In a feed full of selfie videos and AI slop, get a professional music video that your audience will love and play on repeat.
Hi, I'm Duncan. I'm a filmmaker and animator based in the UK. I've been making music videos since 2008, which means I've been doing this long enough to have had stuff on TV! I love a wide range of genres, collaborating with fellow creatives and bringing your ideas to life. I take a cinematic approach to music videos to make you something beautiful that you and your fans will love.
One of the most amazing piveldges of my job is getting to listen to new music before it's released. I'm happy to sign an NDA ahead of this, however I treat any music and ideas as business-in-confidence unless told others (some artists may release a song before making a video). Do give me any key inforrmation upfront if you can, live your budget expectations, intended release date and anything else that I should factor in before we start. I may send you a quick survery to capture any follow up details.
Once I have your music, any ideas and any other initial information I'll send you a link for a video call that you can book at a time that works for you. My call booking link will avoid days I may be away filming or on holiday. The point of the call is to build on the idea you have sent over with the expectation I've probably had your track on repeat before talking and will then know it well. I can talk through a realistic plan of what you can achieve within any constraint you may have, be that budget or just fitting it in between tours. I'll send you a contract and invoice if you're ready to go ahead.
For a simple video I'll make sure locations, crew and kit are in place to go film at the date we discuss on the call. I try to get through this stage quickly so we can get your ideal venues or locations booked whilst they are free, so don't be surprised if you're set up to shoot quite quickly. For more complex projects I'll usually send a "Reply Brief" which is my vision of how we can make your initial ideas and I'll need your sign off before I get everything organised. Lead times will vary depending on the scope of your ideas.
Filming may be on just one day for most music videos, but for more involved, story-based projects it's usually shot over two days - longest I've ever done is 5 days, and I've made movies in 10, so this is pretty unusual. All the planning and logistics have led up to this day, but I hope you'll enjoy the experience. It's hard work, you'll hear your own song a lot (it's not unusual to have 20-30 run throughs for a band performance video) and it can be nonstop work, but I try to keep the vibe upbeat, productive and bring a talented crew that I love as people to my sets. It's also great to get behind the scenes and social media content as part of your shoot, as a music video shoot is an event in itself, often on a par with headlining your first gig.
Depending on if it's a performance video or something wildly creative, the edit can be anything from a day or two with some small changes, to a month-long project. For budget reasons I like to steer off intensive visual effects these days, but do retain those skills when it can be justified. For the most part I'm looking to make sure I'm showing everyone at their best, and if there's a story, that this connects emotionally in the way it's meant to. Changes are normal. Your bassist may think the face he pulled is great, your drummer may tell him to wind it in. Have one person set up to give feedback to your side, and I'll give you a link which then puts notes on my edit timeline.
I've worked with quite a lot of artists time any time again, with some having as many as 10 videos with me over the years. I'm interested in knowing your succeeding and love seeing the journeys artists I know go on. I'm hear for the long run, I hope you can have back again. Below you'll see some lovely things said by artists who have had multiple videos with me.
"I’ve had the pleasure of working with Duncan on several projects, and I can say without hesitation that he’s exceptional at what he does. Duncan is a highly talented director, producer, and animator with a rare ability to combine creativity with absolute professionalism.
Duncan is reliable, thoughtful, and creatively fearless. He understands a brief instinctively, elevates ideas, and delivers consistently strong results. He’s also a pleasure to work with: calm, collaborative, and deeply committed to the craft.
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Duncan to anyone looking for a first-class creative partner."
Benjamin Peter, Singer/Songwriter
4 music videos produced since 2021
Follow: @BenjaminPMusic
"I worked with Duncan on videos for three of my studio albums and he always made the process so enjoyable and seamless. From the original storyboarding to shot selection to shooting to editing, Duncan was a total pro on all these aspects and it was such a pleasure to work with someone who is such a creative and collaborative expert."
Louise Aubrie, Singer/Songwriter
9 Music videos produced since 2016
Follow: @LouiseAubrieMusic
“Clearly, when you’re in a band you meet lots of people who want to get involved, but Duncan genuinely shone miles above anyone. He just seems to know exactly what you’re trying to achieve, asks the right questions, does the right research and then delivers exactly what you were aiming for. Its not rocket science, but honestly, nobody gets hold of a concept and nails is on the head like Duncan does. I’ve been involved in projects costing 20 times this and the results didn’t even come close. And, don’t even get me started on his after sales service. Honestly, if I could tell people not to use him, just so I could keep him for The Thespians, I would.”
Paul Tong, Former Singer/Guitarist of The Thespians & Polar States. 10 Music videos produced for both bands since 2010
"What I like about Duncan was his in depth approach to listening, relistening, and reading the lyrics in detail to come up with a visual representation of our music. Communication is key, and Duncan is no exception to that. He clearly knows what he's doing and what he wants, next to that, he's just easy going and a real fun guy to work with!"
Psy’Aviah, (Beligum)
Follow: @SheMMDI
“Duncan understands the importance of WHY! Rather than hearing our ideas and thinking about HOW he would do them, he spent a lot of time trying to understand WHY we wanted certain things to happen, and why they had to be in the video. With that knowledge he was then able to understand what we wanted, and better interpret our wishes.
Often whilst Shooting we would see a smile appear on Duncan’s face and this would be followed by ‘I have an idea’. It is these spontaneous bursts of creativity which mean that no two shoots will ever be the same, and it is that creativity which attracted us to working with him in the first place.”
Ghost in the Static
“Before we worked with Clockwork Amoeba we were unaware of what a difference a decent quality shoot can make. Thanks to Duncan and his team we have a pro-shot video that is not only turning heads in the industry, but looks, sounds and plays as though it was made for MTV or Scuzz. We can’t recommend them enough, and are damn sure the difference between your video being noticed and ignored is Clockwork Amoeba."
Lionsex (UK Glam Rock band)
“Stumbling upon enthusiasm of Duncan’s degree isn’t generally a characteristic people frequent. The Clockwork Amoeba team have been hard working and complete perfectionists from our first meeting to receiving the final cut. Professional and a pleasure to work with.”
Ocasan
Follow: @Ocasan
How much does a music video cost?
There’s a good reason I can’t give you a one sized fits all price - everything comes down to your ideas and your expectations. I’ve done single videos that have had earthquake simulated physically on a set, or hired water tanks and stately homes, whilst also making lighting look like a studio in basically a scout hut. None of these budgets are the same, it depends what you want, where you want to film it and what your own red lines are. What I can say is I have worked with plenty of independent artists and signed artists, people with backers, and people who saved to make a first video. I can give you some rough costing. The average crew member is between £500-£650 per day, and that could be an MUA or a camera op on the upper end. You’ll probably be paying around that per day, per crew member, including for post. If you’re trying to keep things budget, make sure you’re setting aside finances for your actual digital promotion (aka ads). However crazy good I can make a video for you, you will need a budget to push it, things don’t just “go viral” these days and anyone telling you otherwise is probably lying or delusional. As you can see from above, I aim to develop relationships with artists and bands so I can make videos for them time and time again, not to max you out. To keep a sensible budget with high quality, I’d encourage an indoor location or studio, with minimal crew (I can shoot solo if I get some help to my car with kit!) with controlled lighting conditions. If you don’t expect to do massive amounts of changes or any visual effects, this can be a quick, affordable and timely process, usually a day or so of my time. On the other hand, you may have a substantial budget, but even if this is the case, I prefer to get this up on screen, pay my team on time and correctly and make sure you have an excellent experience, however big or small you may be at the point we start working together. Locations and venues costing, again that just depends on what you want. I generally put artists straight in touch so can book directly. A day in a photo studio in Birmingham (at time of writing) may be £180 per day, a water tank would be about £1000, and a stately home is probably about £4000, but forgive my figures here as I’ve only done that a couple of time back in the day. You can also just shoot a band in a rehearsal room. It really just depends on the look you’re after, what you want the final video to look like and obviously your own means to do so. I do have a list of venues and studios I’ve used before and know well but I’m very open to your own ideas. The key thing with any location is just factoring an hour or two either end of a day for any more involved load in/load out, lighting rigs or set dressing. In some cases venue may need to be hired for a full day, in rare cases where you may be complete transforming them, and obviously we have to put thing back.
Do you shoot on weekends?
Yes! But I keep this to about one whole weekend a month as I have small children at home and don't want to miss out on too many special moments. I don't have any limit on weekday filming. All projects will need a couple of weeks lead time to be planned and set up for success.
Do I need a makeup artist or makeup?
I think if I have a crew on set, the first minimum hire is usually a makeup artist. It's always money well spent.. If you have any amount of lighting, you need to matte your skin even if this is just some basic powder. This makeup won’t be visible but if you have shiny skin on screen you’ll regret it. Unless you specifically want a very shiny effect on your skin with more elaborate makeup looks, I would recommend matte makeups as much as possible. You can do your own makeup, but equally I’ve worked with some very good makeup artists over the years and they make a significant difference to the overall look of a video, just as much as anything I might be doing with light or cameras.
How many music videos have you made?
I’m not sure. I used to keep a list of productions I’d worked on and there was over 400 a one stage, and this was ten years ago. Of this at least 100 would have been music videos. I have had gaps in my career where I’ve gone and worked on projects that aren’t music videos, but music videos always come back. Some of the animated music videos take 3 or 4 months so obviously I can only make a few other those in a year, whereas sometimes I’ve shot 2-3 videos in a week and then been buried in post. At a guess, around 100-150 music videos.
Can I shoot more than one track in a day?
I've created a package specifically for this and gathering a ton of BTS and extra content. It's not necessarily a cheap option as it requires a fair bit more crew to do properly, and I do insist on doing things to a decent standard.
Do you give discounts?
No, but I structure my pricng in a way that are as affordable for artists and bands as possible, whilst being realistic in covering my time and the cost of holding the equipment. I can do custom quotes, but it’s not a sustainable business trying to “fit” and idea into a limited budget. If you’re on a limited budget I can recommend what you can afford or point you in the direction of DIY resources if time allows.
Do you supply playback/PA?
No. I don’t personally bring a PA to my shoots. Generally either the studio or venue I film in has some or the band/artist brings one. Do talk to me about this. Even with a solo artist moving around, using a phone that isn’t all that loud may not be enough for play back.
Are locations and studios expensive?
They don’t have to be. There’s been multiple occasions where I’ve blacked out a scout hut or a school hall and turn it into a studio space. Once upon a time you needed giant amounts of power, but modern LED lights aren’t such an issue with this. Really most big studios are warehouses that have been adapted to fit lighting rigs. This means that with enough kit and enough hands on deck you can transform a lot of spaces into one appropriate for filming. Obviously its a lot easier to have a facility that comes blacked out or with a certain level of rigged lights, but depending on where you film some studios and locations can be multiples of the cost to crew a music video. I’ve filmed in some great studios in and around London, but generally if you’re needing to be careful with your money, head a bit further North and leave the orbit of the M25. You’ll find not only to you get more affordable studios but you may also get bigger and better options. The same is also true for locations. Obviously if you can borrow a location with permission, that’s great - but equally if you have a location expecting a film crew to turn out, it’s usually a better facility. You’ll need somewhere to eat, somewhere to do make up and get changed. Loos are thing. See also previous comments on getting rained on for why its worth it for getting decent indoor location. If you can go in, set up light and control conditions for filming you can reliably make a video you can be proud of.