Whether they’re there to tell a story, make a statement, or just be impressive, music videos have always needed to look great. And this will, more often than not, involve special effects – either computer generated or used live on set.
The beauty of using live special effects is that they’re real and, because they’re real, they’re more impressive. They happen around the artist/s who can react realistically and this will have a much greater impact on your audience. It doesn’t matter how amazing a computer-generated or AI special effect is, if you know it’s artificial, the action it portrays is a lot less memorable.
Remember your live events will also be seen on video
Music artists and their production teams also understand that live performances will usually be filmed and those videos will be seen by thousands if not millions. That’s why so many bands and singers use special effects as part of their show – as well as ramping up the live audience’s excitement, they also create a visual spectacle that makes for a more engaging video
Why special effects work better than CGI on video
One of the reasons the action sequences in the Mission Impossible films are so memorable is because you know Tom Cruise does his own stunts. You’re therefore not only seeing real, human reactions, but you’re also subconsciously in awe of the amount of courage and danger involved. It’s also the reason why the Mission Impossible franchise is talked about so much, despite some of the movies getting bad reviews.
Actors (or, more usually, their stunt performer counterparts) have been chucking themselves off buildings in the name of art for decades, but the scene where Hans Gruber falls to his death from the Nakatome Tower in Die Hard was especially memorable, because Alan Rickman – the actor playing the main baddie – did his own stunt. In order to get a close-up of the character as he fell, Rickman was dangled on ropes 40 feet above an airbag in a studio. The director released the ropes a couple of seconds before Rickman was expecting it so he wasn’t 100% prepared – what you see is real fear on his face, and that’s what makes the scene so good. It’s something that could never have been recreated by a computer-generated effect.
OK, so these examples are from Hollywood rather than the music industry, but they make a good point. That doing special effects for real gives you the kind of authenticity, peril and excitement of the human experience you can never recreate on a computer. So if you want your music video to stand out, put the special effects into the studio alongside your artists.
Best live special effects for music videos
Rain
The special effect that we’ve most used on music videos is rain. Being showered by rain can make your artists look moody, sad or sexy, and having falling water in the studio will create an atmosphere that the artists will pick up on and work with – again, an interaction that could not be replicated in an editing suite after the event.
We’ve poured water over some of the biggest music stars, working closely with their production teams to create exactly what they want at the same time as making sure the performers are also comfortable – it’s not easy to look moody if your face is in shock because you’ve just been splashed with icy water!
Our work with the girl group Little Mix was challenging for us behind the scenes, but we’re nothing if not consummate professionals and were ready when they needed us. Our most fun challenge was working on the official video for Better Days by Irish star Dermot Kennedy. The rain was the star of the video and featured throughout, which meant we used a lot of water! We also used a variety of rain effects to produce everything from a drizzle to a deluge. All of which produced an incredible music video.
Flames
Huge flame bursts are always a fantastic spectacle and can be used to incredible effect in music videos. Having your artists standing in front of plumes of fire, firing flame bursts to accentuate the beat, or placing a flame bar in front of a performer is a great way to add excitement. Using a flame bar and G-Flames, we worked on the music video of YouTube sensation Sophie Guitar on her recent release “Do or Die,” check it out here.
Sparkular’s cold sparks
If you think fire is a bit too hot to handle, you can create similar effects with the Sparkular, otherwise known as a cold spark machine. Sparkulars eject silvery plumes of sparks which look amazing on film and are safer for your performers. Their temperature means your artists can stand closer to a Sparkular than to a flame machine, making for a more exciting visual.
Smoke
Finally, no music video or live performance is complete without a smoke machine. Whether you want a light mist, fast-moving plumes or a heavy fog, smoke can add mystery, excitement or a sultry air to a music video.
Let Entertainment Effects take care of your special effects
Contact us to discuss your music video plans with our team of experts who can help bring your vision to life. We are happy to dry hire the equipment, or you can hire our team to manage the effects for you. Our aim is the same as yours – to produce a spectacular music video in complete safety.
