I've done some side work but nothing as serious as a music video. The two tips I would give you are:
1. Establish your workflow beforehand
2. Scope the project (per project management rules)
Establishing the workflow prior to a project:
If you've got the tools, the know-how, the software, and can meet the output requirements, then that will make the job really easy. I've done a couple projects where I've had to learn a large amount of information as I went, which really complicated the job, because with production jobs that require deliverables, you want to have a clearly-established workflow so that the details aren't nagging you the whole time.
For example, there's a difference between learning video editing and learning a video editing package - if you already know how to edit videos, then hopping from Sony Vegas to Final Cut Pro is just a technical matter. If you're trying to learn Final Cut Pro AND how to edit video, AND you're on a deadline to deliver, then that further complicates the task at hand. You see little mistakes all the time, too - videos that come out with horizontal lines in motion sequences because the editor didn't understand what interlacing was, for instance.
It's not that you can't learn new things on the job, it's just that it adds more time and effort, so the more workflow you can get down beforehand, the better your life will be because there will be fewer roadblocks. I continually optimize my workflow as well, even with little things like mounts and batteries - I have quick release plates on all of my equipment, so I can take my camera from my tripod to my glidetrack to my Blackbird to my Gorillapod in seconds. I have 8 or 10 batteries (cheap knockoffs from eBay) so I don't EVER have to worry about running out of juice while I'm shooting.
This includes software, too - do you know how long a 10-minute HD re-encode takes on your system? Proper settings? Do you have storage habits in place and a good storage system for data? Do you have backup drives and a backup system already setup? Nailing down the workflow helps you to be super efficient, which makes you more productive. Faster output, fewer headaches.
Scoping the project:
Scoping the project is also really important. You can end up working for 50 cents an hour if you're not careful about what you commit to. The client needs to clearly understand what they are paying you for - are you going to shoot a music video in 1 week, edit in 1 week, and deliver a DVD copy? Are you going to output for Youtube, Vimeo, and Facebook? Are you lining up 100 copies with printed disc labels and sleeve jackets? Are you going to spend 75 hours doing compositing work and special effects, color grading, etc?
I took a project management class a few semesters ago and really enjoyed it because the one big thing it taught me was how to get very specific about what you're actually going to deliver, on what schedule, and for how much. Our first project was actually a video shooting/editing project, so that worked out real well for me :biggrin: But our teacher nailed us because we put together a proposal and she kept asking for more, more, more and we quickly saw how you can screw yourself if you're not careful about what you limit your scope to be. Nearly all projects end up going over budget/schedule/resources, but that's to be expected - you just have to figure in a 20% overhead on them, and not get sucked into an enormous workload that you're not contracted to do.
I had a hard time with this when I first got into web design many years ago. I'd do a website for a client and then they'd make small change requests at different times, which I'd "just do". Pretty soon those small requests were eating up all of my time and I learned to write in a "tweak" fee into the contract so that each change made money. It's the same with shooting video...clients want re-encoded versions for iPhones, for Vimeo, for Bluray, or want something erased digitally in After Effects, or to change a title font color, or whatever. So be careful about what you sign up for is pretty much the lesson I learned.
Hmm...what else. For some projects that are more creative like a music video, it helps to have a plan going in, and a plan that has options and variations pre-listed. So based on his style of music, research other music videos and see what types of shots they do, how they tell the story of the song, etc. Get ideas from him if he wants to contribute, put together a storyboard, and come up with a few "backup" plans - alternatives to shoot if they main ones you picked don't work out. Sometimes a shot is really good in theory, but it just doesn't work in practice, and nothing is worse than being there with a client and trying to think up ideas in the spotlight. If you have a few spare ideas handy for all of the major sequences, then you can quickly grab one of those instead of feeling like a deer in the headlights. Although some people are great at coming up with stuff on the fly like that.
HTH
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