The Making of a Multi-screen Music Movie

Vince Migliore

Many musicians are inspired by seeing other players perform in online videos. An
emerging trend is to show multiple windows in the video to direct focus to
individual instruments or performers. Here we provide an outline for producing
multi-screen music videos. The process is complex, but not difficult. If you are
new to movie-making, a good place to start is to become familiar with the free
movie programs that are available on most computers, including Windows Movie
Maker and Apple iMovie.
The critical software requirement, for any video where you want to show several
screens, is to have more than one time-line in the user interface. I use the highly-
rated Cyberlink PowerDirector, which you can generally find on sale for under $60
(Figure 1).

Figure 1. Video program with multiple timelines.

Step 1: Individual Videos
The first step is to record individual performers or instruments that you want to
show in the final version of the movie. It’s important to use an audible metronome
in at least one of the clips, in order to synchronize the timing for the various
videos. I prefer to create a stand-alone audio file of just the metronome sounds,
(Figure 1) then listen to the beat in headphones as I play and record each
instrument. The video software shows the waveform for each timeline, allowing
you to match the timing for each performance. During final production you delete
or silence the metronome sounds so they don’t distract from the music. As you
record each video, be aware of the backgrounds and lighting. This helps make an
appealing image.

Make a storyboard, an outline of sequence of events you want to record. You may
want to start with a close-up of fingers playing strings, then zoom out to show
more of the performer. Have another video of the singer when the vocals start. A
good plan will save you lots of time and effort over the long run.

Step 2: Supportive Images

Photographs often add pizzazz and style to a music video. If you are playing “Blue
Hawaii” for example, you might want to add photographs of beaches and palm
trees (Figure 2). A short clip of hula dancers might really add to the flavor of the
final product. Collect all the images and video clips into one folder for later upload
to the video program.
Many video software programs have built-in features, such as particles or images
that move across the screen, special effects, and transitions from one scene to the
next. Use these sparingly, as beginners often use so many special effects that it
actually detracts from the movie.
Figure 2. Work area showing audio files, video files, and supportive images.

Step 3: Time-Line Engineering

Once you have all your videos and images in one folder, open your video program
and import the files. The standard for most programs is to show several time-lines
in rows, with special purpose rows for audio and titles.
The first, or top-most timeline is the background. The second timeline will appear
in the foreground. Video and images in the third and subsequent timelines will
block both the background and the 2nd timeline images. The lower timelines then
will be in the front. Be sure to add the metronome sound track to the audio timeline
so you can synch up the individual videos.
A typical process is to move the video of the musician playing his instrument to the
first, or background, timeline. Then add the vocalist to the second timeline. Next,
move the cursor on the second (vocalist) timeline to where he or she starts singing.
Add a “split,” or cut command to the start of the vocals, then select and delete the
beginning of the vocalist video. The video will then start with the musician, and
switch to the vocalist at the right time.

Figure 3. Resize the timeline to fit more than one video on the screen.

The positioning of each video, from front to back, and the location of the cuts and
removal of segments of each video is heart of the operation. In addition, all the
clips must be aligned to the metronome. It’s best to start simple. A cut clip can
always be replaced by moving the original video to a new timeline.

To show multiple screens, place the cursor on the background video (Figure 3).
Corner markers will allow you to resize the video and move it from side to side or
up and down. Do the same for the 2nd timeline video. You can place them side-by-
side or make one appear as a small box in the corner of the background video.
Step 4: Editing and Cleanup
The program lets you preview the video before you finalize it. Play it back with the
program viewer. Of course, you will find many mistakes and preferences that you
will want to change. Step 3 is really a long, tedious process, but it offers a wide
range of creative possibilities. You may want to change views between full screen
of one performer to split screens of two or more performers.

This is where you can add illustrative photographs to the lower timelines to add
spice to the video or use special effects to enhance the viewer experience.

Step 5: Finalizing to Production

Most video programs allow you to add titles at the beginning and credits at the end.
You can often add effects such as a thought bubble with words in front of any clip.
I like to use the audio editor function to fade in the sound at the beginning and fade
out at the end. If the song has a long instrumental introduction, I like to have it fade
in as the title appears and have it reach full volume by the time the titles are
finished. You can also mute or change the volume of any clip as desired.

Patience is a virtue. Once a move is done, I like to let it sit for a while and go back
later to review it in the program before I produce the final version. This adds
greatly to the quality of the video.
Most programs let you choose the output format and size. I like to use Windows
Media because it generally produces good quality video paired with reasonable file
size. I often use 720x480 pixels or 1280x720. Most cameras provide HD quality,
but these files are often huge in size and cumbersome to work with. They also take
longer to upload.
I have produced a video to illustrate the practices described here
( https://youtu.be/eMUYidCP_bA ). Unlike my own advice, I rushed through the
production process, so you will find much to criticize, but you will get the general
idea. This video shows only two timelines at the same time, but you can add any
number using multiple screens.
Good luck, and enjoy your movie-making!