1. Credits. Yes, yes, it adds a cinematic element to the video. Yes, yes, it makes everything look professional and epic. Awesome, it’s like the audience is watching a movie. But what’s the major difference between music videos and feature films? Oh, I don’t know, maybe about two hours! Also, millions upon millions of cash. Yes, some videos deserve special admiration for its technical feats but credits? Really? It just looks so pretentious. And if there’s one thing musicians want to avoid it’s being pretentious.
2. Sound effects/dialogue. I’ve watched a lot of videos and this is one kernel of truth I’ve discovered: all music videos aspire to be movies. The director usually wants to be filming a movie, the crew usually wants to be filming a movie and we all know the artist wants to be filming a movie. This leads to silly little ideas like adding dialogue or special effects to a music video. Explosions, heavy rain, bad bits of conversation. Yuck. Is this a MUSIC video? Why are people talking? Why does this feel like a film trailer? Oh, that’s right, everyone’s stuck in a state of arrested development and can’t come to terms with the fact that they’re not Brad Pitt. Deal with it, people! Cut out all the extra bells and whistles, it comes across as stupid and contrived.
3. Too much story. This is the biggest one of all. A music video is best when it realizes the confines of the medium. Let’s be honest: you’ve got a couple minutes to draw in the viewer’s attention and leave a lasting impression. Use those few minutes in your favor! Be creative, be inventive! Try something new! It’s a horrible idea to try and create a larger-than-life story and cram it into the short amount of time. It never works, it looks silly and it lends to parody.
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