How long did it take you to film this music video?
Around 6 hours, but the process itself took around a month from outsourcing someone suitable, to discussing ideas and finalising a concept.
What were the key steps you took to prepare for shooting?
The shoot was in London, so I travelled into central to the locations we had planned for the day which had been pre-booked in terms of venue hire. The rest was purely weather dependent as we had intended to shoot on the streets of Notting Hill & it’s surrounding areas. It was a little overcast but thankfully didn’t end up looking completely saturated! Regarding getting ready, I suppose my outfits and the whole imagery of the video was pre-discussed, so I knew exactly what I’d be wearing.
Did you have to pay to use the backdrops/settings in your video?
Yes & no! Regarding the venue hire, I reached out to around 15 venues in advance which had a vintage/70’s retro theme that fitted the bill so to speak. The one we landed on was actually in my top 5 choices. I wasn’t sure if we’d get access as most venues were closed due to covid but some of them were operating on a hire out basis for things things likes hoots etc. I paid for the venue hire by the hour.
Where did you get the cool camper van?
That was entirely spontaneous! We had actually intended to shoot on a local street with a couple of other vintage cars, but when we arrived all the owners had taken them out for a spin for the day. We spent about half an hour roaming the streets of Hampstead like little lost souls. Thankfully, we stumbled across a vintage VW and knocked on the first door we found. A very, VERY kind man said it was his and offered access to us for free providing we just credited him across socials. So that was lucky!
Did you follow your own creative instincts re. the shots used?
I had a vision of what I wanted initially. This involved setting up a a Pinterest board of the imagery, colour scheme, outfits. I referenced a couple of artists with a similar vibe to help communicate what I wanted out of the video. It’s also about finding someone who shares that vision naturally. Not to sound judgemental, but you can kinda tell by the way someone dresses, their style and/or their portfolio whether they are a good fit for you.
How big was the crew involved the video shoot?
We were a crew of 4 (including myself). Jack Douglas – (the video director & editor) brought along an assistant for the day. I also brought my own PA (friend) to get some BTS footage and to make sure I didn’t have any food in my teeth etc.
What did you use to keep your lip movement in sync with your soundtrack?
We brought a portable Bluetooth speaker with us which I sang along to during the shoot. Jack had done a couple of mixed versions in terms of speeding up the audio so that we could get some slo-mo shots of things too! I’m not entirely sure they made the cut though as the song is quite fast paced in it’s entirety, so getting the slow-mo footage meant I’d have to lip sync to myself on a x5 speed!
What about the editing process – how long did that take?
The editing undoubtedly takes the longest time. Having done some editing work myself, I completely respect the time & hours spent running through footage, and having to sync everything up. That’s before any of the fancy filters and graphics are involved too. We filmed on the 10th April, and I got my final cut around 3 weeks later.
What was easy and difficult about the editing aspect?
I’m a little bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my content and I also like to have input on the creative side to things. That being said, my experience working with Jack was fab and he was able to get my vision across entirely so I trusted him and left him to his expertise. There were a couple of clips I wanted replacing in the final edit but other than that, I was happy!
What advice do you have for singers re. keeping their budgets modest?
I think you have to be realistic with your expectations. It’s that fine line between wanting to look like the “real deal” from a marketing point of view, but also knowing you aren’t going to get the mainstream videos you see from your favorite pop stars. You also have to appreciate that all the big chart videos you see from the superstars are created from a completely unrealistic budget. That’s one of the benefits of having a label & management behind you I suppose. However, you can definitely get something great for a couple of hundred quid on your own.
Any other budget advice?
There are lots of people out there looking to expand their portfolios and just getting into videography themselves so I’d start by outsourcing students or posting on groups & forums etc. As long as your honest with your budget from the get-go, I’m pretty sure you will find someone!
What did you have to know or learn technically to film this video?
I suppose learning how to lip sync to myself was one of them! Thankfully I’ve had a bit of experience with that being on BBC ’s “I Can See Your Voice”. Between that and having had experience over many years doing video content etc, it’s most certainly an underestimated skill – it’s tricky to make it look natural!
Now, tell us about the music behind the video…
“Get To Know You” was a song I wrote about 5 years ago. Essentially it’s about the modern dating world and the expectations & pressures that can sometimes creep up when we start dating. It’s about allowing yourself to have a bit of fun without compromising on your personal boundaries/morals. Although it’s a fun and flirtatious song, I think it communicates a strong message to women in particular.
More on Bethan Wyn: Website | Facebook | Instagram | SoundCloud | Twitter | TikTok | YouTube | Fanlink
See Bethan’s Feature Interview on Singdaptive
Bethan-Wyn’s videographer is also an actor: Jack Douglas – he can be found on instagram @jackdouglasuk
Bethan-Wyn is a UK based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Originally from Solihull, her talent has already showcased nationally and is rapidly growing with an inspiring international interest. Classically trained but raised on vinyl, her persona exudes an authentic integrity often lost in today’s broad musical landscape.
