Four aspiring filmmakers are soliciting advice on making a music video. I've managed to get the others to agree that planning is the first and most important part of the project, and we need to fill in the blanks we have. We're meeting regularly and now have an artist and some ideas to flesh out. For our next meeting, I will organize an "affinity diagram" for brainstorming ideas, but the work needed is full of holes, I'm sure. Any advice on how to go about creating the perfect plan? Thanks in advance!

I don't know, have you decided on a song yet? That might help you flesh out some ideas or concepts for the video. After you have decided on that I would try and do some rough storyboards so you have an idea of the shots that will be involved. Any props going to be needed? Equipment? Do you have a location to shoot this at? A crew? All those decisions need to be made before you shoot. You should stress to your friends that planning is essential in videos or your films. If you don't it's going to be a major clusterf**k.

I would be glad to help you fill in any ideas... wut kind of music is it? What is the song about? Does the band or group have any kind of image they want to go with? Once I have some more information I will be a lot better-able to picture this in my head!

Thanks, mikester. Most of that was decided on today, we have yet to determine measure by measure what's on screen, but we have a skeleton to work from. As for a crew, it's a geurilla situation, nothing fancy but determine and motivated wannabe filmmakers.

We'll add some meat to the plan now - any pointers there?

Thanks!