The Music Video Process

Story first. Camera second.

If your song tells a story, we tell that story. If your song carries an emotion without a literal narrative, we craft a story together that lets that emotion land in pictures. Either way, a music video that earns its place in your audience's memory is built on a story arc — not on b-roll, not on slow motion, not on a moody color grade. Those things are tools. The story is the work.

This is why every project here begins with a treatment — a written promise of the film we're going to make, before we make it. It's how professionals work, and it's the single biggest difference between a video that feels like a video and one that feels like a piece of cinema.

Inquiry & Vibe-Call

Free · 30 minutes · within 3 days of your message

You write me. I write back. We jump on a call — video or voice, whatever feels easy. You play me the song, tell me about yourself, your audience, what this video is meant to do for you. I ask questions and listen.

Why this step. Music video work is intimate. If our energies don't fit, neither of us should force it. This call is where we both check for a real match — before any money, time, or expectation is invested. You leave the call knowing whether to keep going. I leave knowing whether I'm the right person for your song.

You receive: a clear yes or no, and if yes — a proposed tier and shoot window.

Concept Pitch & Treatment

5 working days · before any payment

I write you a treatment — a 1 to 3 page document that describes the video before it exists. It includes a story arc, the characters or figures we'll see, visual references and a mood board, a tone and pacing description, suggested locations, and the kind of imagery I'll go after on the day. You read it. We talk through it. We iterate once together until it feels right.

Why this step matters most. The treatment is the single most important document in the entire process — and the one most amateur shoots skip. Here's the truth: without a treatment, you and I are guessing at what we're making. Guessing means surprises in editing. Surprises mean disappointment. A written treatment forces us both to commit to the same film before a single frame is shot. It is how every professional director works, and it is the difference between a music video that hits and one that feels like a missed opportunity. When the treatment is signed off, we are no longer building a video — we are making the film we already agreed on.

You receive: a written treatment with mood board and visual references. From here on, this is the film we're making.

Booking & Deposit

When treatment is approved · 50% deposit

We sign a short, clear contract. You pay 50% deposit. The shoot date is locked in my calendar. Pre-production begins immediately.

Why this step. A deposit is not about distrust. It's about commitment from both sides. Once you've paid, you have my full attention for the project — I'm not chasing other clients, I'm preparing your shoot. Once it's signed, you know the date is yours and won't shift.

You receive: signed contract, locked date, prep timeline.

Pre-Production & Co-Creation

1 to 2 weeks before shoot · 1 dedicated day together

We meet in person or on a focused call. We walk the locations together (or scout them with you remotely), refine the shotlist frame by frame, talk casting if your video needs people other than you, and choose styling and wardrobe direction. I write a shooting plan and timeline you can approve.

Why this step. The shoot day should never be the first day we're aligned. By the time the cameras roll, we both know exactly what we're trying to capture — and in what order, and at what time of day. That's what makes a shoot day feel calm instead of chaotic. Every minute we spend in pre-production saves us hours on set and in editing.

You receive: shotlist, full shooting schedule, crew and cast contact sheet.

Production · The Shoot

1 day (Spark / Story) or multiple days (Cinema)

We shoot the film we already designed. I direct, I shoot, I keep the energy of the day moving. You perform. The crew — depending on tier — handles the rest. At the end of the day, all footage is backed up to two separate drives before anyone goes home.

Why this step. Showing up prepared means we capture what the treatment promised — not just what happened to look nice in the moment. A focused shoot day is the difference between footage that builds into a story and footage that fights us in post.

You receive: confirmation that everything is safely backed up. Now my work moves to the edit.

Post-Production

3 to 4 weeks · revisions included

I cut the film. You get a first review version within 2 weeks of the shoot. We have up to 2 revision rounds included as standard (3 in Story, 4 in Cinema). After picture lock, I do color grading and final sound mix.

Why this step. Editing is where the music video is actually born. The shoot is raw material. The edit is the film. Two to four revision rounds is the sweet spot — enough for an aligned project to feel polished, not so many that we lose the film to overthinking and second-guessing.

You receive: rough cut → review → revisions → picture lock → graded final.

Delivery & Final Payment

When final is approved · remaining 50%

You receive the final film in every format you need: 16:9 for YouTube, 9:16 for Reels, TikTok and Shorts, 1:1 for Instagram feed. Master files via WeTransfer or Drive. Remaining 50% paid on delivery. You own commercial rights to the video; I retain showreel rights to use selected clips in my portfolio.

Why this step. Multi-format delivery means your video works where your audience actually lives — not just on YouTube. And showreel rights mean I can keep growing, which keeps the prices fair for the next artist who wants to work with me.

You receive: every master file, ready to upload.

What's inside a treatment, and why it changes everything

A treatment is a short written document — usually 1 to 3 pages — that describes the music video before it exists. It's not a script. It's not a shotlist. It is something between a short story and an architectural blueprint: it gives shape to a film that still lives only as a song and an idea.

A good treatment for a story-driven music video contains these parts:

The hook. One paragraph that captures the central feeling and image of the video. If you read only this paragraph, you should know what kind of film we're making.

The character or figures. Who we follow. Is it you as the artist? An actress? Multiple people in a relationship? Even abstract videos have a "who".

The arc. Where does the emotional journey begin, and where does it end? Stillness to chaos. Loneliness to belonging. Resignation to fire. A music video without an arc feels like loose images. A music video with one feels like a film.

Visual references. Mood board with stills from films, photographs, paintings — anything that tells you what kind of image we're hunting for.

Locations and tone. Where this happens. Inside, outside, urban, rural, raw, dreamlike. And in what season, time of day, light quality.

Pacing notes. How the film moves through the song — slow build, sudden cut, restraint then release. Editing instincts noted while we still have the freedom to design them.

Here is the truth: most amateur music video projects fail not because the camera or editor is bad, but because the artist and the videographer were never working on the same film. They each had a version in their head, and they didn't realise it until the rough cut arrived. A treatment kills that problem on day one.

I share every treatment as a real document — written, formatted, with a mood board attached. You read it. You feel it. If it isn't right, we change it before any cameras are touched. By the time we sign off, we're already half the way to a finished film.

Anything else you might want

These can be added to any tier. Some are included by default in higher tiers — the table makes it clear.

Extra revision round

€150

After the included revisions are used up

Making-of photo set (10–15 images)

€350

Included from Story tier upward

Making-of video (1–2 min)

€600

Included in Cinema tier

Dedicated photoshoot session

€450

Included in Cinema tier

Raw footage handover

€200

Your full shoot data, unedited, on your own drive

Vertical-first social remix

€250

Additional 9:16 cut tuned for TikTok / Reels with different pacing

Before you write

What if I'm not in Portugal or Berlin?

I travel. EU is fully fine. Travel and accommodation are added at cost on top of the tier. For long-haul shoots we talk before booking.

Can I cancel after the deposit?

Yes. The deposit covers my pre-production work. If you cancel before pre-production begins, half the deposit is refundable. After pre-production, the deposit is consumed — but we always talk it through and find what's fair.

What if I want changes after the included revisions?

Each additional revision round is €150. We talk openly — sometimes a change is small enough that I'll do it as a goodwill gesture, and sometimes it's a real new round of work. I'll always tell you which kind it is.

Do you write the song concept yourself?

I write the visual concept and the treatment. You bring the song. For Cinema tier, I bring in a co-writer or story consultant if you want collaborative narrative writing for the video.

Can I bring my own director or DP?

Yes, especially from Story tier upward. We talk through who does what. I can also work as DP only on your director's project if that's the shape that fits.

When do I get the music video back?

First cut within 2 weeks of the shoot. Final cut typically 4–6 weeks from shoot, depending on revision rounds.

What gear do you shoot on?

Sony mirrorless body + DJI gimbal as baseline — I have deep experience with both. For bigger productions I add BMPCC, DJI drones (including FPV), and any additional kit the story calls for. I grade in DaVinci Resolve.

Do you cover sound recording for live performance?

Basic on-camera sound, yes. For dialogue or studio-quality sound, we bring in a dedicated sound engineer — the cost depends on the project.

How we make your music video together