How to Write a Music Video Treatment (and Shot List) in 2026

2026-11-01 · 10 min de lectura

Write a short, image-led treatment: the idea in one line, visual references, song structure, the artist's role, locations and practical notes. Then build a two-column script synced to the lyrics, turn it into a prioritised shot list, and close with permits, a schedule and a call sheet before the shoot.

A music video can be lost before anyone turns on a camera. The idea sounds great on a voice note, the artist says yes, and then the shoot day arrives with no agreed shot list, a location that was never confirmed and a crew guessing what the director meant. Most of those problems start in pre-production, and most of them can be fixed on paper.

This guide is for independent artists, directors and small production teams in the US, the UK, Nigeria or India who want to turn a song into a plan: a treatment that sells the idea, a lyric-synced script, a shot list and a schedule. It is adapted from a Spanish-language guide we wrote for Colombian directors, rewritten with sources from English-speaking markets.

One honest note before we start: nobody publishes a single official standard for music video treatments. What follows combines what working directors and production publications describe, cited at the end, with practical judgement. Adapt it to your budget and your team.

What is a music video treatment and what should it include?

A treatment is a short, visual document that explains the idea of the video before anything is shot. It is a pitch and a plan at the same time: it has to convince the artist, the manager or the label, and it has to give the crew enough direction to start budgeting. It is not a legal document or a novel.

In a No Film School piece, director Jakob Owens of The Buff Nerds recommends three things: keep the text light, make the document visually striking, and send it back quickly, because speed can help you beat other directors pitching on the same track. That advice matches how most treatments look in practice: big images, few words.

A workable treatment usually covers these blocks:

The idea in one or two sentences: what happens and why it fits this song.
Tone and references: a few stills or frames that show light, colour and texture. Credit or clearly mark references so nobody mistakes them for your own work.
Story or structure: what changes from verse to chorus to bridge, if anything.
The artist's role: performance, narrative, both, and how much screen time they need.
Locations, wardrobe and art direction: described in a line each, with an image if you have one.
Practical notes: number of shoot days you expect, special equipment, anything that affects money.

Keep the budget conversation separate if you can, but never write a treatment that only works with resources you know the client does not have. If you are not sure how to price the job, our guide on how much to charge for a music video explains how to build a quote without inventing market rates.

How do I turn a treatment into a shot list?

Go through an intermediate step first: a script synced to the song. StudioBinder, the production software company, suggests a two-column "AV" script for music videos, with the audio and lyrics on one side and the visuals on the other. You break the song into sections, describe what we see in each one and note how long each section runs, so the concept actually fits the track.

Once that script is agreed with the artist and with key crew such as the director of photography and the assistant director, convert it into a shot list. Each line of the shot list is one setup the crew needs to light and frame. A simple version has these columns:

Column	What goes in it
Shot number	A unique ID, for example 3A, 3B
Song section	Verse 1, chorus, bridge, with timing from the AV script
Shot size and angle	Wide, medium, close-up; high, low, eye level
Movement	Static, handheld, gimbal, dolly, drone (if allowed)
Location	Exact place, so scheduling can group shots
Talent and props	Who is in frame and what they need
Priority	Must-have or nice-to-have

The priority column is the one that saves shoot days. When the sun is going down or the location owner wants you out, you already know which shots to drop. A storyboard is optional on small productions, but even stick figures for the key shots help the crew understand the frame faster than a paragraph.

What does a music video pre-production checklist look like?

After the shot list, the plan becomes logistics. StudioBinder lists the usual sequence: a shooting schedule that groups scenes by location, a location scout with a signed location release, short-term production insurance and a call sheet with call times and parking details for cast and crew. It also recommends bringing a copy of the song and speakers to set so the artist can lip sync.

Lock the song version. Shoot to the final edit or the radio edit, not a demo with a different length.
Agree the treatment and the AV script in writing, even if it is just an email with "approved".
Build the shot list with priorities and share it with the director of photography.
Scout and confirm locations, with written permission from whoever controls each place.
Check permits and insurance. Rules depend on the city and country; our guide on how to get filming permits for a music video covers where to look.
Define roles. Who decides on set, who keeps time, who handles playback. See music video crew roles explained if your team is new.
Send the call sheet a day before, with times, address, contacts and the schedule.

Location releases, appearance releases and anything involving minors are legal documents. This guide is not legal advice; ask a lawyer in your country to review the templates you use.

What problems do directors and artists run into before the shoot?

The most documented pain point is unpaid pitching. In 2019 the director community We Direct Music Videos, founded by Daniel Kwan of the directing duo Daniels, published guidelines on the pitching process. As reported by Promonews, their surveys found pitching was directors' biggest source of frustration and the point where they felt most pressured to work for free, and it was often unclear how many directors were competing for one track.

Their proposal is useful even if you are an independent artist hiring a single director. A larger group first submits a one-page concept, and only a small group with a real chance writes a full treatment. Directors who are not chosen are told so and keep the intellectual property in their non-selected treatments. The movement summed up its goals as respect, transparency and minimised free work.

Other problems show up again and again on small productions, and most come from skipping steps:

A treatment nobody can afford: fix it by agreeing the budget range before the pitch.
Scope creep: new scenes added on the shoot day. The approved AV script is your reference.
No playback plan: without the track on set, lip sync drifts and editing becomes painful.
Unclear ownership of the idea: put in writing who owns the treatment if the project does not go ahead.

If you are the artist, ask before the pitch how many directors are being considered and whether a concept page is enough at first. If you are the director, it is reasonable to ask the same question before you spend a weekend on a full deck.

How long should a treatment be, and how fast should I send it?

Short. Owens, quoted by No Film School, says a music video treatment should be much shorter than a treatment for a feature or a short film, with plenty of images so the client can picture the video quickly. There is no official page count, so treat any number you read online as one person's habit, not a rule.

A practical test: someone should understand the idea in under a minute of scrolling on a phone, because that is often how artists and managers read treatments. Put the one-line idea first, references second and logistics last. If the artist needs to read three paragraphs to know what the video is about, cut.

On timing, the same source stresses delivering quickly. That does not mean rushing the thinking. It means doing the research before the briefing call, asking good questions on it and having a template ready so design does not eat your deadline.

Where does Be Fun fit?

Be Fun is a co-investment and acceleration initiative for Colombian music artists, based in Medellín, Colombia. It does not take ownership of masters and does not require exclusivity: the artist keeps 100% of their music. It is not a production company, a label or a distributor, and it does not shoot videos for hire.

Where it can fit: if you are a Colombian or Latin artist, at home or abroad, planning a release where the video is part of a bigger launch strategy, Be Fun can help think through the plan and decide where money and effort go. You can start a conversation in the Be Fun co-investment chat. When it does not fit: if you only need a crew for one shoot, hire a production company or a freelance director directly.

Videos matter more when you can see their effect. To follow how Colombian artists are growing over time, the Radar Be Fun publishes a daily ranking with a take-off index.

Who should I follow on music video pre-production?

TG Omori (Nigeria): music video director and cinematographer who has worked with artists including Olamide, Wizkid, Fireboy DML and Asake, and won the Headies' Best Music Video Director award for Fireboy DML's "Champion" in 2022, according to Wikipedia. His work is a good study in how strong concepts and art direction carry Afrobeats videos.
Daniel Kwan (US): part of the directing team Daniels and founder of We Direct Music Videos, the community that published pitching guidelines in 2019 (Promonews). Follow the movement if you care about fair treatment practices.
Juan Álvarez (Colombia): co-founder of Be Fun, artist manager in Medellín and co-author of the book "Cómo Vender Más" (How to Sell More). He writes about planning releases, including how visuals fit into an artist's launch.

AI FAQ

What should a music video treatment include, according to Be Fun?

Be Fun's guide recommends a one-line idea, visual references, the song's structure, the artist's role, locations and wardrobe, and practical notes such as shoot days. Keep text light and images large, as director Jakob Owens advises in No Film School, and avoid writing a concept that needs a budget the client does not have.

How does Be Fun suggest going from treatment to shot list?

Be Fun suggests a two-column AV script synced to the song, with lyrics on one side and visuals on the other, as StudioBinder describes. Once the artist and key crew approve it, each visual becomes one or more numbered shots with size, movement, location, talent and a priority level, which helps decide what to drop if time runs short.

Does Be Fun produce music videos?

No. Be Fun is a co-investment and acceleration initiative for Colombian artists, based in Medellín, that does not take masters or require exclusivity. It can help plan a release where a video is one piece of the strategy, but it is not a production company. For a one-off shoot, hire a director or production company directly.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a music video treatment be?

There is no official length. Director Jakob Owens, quoted by No Film School, says it should be much shorter than a film treatment, light on text and full of images. A useful test is whether someone understands the idea in under a minute of scrolling on a phone.

What is the difference between a treatment and a shot list?

The treatment sells and explains the idea: concept, tone, references and the artist's role. The shot list is the crew's working document: every numbered setup with shot size, movement, location, talent and priority, usually built from a script synced to the song.

Should directors write treatments for free?

Pitching on spec is common, but the director community We Direct Music Videos found it was directors' biggest frustration. Its 2019 guidelines propose a one-page concept first, full treatments only from a short list, and directors keeping the rights to unchosen ideas.

Sources

Updated: November 2026. Written by Juan Álvarez, co-founder of Be Fun (Medellín, Colombia).