Music Videos
Music videos may be the perfect art form, bringing together songwriting, recording, screenwriting, producing, filmmaking, and other creative juice to fill the gaps. The posts below share our bloggers’ experiences with low-budget, no-budget, big-budget, high-concept, low-concept, and no-concept music videos.

Music Video Showcase: ‘Cone of Shame’ by Faith No More
The video uses the structure of the song—a long, tension filled intro that owes as much to Morricone and Leonard Cohen as it does to Metallica—that suddenly lunges headlong into a thrash-metal buzz-saw to create some very real suspense and a stunning payoff.
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What’s Your Deal, Iska Dhaaf?
Try to find something real and honest within yourself and share that. Don’t be what you think people want you to be. Be prepared and rehearsed but don’t use the pre-packaged obvious stage antics. That shit is tired.
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Music Video Premiere: ‘Ya Ya’ by Prison Bitch
Bassist Lauren Poole says the video came together quickly because everyone involved was immediately on the same page—a page, it’s worth noting, where the characters have an affinity for high concepts, sweaty costumes and stabbing people.
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How to Make Music Videos, Podcasts and More in 1,000,000 Easy Steps Spoiler: It's actually not easy at all
We’ll see how far I make it into gearheadery, but this I can tell you: An important part of deciding to get more hands-on with media production is simply accepting the inescapable fact that there’s no quick-and-easy way to do this kind of creative work.
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Music Makers: Cactus Tractor on the Tiny Desk Concert Contest, Acoustic Prog Rock, and Metrical Earworms
I really wish I could whistle reasonably well on cue, since what is now arguably our most famous song features me doing so at about three or four points during the song.
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How I Made 5 Music Videos in 2 Weeks for $0
I lost track of the hours I spent slowly scrolling through downloaded footage a few frames at a time to find usable scenes for the music videos.
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Music Video Showcase: “Devils Look Like Angels” by Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band
This is a music video that I just dig; it captures the raw, raucous vibe The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band exudes.
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Music Video Showcase: “Chemical” by Jack Garratt
As a director who works with modest budgets, I love seeing videos like this that are visually stunning and entertaining, yet don’t require big money to produce.
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Music Video Showcase: “The Answer” by Savages
Director Giorgio Testi has found a way to capture absent solid footing that a good show creates. Trying to dissect the shots on this video, I am convinced he often just strapped a GoPro onto a raccoon and threw it into the crowd.
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Music Video Showcase: “Old Bike” by Rob Cantor
Directed by Andrew Laurich, whose projects (including this one) have received acclaim and recognition and cries of, “Why, that man’s a creative genius!”
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Music Video Showcase: “Save Dat Money” by Lil Dicky
A rap video shot on a zero budget? What a concept.
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Pyragraph LIVE from the Albuquerque Press Club: Jared Putnam Jared shares tales from Kazakhstan, his video-making adventures, and more
We chat with Jared Putnam about touring Kazakhstan and other far-flung spots around the globe with Le Chat Lunatique, making lo-tech videos with Sage, and playing in Lynn Anderson’s band.
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YouTube vs. Facebook for Music Video Releases: What’s Working For Me
Facebook wants you to upload your videos through Facebook, so they suppress YouTube links and boost Facebook video in your friends’ feeds.
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What’s Your Deal, Mike Coykendall?
I guess you’d call my “act” a one-man-band type of deal but I hate that description. I’m just using all I’ve got. Why not use my legs while playing guitar?
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You Won’t See Me: Music Video Premiere from Sage and Jared’s Happy Gland Band Plus, how to make a music video in an afternoon with your bandmate/boyfriend without arguing, not even once
As someone who was socialized to be all ladylike and meek and stuff, I feel awkward pulling up to a junkyard and asking if we can, like, make a music video.
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Hey Now, You’re a Rockstar
The more known you are, the more people expect from you. At least all us struggling artists have the freedom to do whatever we want and be whoever we are.
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