How to Write a Music Video Treatment (Examples + Templates)
Every music video project I worked on started with me pitching my creative ideas via a digital pitch document called a ‘music video treatment,’ otherwise known as a ‘director’s treatment.’
Unfortunately, pitching for music videos via music video treatments is highly competitive, and it’s not uncommon for me to compete with 10+ other music video directors for one music video opportunity.
I believe it’s so competitive because music videos often offer a creative carte blanche, meaning you can pitch whatever you think would be the best visual fit for the song. And because many music video directors, myself included, like to let their imagination run free, the competition in the music video genre is wild!
If getting your foot in the door in the highly competitive music video industry is high on your priority list, I’d suggest you become a master at creating pitch-winning music video treatments. This will allow you to blow away future clients, outsmart your competition, and land your next dream project.
To help you with this, I will share some of my music video treatment pro tips below!
Table of contents:
What is a music video treatment?
In a nutshell, a music video treatment is a digital document packed with text and images in which a music video director outlines their creative vision and music video’s concept.
It’s essentially a visual medium with flowery language and visual references (photos, screenshots, movie stills, etc.) to give the artist and music label a first impression and idea of the final video they will get in exchange for their production budget.
A good music video treatment should be visually appealing and give an overall idea of how the final video will look and how the music video director aims to bring the music video to life with the video production team.
Why are music video treatments important?
Now you know what a music video treatment is, it's also crucial to understand why there is so much emphasis on these digital pitch documents. I believe there are five fundamental bullet points why music video treatments are important:
A music video treatment is the project's foundation.
A music video treatment is for a music video what a script is for a movie. The director’s vision and idea for the music video are essentially the foundation on which all other film crew departments can layer their expertise in bringing the music video to life during the video production.
A music video treatment is a filmmaker’s sales tool.
From a business perspective, it's good to understand that when music artists or record labels ask you to create a music video treatment, they ask you to pitch your vision for creating something that is essentially a means to an end.
Eventually, a product, in this case, music, has to be sold, and the music video they ask you to direct is just a tool to help your client achieve that goal.
Because bigger financial goals are at stake, artists and music labels are willing to invest a lot of money to get the best possible result.
Just like you probably want to work with the best creative collaborators on a film project, artists and record labels want to know that the music video director they hire for the job is the best fit for their project.
This is why music video treatments function as your filmmaker’s sales tool to sell yourself and your music video idea to get the job.
A music video is the video production roadmap.
When the music label awards you the opportunity, it becomes your job as the music video director to guide the film crew to create the promised final product.
Now, you can jump on many calls and tell every crew member individually what you plan to do.
But a much more time-saving approach would be sending them your music video treatment and avoiding wasting unnecessary time in the pre-production phase!
This is why your music video treatment also functions as a production roadmap for everyone involved.
A music video treatment is a film crew recruiter.
A music video treatment can also help build excitement about the project and get crew members involved.
A music video treatment is a creative exercise.
I believe music video treatments are important because they allow you to brainstorm and work out your creative ideas before production.
I like the fact that creating a music video treatment and thinking about every aspect of what I envision and how I want to bring it to life is an opportunity to iron out any flaws, give my ideas and imagination a dry run, flesh out various story possibilities, and spell out my vision as entirely and clearly as possible.
The music video briefing
The music video treatment process begins when the record label or music label managers send a so-called music video treatment request or client brief to freelance directors, film production companies, or director agencies and ask if they are interested in joining the music video pitch.
A music video treatment request can come in many forms and include all sorts of information and client input. Below, I've summed up ten of the most common client input bullet points that I've seen over the years that a music video treatment request can consist of:
Music video NDA
A music video treatment request can come with an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement).
An NDA is nothing fancy, just a tiny contract to ensure you’re not sending the enclosed information and unreleased track to your buddies.
Just read it and if it doesn’t contain anything shocking, sign and return it as soon as possible so you’ll receive all the necessary information in the music video briefing.
Artist/Song Background Information
Sometimes the music video briefing includes background information about the song and/or band.
Additional background information is usually included when the music label wants to boost a new musical talent.
Whether dealing with an established name or new talent, I always do my homework on the artist. I watch all the video content on their YouTube channel, listen to their previous music, and discover who or what inspires them.
All this background information helps me decide whether this is an opportunity I want to pursue.
Specific Music Video Requirements
Usually, I’ll get a carte blanche regarding the content of a music video, but this is not always the case.
Sometimes the artist or label has a specific vision for the music video, and they know exactly what they want. Other times, it’s just a broad set of creative guidelines like a vibe or specific feeling they like the music video to have.
For example, when I was asked to pitch on Hardwell’s Echo music video, Hardwell’s only (but very specific) requirement was that he wanted to have a music video that took place in the snow.
Music
A link to the song or an attached audio file is the most crucial element of the briefing.
Musicians create music to generate feelings purposely, and I believe a music video should be an extension of that.
So, to get a good feel for the song and interpret what the artist is trying to convey, I always try to listen to the music as many times as needed.
I’ll listen to it while driving, cleaning, cooking, eating, shopping, and working out. It’s usually after I’ve heard a song a hundred times that an idea falls from the sky, and I start writing my music video treatment.
Preferred Filming Dates
The preferred filming dates are usually the dates the artist is available if they need to be incorporated into the music video.
Please do yourself a favor, and ensure you always consider them and avoid writing a concept you want to film during a particular event if that will not occur on these preferred shooting dates.
Been there, done that!
Music Video Production Budget
In my experience, it usually boils down to how much commercial potential a song has that defines the production budget for the music video.
Most of the time, music video production budgets are much smaller than commercial budgets. On the other hand, you’ll get more creative freedom in return!
Music Video Treatment Delivery Deadline
As I mentioned, the deadlines for delivering music video treatments are always tight.
When a music video treatment request lands in my mailbox, the deadline is usually the day before yesterday.
Music Video Rough Cut Delivery Date
Depending on the scope of the production and the amount of work that has to be done in post-production, the delivery date of the first cut is usually a few days after the music video is filmed.
Viewing the first rough cut is typically a check-up for the parties involved to see if everything went right. For the record label’s marketing managers, it gives them an idea of the project so they can start planning and creating the marketing material for the song’s release and build anticipation on social media.
Music Video Delivery Date
Depending on the scale of the production, the delivery date of the music video is usually a few days or a week before the actual release of the music video.
That's because the music label needs to prepare press releases and upload the music video to all their copyright protection software.
Release Date Of The Music Video
And the last item on the list of what’s usually included in the music video briefing is the release date of the music video!
What does a music video treatment include?
Funny enough, there is no universal layout or carved-in-stone format for a pitch-winning music video treatment.
The music video treatment outline is different for everyone, as all music video directors create music video treatments in their own way.
But I believe every pitch-winning music video treatment has three main ingredients:
1 — Expertise
When you give somebody money to create something for you, you probably want to know that they are capable of the job.
You probably look at their track record to find out if they are. For music video directors, that’s our showreel and the projects we’ve worked on in the past.
So, suppose a client briefing calls for specific experience in a particular field. In that case, I’ll make sure I highlight my abilities to execute similar content in my music video treatment to let the artist and the music label know I have the experience to pull it off.
2 — Enthusiasm
The film business, no matter which genre, is essentially a people’s business, meaning that people like to do business with people they know and trust.
And what better way to like and trust somebody than to share the same enthusiasm for the opportunity?
The second key ingredient for a pitch-winning music video treatment is enthusiasm for the job. To incorporate that in your pitch document, start and/or end your music video treatment with personal anecdotes that relate to the project and show you have a personal connection.
This can be as simple as briefly explaining how long and why you’ve been a fan of the artist and their music, how much you like the song and the emotions the song provokes inside of you, or how you relate to your idea and how much it means to you to be able to pitch this one-of-a-kind concept.
3 — Vision
I think music videos are an experimentation Walhalla for music video directors. Every music video is an opportunity to try new tools, equipment, and storytelling techniques people haven't seen before.
This is why I believe the central key ingredient of a pitch-winning music video treatment is writing a clear vision of a strong, visually unique idea.
Something that contains a unique story, an interesting visual, or a cool choreography nobody has ever seen before.
One simple, unique wow factor that elevates the song, the narrative, or the song's metaphorical meaning can help the music video rise above the internet noise and perhaps even go viral online.
How to write a music video treatment?
Once I discover a story or idea I want to pursue, I'll explain my vision for a project in different chapters in the music video treatment and accommodate my wording with matching imagery.
Although there is so much emphasis on these pitch documents and so much depends on them, there are no hard rules for how long a music video treatment should be or how it should look. You can do pretty much anything you like.
I always start writing my music video treatments with an introductory note, followed by a concept summary, story summary, or an elevator pitch before I break down the scenes of the idea and start writing the details in flowery language.
Include Different music video treatment chapters
The chapters I'll include to explain my vision always depend on the project, but the music video treatment usually includes bullet points like:
Casting
What kind of people would you like to cast? What do they look like? What is their (ethical) background?
Camera
What will the final product's overall look, color palette, and feel be, and why?
Editing
What will the editing of the music video be like? Fast with lots of flashy effects? Or the opposite, very slow with lots of slow-motion shots?
Styling
Do you envision a specific type of clothing because the story takes place in a certain period?
Sound
Do you want to add sound effects to the final product to emphasize a certain vibe?
Locations
Where does the recording of the film take place and why? What kind of locations do you aim to film this music video?
Art Direction
Will you use specific art direction to decorate the arena of the project? What color palette it include?
Production
Does the project involve any specific productional issues you must overcome? Do you want to test specific features with the artist in the pre-production phase they need to be aware of?
How to make a music video treatment?
To create a music video treatment, you can use programs like Keynote, PowerPoint, Google docs, Adobe InDesign, Canva, or any other software to visualize your story and vision for the project.
Start with a title slide that includes the song's name, the artist's name, your name, and the video production company name (if applicable) to make a good first impression.
After that, you can layer in as many chapters and visuals as you like to convey the story beats and the idea you’re trying to convey.
I always make it easy for someone to navigate through the document by using a table of contents, slide numbers, and eventually a quick thank you note with my contact details, so it’s easy to contact me.
Make it As eye-catching as possible
Because competition is fierce, my music video treatment will likely end up on a big pile alongside many music video treatments.
To ensure my document stands out, I have to make my music video treatment as eye-catching as possible by using many images.
Depending on the type of project, I’ll use bolder images and more colorful and attention-grabbing fonts to make a good first impression. I always use one of these websites to find the perfect images and visuals for my music video treatments.
Use Music Video Treatment Templates
Over the years, I’ve noticed that a good director might not necessarily be a great music video treatment designer.
So, to help those in need, I’ve created a wide range of fully customizable music video treatment temples to help speed up the music video treatment creation process and let you design your pitch document as beautifully and professionally as possible.
Instead of designing your music video treatment from scratch and wasting valuable creative thinking time, insert your images and text files, export the music video treatment to a PDF file, and your pitch is ready for take-off!
Extra Treatment Inspiration
If you need some extra treatment inspiration, this list of treatments might be helpful to you. If you’re looking for a way to help you write your music video treatment, I’ve outlined how I’ve outsourced the writing of my music video treatments in this blog article.
Wrapping Up
So there you have it! My pro tips for how to make a winning music video treatment. I hope this has been helpful and given you some ideas of what to include in your next project pitch.
Remember that the most important thing is to be creative and original, and let your passion for the project shine through.
Music Video Treatment Templates
The downside of directing music videos is that you probably spend most of your time writing and designing music video treatments instead of being on a film set and creating music videos.
I know firsthand how time-consuming writing and designing these pitch documents can be while dealing with insane deadlines, tight budgets, bad briefs, creative roadblocks, and no job guarantees.
I highly recommend working with a music video treatment template if you want to speed up the process and lighten the burden.
