VISUAL MELODIES: DIRECTING A MUSIC VIDEO
Ages 16-29
Fall 2023, JHU-MICA Film Centre
Music videos have launched the careers of film directors from Hiro Murai to Spike Jonze to Hype Williams; but more than an entry to feature film, they’re an art form of their own, an epicenter where culture, art, fashion, cinema, and music intersect. So what goes into making a music video? In this workshop, student fellows will be introduced to both producer and director roles, learning treatment design, location scouting, casting, wardrobe and art design, shot lists, video recording, and editing. They’ll work with a selection of instrumentals made by Baltimore producer Shine, and shoot with digital camcorders, achieving a retro lo-fi aesthetic to match the lo-fi music. Working collaboratively, they’ll create two multi-scene videos. Their work will be shared on the program website and at a public screening. Limited to 8 student fellows.
Alonzo Hellerbach is a director from Baltimore. Music films he created with artist Jurdan Bryant have received international recognition, including “Words for Thomas”™, which won a UKMVA, and most recently “Story Time”™, for artist Fivio Foreign, which has over 11 million views on YouTube.
Ebony DeGrace is developing her craft as a cinematographer and photographer. She considers herself a cinematic experimentalist and aspires to uplift and uphold the Black experience through conceptualized, outer-worldly visual work.
Tavon Shipley is a Baltimore writer and artist whose work often reflects the “charm” of the city. He studied theatre arts, criminal justice, and communications at Community College of Baltimore County.
