WDMV is working to help the music video industry change for the better.
After months or sometimes years of a lack of transparency and respect, many directors end up financially broke and demoralized without a clear path to continue their careers. We can and must do better. Our Guidelines and Best Practices for the Pitching Process define the basic expectations of all parties in the beginning stages of the music video process. Through the strength of collective bargaining, the more individuals and companies that adopt these guidelines, the more powerful they become.
WE ARE PUSHING FOR 3 THINGS:
Minimize free work
We believe free work should be a choice, not an expectation.
In order to help the music video industry survive, passionate directors and their collaborators have been "subsidizing" the music video industry by giving up their free labor, free equipment, and even often donating their own personal money to make music videos possible. This is now the norm. While this has led to some amazing videos and careers, it is unsustainable.
respect
Promoting a culture and process of mutual respect is essential for our industry to thrive.
Many problems that currently plague the music video process stem from a lack of respect for directors’ time and creative energy. We believe this not any single party’s fault, but instead the product of a flawed system that has been unchecked for too long.
transparency
Transparency will not only help improve the process but also the final product.
Without transparency, it becomes increasingly easier for directors, especially emerging talents, to be taken advantage of. It is not uncommon for directors to not know who and how many other directors they are pitching against, they seldom get notified when they lose a job, and “ghosting” is unfortunately not uncommon.
WDMV’S
PITCHING GUIDELINES
support a more respectful & efficient music video pitching process
As a first step to open up the conversation, WDMV has collaborated with the rest of the industry to craft Guidelines and Best Practices for the Pitching Process to standardize a pitching process that strives for these three simple things.
WDMV is pleased to present our revamped treatment database, a resource for directors to learn how to pitch music videos to artists.
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