In the next four weeks you will be making a music video based on who you are, your life, your interests, etc.

Steps:

Choose a song that reflects a reflection of who you are, how you feel, or what you believe in.
Take original video (using your phone or a DSLR) of activities, images, people, etc. that reflect the lyrics of the song and that tell your story.
- You may use still images or previously recorded video (of you when you were younger, for example, only for up to one minute of the video.
Edit the video with the song to the beat and with video appropriate the lyrics of the song.
- You must include the entire song and length. For example: The song "Old Town Road" is 1 minute and 53 seconds while The long version of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" is approximately 14 minutes long - so choose with this in mind (song must be at least 3 minutes long)
- Add your song to this Spotify Playlist (if you have access to Spotify - if not don't worry about it)
Import and edit your music video using Adobe Premiere Pro
Add graphics and animation using Adobe After Effects
- You must include credits (for the song you pick) and titles. Captions are optional.
- As we progress through the weeks, you will learn about Adobe After Effects to enhance your video with graphics and animation.
- Collect all media (music, video ,and stills, etc.) and planning documents in a Google Drive Folder appropriately named and organized (i.e. Student Name Music Video) and within your class folder.
- Make a copy of this shot list start planning your video - shot by shot
- Complete this Storyboard to help you plan - it does not need to be complete.
- Upload your finished video to YouTube and submit to the final assignment
- Make a copy of this shot list start planning your video - shot by shot

About Narrative Based Music Videos

Narrative based music videos feature a series of shots that are designed to tell a story, similar to a short film. The main focus of narrative based music videos is the story being told its protagonists.

Student Examples:

Mia Delgo, class of 2025:

Orion by Beverly Belogaso, class of 2024:

Happy Dogs (by Mr. Chang):

Professional Music Video that tell a story (for inspiration):

The One That Got Away by Katy Perry: In this video Katy Perry plays a fictional character as we follow the story of how she lost her true love. Katy occasionally performs in this video, but does so in character. The artists plays three roles in this video; the old lady living in the present, the younger version of herself who appears in memories and a third abstract character who performs. The narrative is supported by opening and closing scenes that occur before and after the audio track.

Lost and Not Found by Chase and Status: The artists do not appear in this video at all, as we follow a single-shot film featuring actors.

Watch some or all of these Music Video Examples:

note:

Plan a story or video that aligns with the lyrics of the song
Plan ahead with location and talent (actors) and activities in the song
Pay attention to lighting, camera angles, focal length, etc. to set the mood
Make Edits and add transitions and graphics that match the song's rhythm and mood

When creating your narrative, you should remember these points:

Your story should have a beginning, middle and end, though not necessarily in that order.
Your story must have at least one lead character or idea that engages the audiences through your thoughts, feelings and experiences.
There should be a relationship between the content of your song (mood, rhythm, sound, voice, lyrics) and the content of the narrative (fact, context, iconography, visuals, etc.).
Your entire video should reflect your ideas and the lyrics.
Your narrative can be expressed in any style:
- Illustrative – Where the visuals provide a literal representation of the lyrics.
- Amplifying – Where key meanings and effects are repeated to manipulate the audiences.
- Contradicting – Where the visuals contrast with the music.
- Disjunctive – Where the meaning of the song is completely ignored.

What's the difference between Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe After Effects?

Good question — here’s a simple breakdown:

Adobe Premiere Pro is mainly for editing video — cutting clips, arranging scenes, adding music, basic transitions, color correcting, that kind of thing. Think of it like putting the movie together.
Adobe After Effects is for creating effects and motion graphics — animations, special effects, fancy title sequences, green screen work, and really complex visual stuff. Think of it like making the special shots that you might later insert into a movie.

👉 So, Premiere Pro = storytelling/editing, After Effects = making things look crazy or cool.🎬