How to Make a Professional Rap Music Video
Choose a theme or visual motif., Decide if you want to tell a story., Scout out cool locations for your rapper to perform in front of., Round up extras through friends, family, and advertisements., Pick up a few dancers to flank your rapper, or a...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose a theme or visual motif.
This simply a common set of colors, locations, or a mood that guides all of your shots Professional rap videos tend to rely on creative visuals while the rapper spits his lines into the camera.
These themes can range from a lavish hip-hop lifestyle (2 Chainz's "Birthday Song") to a simple but striking visual theme.
Craig Mack's "Flava in Ya Ear," for example, uses stark black and white shots on a white background that makes each rapper a unique, screen-filling phenomenon.
The song's mood
-- do the visuals fit alongside it or seem contradictory? The budget
-- more locations means more time and more money. -
Step 2: Decide if you want to tell a story.
Not all rap songs need to tell a story, and most don't.
But some videos will even split the difference, interspersing a short story throughout more traditional shots, like in T.I.'s "Whatever You Like" video.
T.I. starts with a short skit, showing our feature dancer working at a fast-food joint, before using the video to show her "rise" to stardom and riches.
It is simple, but effective, especially with the ending skit that reveals it was all a daydream.When writing a music video story, keep it simple.
Remember that all film stories come down to three questions
-- who is the protagonist, what do they want, and how do they try to get it? Keep stories bound to one or two locations and actors.
The more complex the story, the more difficult your shoot will be. , This is the main event of most professional rap videos, and higher-budget videos might have 4-5 locations each.
Watch a few of your favorite videos and note where they place the rappers.
Some of the most common locations include:
Hometown streets or neighborhood joints (if in public, call the Chamber of Commerce for film permits).Party locations, like houses, pools, or the beach.
Rooftops Graffiti tagged walls or deep city environments (be sure to check with the original artist, when possible).
Green screens, allowing you free rein of backgrounds. , A great rap video looks a lot like a party, and will be played in the background of parties and clubs.
So don't leave your rapper all on their own.
Round up as many people as you can to have fun in the background, especially your more attractive friends.
Put out an ad on Craigslist or visit the local colleges to try and round up warm bodies.
It is good practice to buy the extras and crew lunch, as that alone entices many people to get involved. , There is no rule that a video must have dancers, but there aren't many that don't.
Why? Because sex sells! If you don't want to work with background dancers, consider getting a feature dancer
-- the one woman or man who your rapper and camera focus most of their attention on.
They can be a love interest or just a good-looking dancer, but either way they give you a little more shot variety right off the bat.
Feature dancers are the second "star" of the video, which usually means they need to be in the "story" shots too, if you have them., Remember that, if you have dancers, someone will have to choreograph them.
There are several options if you don't know how to dance, or have too much on your plate to choreograph yourself:
Ask the dancers you hire if they are willing to choreograph as well, especially for a higher fee.
Keep the dancing loose
-- let the dancers improvise as if they were at a party.
Hire or consult a dedicated choreographer.
College dance departments are a great, low-cost place to start asking around. , Luckily for you, all you really need for a music video is at least one camera and some lights, since all of the video's sound will come from the song.
That said, the type of amount of equipment you have will make a big difference on the videos you can shoot:
Cameras & Tripods:
You want something that can shoot at 720p minimum, and preferably 1080p or higher. 2-3 cameras are often best, allowing you to catch multiple angles at once, but only if they all can shoot at the same settings.Lights:
Never underestimate the power of good lighting
-- you can always darken a video later, but it is very, very hard to make it lighter without ruining picture quality.
In a pinch, get a bunch of bulbs and clamp lights from a local hardware store.
Essential Miscellaneous Equipment:
Speakers (to play song), extension cables, power strips, black tape, tool set, back-up batteries and memory cards, necessary permits., No filmmaker likes budgeting, but it is the difference between many amateurs and the professionals.
Keep your budget simple and realistic.
Do you need 10 fake guns, or can you live with 2? Can you shoot closer to the stage and use 5 extras instead of 15? Solve these issues now, not the day before shooting.
Things to remember include:
Equipment you must rent Location and permit fees Props and costumes Crew fees.
It is possible to get crews for free (check local colleges), but it rare to get help for more than a weekend without pay Food and transportation costs per day of shooting.
For a truly "professional" shoot, with an all-paid cast and crew, you should budget at minimum, $2,500 a day.
Double this if you want to capture sound (like dialogue in a story scene). -
Step 3: Scout out cool locations for your rapper to perform in front of.
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Step 4: Round up extras through friends
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Step 5: family
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Step 6: and advertisements.
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Step 7: Pick up a few dancers to flank your rapper
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Step 8: or a "feature dancer" to star in the video.
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Step 9: Consider who will handle the choreography for dancers.
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Step 10: Ensure that you have the necessary equipment for a professional shoot.
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Step 11: Use your desired shots and equipment craft to make a budget.
Detailed Guide
This simply a common set of colors, locations, or a mood that guides all of your shots Professional rap videos tend to rely on creative visuals while the rapper spits his lines into the camera.
These themes can range from a lavish hip-hop lifestyle (2 Chainz's "Birthday Song") to a simple but striking visual theme.
Craig Mack's "Flava in Ya Ear," for example, uses stark black and white shots on a white background that makes each rapper a unique, screen-filling phenomenon.
The song's mood
-- do the visuals fit alongside it or seem contradictory? The budget
-- more locations means more time and more money.
Not all rap songs need to tell a story, and most don't.
But some videos will even split the difference, interspersing a short story throughout more traditional shots, like in T.I.'s "Whatever You Like" video.
T.I. starts with a short skit, showing our feature dancer working at a fast-food joint, before using the video to show her "rise" to stardom and riches.
It is simple, but effective, especially with the ending skit that reveals it was all a daydream.When writing a music video story, keep it simple.
Remember that all film stories come down to three questions
-- who is the protagonist, what do they want, and how do they try to get it? Keep stories bound to one or two locations and actors.
The more complex the story, the more difficult your shoot will be. , This is the main event of most professional rap videos, and higher-budget videos might have 4-5 locations each.
Watch a few of your favorite videos and note where they place the rappers.
Some of the most common locations include:
Hometown streets or neighborhood joints (if in public, call the Chamber of Commerce for film permits).Party locations, like houses, pools, or the beach.
Rooftops Graffiti tagged walls or deep city environments (be sure to check with the original artist, when possible).
Green screens, allowing you free rein of backgrounds. , A great rap video looks a lot like a party, and will be played in the background of parties and clubs.
So don't leave your rapper all on their own.
Round up as many people as you can to have fun in the background, especially your more attractive friends.
Put out an ad on Craigslist or visit the local colleges to try and round up warm bodies.
It is good practice to buy the extras and crew lunch, as that alone entices many people to get involved. , There is no rule that a video must have dancers, but there aren't many that don't.
Why? Because sex sells! If you don't want to work with background dancers, consider getting a feature dancer
-- the one woman or man who your rapper and camera focus most of their attention on.
They can be a love interest or just a good-looking dancer, but either way they give you a little more shot variety right off the bat.
Feature dancers are the second "star" of the video, which usually means they need to be in the "story" shots too, if you have them., Remember that, if you have dancers, someone will have to choreograph them.
There are several options if you don't know how to dance, or have too much on your plate to choreograph yourself:
Ask the dancers you hire if they are willing to choreograph as well, especially for a higher fee.
Keep the dancing loose
-- let the dancers improvise as if they were at a party.
Hire or consult a dedicated choreographer.
College dance departments are a great, low-cost place to start asking around. , Luckily for you, all you really need for a music video is at least one camera and some lights, since all of the video's sound will come from the song.
That said, the type of amount of equipment you have will make a big difference on the videos you can shoot:
Cameras & Tripods:
You want something that can shoot at 720p minimum, and preferably 1080p or higher. 2-3 cameras are often best, allowing you to catch multiple angles at once, but only if they all can shoot at the same settings.Lights:
Never underestimate the power of good lighting
-- you can always darken a video later, but it is very, very hard to make it lighter without ruining picture quality.
In a pinch, get a bunch of bulbs and clamp lights from a local hardware store.
Essential Miscellaneous Equipment:
Speakers (to play song), extension cables, power strips, black tape, tool set, back-up batteries and memory cards, necessary permits., No filmmaker likes budgeting, but it is the difference between many amateurs and the professionals.
Keep your budget simple and realistic.
Do you need 10 fake guns, or can you live with 2? Can you shoot closer to the stage and use 5 extras instead of 15? Solve these issues now, not the day before shooting.
Things to remember include:
Equipment you must rent Location and permit fees Props and costumes Crew fees.
It is possible to get crews for free (check local colleges), but it rare to get help for more than a weekend without pay Food and transportation costs per day of shooting.
For a truly "professional" shoot, with an all-paid cast and crew, you should budget at minimum, $2,500 a day.
Double this if you want to capture sound (like dialogue in a story scene).
About the Author
Kayla Cooper
Kayla Cooper specializes in lifestyle and practical guides and has been creating helpful content for over 3 years. Kayla is committed to helping readers learn new skills and improve their lives.
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