, Internet music video is growing the fastest. So when you plan your video, use the same three rules. Make sure your images are amazingly good, amazingly funny or bizarre, or connect to whoever or what ever you are piggybacking on.
When you search for a video, you see the title and you see an image from the video. People will decide right than whether to watch your video. Whether you are using still images in sequence, or actual video footage, it has to be really cool. Spend as much time planning the visuals as you do the song. If it's just you singing, make sure you look great, are doing really interesting things, and intersperse different angles and even other video clips into the song. Spend some time watching MTV.
A great weapon to use is the element of surprise. Keep your video serving up surprises. The minute people think they've seen it all, they move on to the next video. If a great song tells a great story, make your video a "page turner." Write a little script, and ask yourself at each step, "what can I do to surprise and amaze them here?"
Odds are that you already have it. Computer sound cards are usually good enough for a homemade music video. The only equipment you will need will be a good microphone, the audio interface to allow you to record from it on your computer, and a decent video camera . There are a lot of good quality USB microphones available that have the audio interface built in.
The software needed to record audio will depend on how complicated your arrangement is. If you are just singing with the guitar and a microphone, search for and download Audacity. It is a free audio recording software that is very easy to use. If you are getting into the world of multitrack recording and using MIDI, you want an integrated sequencer.
As far as video editing goes, Windows Movie Maker, included with your Windows computer, and iMovie for Mac users is all you need. They let you put on photos, transitions, text and special effects. It's a good idea to put the lyrics all in your video, so people can follow along. The best way to learn how to use software is to actually use the software. They are not complicated, just believe in yourself and keep trying.
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