Don't Waste Your Music Video Budget

How We Helped Obsidian Mind Grow with a Scaled-Down, Dialed-In Performance Video: BTS with JECP & Obsidian Mind's Partnership.

A Big Vision. A Tight Budget. A Common Story.

Every band’s been here.

You’ve got a killer track.

A bold vision for the video.

But the budget?

Yeah… not quite matching the dream.

That’s where we met Obsidian Mind.

We had already talked years earlier. Great vibes. Big ideas. But like a lot of early conversations, it fizzled—because it just wasn’t the right time.

And honestly? That used to sting.

Early in JECP, we didn’t always know how to scale a project down without gutting the heart of it.

We’d either over-promise, under-price, or try to pull off something massive with limited resources.

Sometimes it worked. Sometimes… it didn’t.

The Early Years Weren’t Pretty (But They Were Real)

Back in 2011–2015, we were figuring it out as we went.

We had the heart.

We had the ideas.

But we lacked the reps.

18-hour days? Been there.

Reshoots because we missed something obvious? Yep.

Winging it with half-built props, zero lighting plan, and a fog machine we weren’t sure was legal?

That was our brand.

Clients still trusted us.

They saw the hustle.

But man, it took time to become what we are today.

That’s why when Obsidian Mind came back around, we were ready to do it right.

We challenge this by building great ideas within a music video budget. It's not either or.

Several years ago, we had talks with Obsidian Mind and a really ambitious music video. We were immediately gripped by their enthusiasm and the potential of what we could create together. However, like many artists in the industry, initial ambitions would often outpace the allocated budget. Our project was put on pause. It happens, and that's okay.

In our early years, these situations were particularly challenging. How do you retain the essence of a grand vision when resources are limited?

Fast-forward a few years, and this challenge became a catalyst for growth at JECP. We learned to present dual paths: one that embraces the grandeur of bigger ideas and another more scaled-back, yet never compromising on quality. We recognized that what makes a music video "good" isn't budget but intention. We often approach each project with an art director and marketing mindset. We want content to interconnect, build upon one another, and feel consistent for the audience.

Big or small budget doesn't affect this other than having more or less resources to work with. Some ideas take more, and others take less, but if it's out of alignment with the creative direction, it's all for nothing. We are learners first. The better we know our artist's vision, the better the creative we can craft, hence why relationship matters more than budget.

In the intervening years, we've become adept at this balancing act. While we were well-versed in this nuanced approach five years ago, today, we're even more equipped. Our mantra is clear: help artists, whether operating on a shoestring budget or a more lavish one, achieve their dreams. We advocate for iterative growth, believing that every project, big or small, lays the foundation for the next.

It's gratifying when everything aligns perfectly. But the real joy? It's in the journey, the challenges, the learnings, and in witnessing an artist's growth. We're in this together, incrementally building towards greatness. And for every artist who chooses to embark on this journey with us, we're endlessly grateful.

We Didn’t Try to “Sell Big”—We Planned Smart

This time, the conversation looked different.

Instead of pitching a giant concept they couldn’t afford, we asked better questions:

• What’s the one thing this video needs to accomplish?

• What do you already have access to?

• How can we make it feel big without making it bloated?

That led us to one of our most popular offerings today:

The Performance Video – Signature Package.

Minimal crew.

Smart lighting.

Bold energy.

Shot in a location they had access to, built around the band’s vibe and the artwork for The Sound of Hunger.

Simple.

Tight.

Confident.

And still super them.

We used the package to go lean on production and enhance extra deliverables, helping them market more than tell a visual story.

BTS Video for the Project | Filmed by Drew Hiles & Edited by Jenna Van Kley

Deliverables That Multiply the Impact

One video wasn’t the whole play.

We captured and built out 100+ deliverables:

• Teasers

• BTS photos

• Poster frames

• Cinematic stills

• Social loops

They had everything they needed for a full campaign, before and after release.

No scrambling.

No “what do we post next?”

Just a full system that made their video work for them.

“This was the first time we felt like we were truly marketing ourselves. We even built a website off the back of this campaign.”

— John, Obsidian Mind

The Result? More Than a Video. A Shift in How They Show Up.

Obsidian Mind didn’t just release a video—they raised the bar.

For themselves.

For their audience.

And for what’s possible when you find the right partner who sees the long game with you.

This wasn’t a fluke.

It was a team effort: ours and theirs.

And that’s always the real win.

What You Can Learn from This (Even If You’re Not in a Band)

• A big idea doesn’t need a big budget—it needs a clear purpose.

• Videos don’t create momentum alone—systems and story do.

• Trust leads to better planning. Better planning leads to better results.

The Honest Truth?

I used to be a control freak. Still am sometimes.

It’s my name on the line. The work represents me. But I’ve learned—especially over the last decade—that letting go of control is what actually built JECP.

Now we lead with clarity.

We hand-pick teams that align with our vibe and mission.

We don’t guess.

We collaborate.

And that makes our clients feel safe enough to go big, no matter their budget.

JECP Team

Josh Emerick | Director, Producer & Editor

Noah Hines | Director of Photography

Drew Hiles | Production Support & BTS Photo & Video

Jenna Van Kley | BTS Video Edit

OHD Studios | Gear Rentals

Want to Work Like This?

If you’re ready to actually enjoy the process, feel confident in your budget, and build something that grows with you, we should talk.

This isn’t about selling you a project.

It’s about seeing if we can build something worth remembering.

Let’s start with a conversation.

Book a discovery call →

Or learn more about our Performance Video Packages →