Why would a company that has professional services want to be on Youtube? Aren’t teenagers the only ones who post videos and waste their time looking on Youtube?
We’ve all heard about Youtube and we’ve all asked these questions. But consider this. Google is the #1 search engine. When was the last time you used another search engine on a consistent basis? In fact, using the word Google can be a noun (the name of the company) or a verb (“I Googled my name and found out there are 7 other people with the same name…in my own town”). Also consider when you search for any given topic, you will also see videos from Youtube in the search results. Most people are drawn to a result that has a video since it’s easier to consume content when it’s a moving picture rather than a website with only text.
The #2 search engine is Youtube. It boasts more than 100 million videos viewed each day. And did you know that Youtube is owned by Google? Google must have seen a lot of value in paying $1.65 billion to something that many people view as a place where teenagers put their stupid videos… Maybe there are other ways to use Youtube? Since Youtube is owned by Google, if you search Google you get not only results for websites with text only but you also get results for videos. This will help tremendously in getting higher rankings in Google, which will bring more views to your website, which will attract more customers to your business. And that’s a very good thing.
Why does all this matter? Since most people click on videos at a higher rate than the text only websites, wouldn’t it make sense to put videos of your company such as: a power point presentation, the new promotional video, a training video, your quarterly updates, marketing ideas your company created or any other company branded video you may have? It would benefit your company greatly to have a video (of any length) that shows your logo, website, and contact info at the end of the video. That way, people can then be directed back to your website.
Youtube is testing out paid downloads. So if you have video content that you could sell, then you could be making money on Youtube in the near future. Why not start building an audience now, so they will be ready to purchase your content in the future? You can also have subscriptions so people can be aware automatically when you release new content. Youtube has tremendous analytics, which allows you to see who is viewing your videos. You can view the age, gender, country, how long the average viewer watched the video and how they found your video. So you aren’t just posting a video and hoping that people see it (like the traditional advertising of print, television and radio), but you can track the viewer to help know what they want and how you can provide a better service.
If the goal is to get more business (that’s a good thing), then getting more rankings on Google using videos on Youtube will greatly help. Go ahead, post a video on Youtube and see who watches it. You’ll be amazed. And that’s a very good thing.
It’s been a while but I am going to post a blog about the importance of Youtube.
Our video contest ends tomorrow. Go to http://www.GrowDayton.com to watch the 30 sec videos on main page to help us win.
Last week of the video contest. Go to http://www.GrowDayton.com to view these 30 second videos and help me win a contest. Please RT
Just uploaded several tool kits for beginner wedding videographers. Great resources. ImproveMyVideo.com
RT Here’s The FREE Software @ryanwade Used To Make Over $4,000 With One Tweet … http://viraltweets.com
In this podcast I talk about how to meet with the couple and how to show them you are professional, competent, and will treat them like they are your only client (even if they are). Use these steps to ensure that you bring what you need to the meeting as well as what to say and what not to say. I created a more in depth ebook on my products page if you want more information.
Chances are that if you are just starting you video career or are filming a wedding for a friend or family member that you may overlook something very important. The way you dress as a professional says a lot about yourself. Even if you are filming a wedding for free, you still want to be respectful and dress appropriately for the job.
The key for knowing what to wear at a wedding, is to match the type of wedding that you are filming. Know if you are filming a wedding that is: at a beach, very formal, relaxed, has a theme or some variation.
Here are 4 tips on how to dress like a professional.
1. Ask the bride what type of wedding it will be. The fastest way to look like a professional is to give her examples such as, “will the attenders all be in tuxedos or is it more casual?”
2. Notice what time of day the wedding takes place. Most weddings will be a bit more dressy if it’s an evening wedding rather than an afternoon wedding.
3. Ask where the wedding and reception will be held. If the wedding is at the nicest banquet all in town and everyone is drinking fine wine and eating delicious steaks, then it will probably be a format wedding.
4. Verify what many guests will be wearing. By asking the bride or groom about your guests, you can determine how they might be dressed and base your decision on that. If most of the attenders are going to be coming off the farms, then they probably won’t dress up much. If they are all getting out of their luxury cars, it might be a high end, formal wedding.
The most important thing about knowing how to dress as a wedding videographer is to not draw attention to yourself in any way. I usually wear dress pants, dress shirt with a tie (and sometimes jacket) and nice dress shoes. The standard color for photographers and videographers is black which lets you not stand out while you are running around getting footage. If you have wrinkled clothes or unshaved face (hopefully just for the guys), then you will be making yourself look bad. Remember, everyone there could use your video services at one time or another and you are to look as professional as possible. This isn’t the time to show that you are an individual and never dress up. Throw away your attitude and know that in the professional world, people wear dress pants, take a shower and shave daily. If you don’t do that every day, at least do it on the day of the wedding.
Go out and buy some nice clothes, and notice how the amount of weddings you film will go up. People respect others that look nice and “look” professional. Michael Jordan once said something like, “people treat you based on how you are dressed”. The better you dress, the better people will treat you. So kick of those sandals and get some dress shoes on because you’re a professional.
With the economy going down, more and more people are wanting to get some money on the side and filming weddings are a great way to go. It is one of the ways a lot of people enter the video market is to start by filming friends and family weddings. This is something you shouldn’t take lightly since a wedding is a very important day for more than just the bride and groom. On one hand, it can be easy but it does take some skill and experience to anticipate what happens next. Please keep in mind, that if you are diving into this field, then please do your homework. Talk to the bride and groom about the order or service, what they expect, what they want on the DVD and when you’ll give them the final product…and stick to it. I’ve heard from a lot of couples that waited a year or more to get the DVD from their friend who filmed it, but never “got around to it”.
If you are wanting to get experience by filming your family members wedding and then go on to film people you don’t know, you better get your prices together and a system to make each wedding easy on yourself. You don’t want to spend 40+ hours editing a wedding when it should take you around 20 hours to edit.
I’ve developed some products to help beginners dive into the wedding market. Don’t risk this important day for the family by assuming you can film and edit a wedding. Get some tool kits that will help you. I love helping people and developed them with the beginner in mind.
Click on the “products” page to find out more.
Just posted 7 videos on http://www.GrowDayton.com. Help us win this contest by watching and spread the word about PicsMatch software. #picsmatch
In this episode I talk about how to market your services without spending any money. You don’t need to put a lot of money into advertising if you use these tips.
more info coming soon on this site. Most podcasts too.
Hoping to upload a new podcast in the next week. It’s been a while.
This next podcast talks about how to film a wedding video for beginners. I discuss how to meet with a couple to film their wedding, and what questions to ask. This will help you communicate with them before the wedding which will help you while filming the wedding. The more you think through before the wedding, the easier it is the day of the shoot. Listen to this podcast and leave a comment about how I can help you.
Tags: podcast
The first podcast is up. It’s the intro.Look for the next episode soon. I’m excited to see how this helps people learn more and earn more.
An Introduction on topics important to improving your video taking. Tips and tricks from one of the pros in the industry. Stay tuned for more in depth podcasts…coming soon.
Tags: podcast
It’s been a while since I last tweeted. Still working on the site and how I can help people. Any thoughts of how to do that?
If you don’t have samples of your work online than you should put it up quickly. If you aren’t putting your clients videos online than you should put it up NOW. A recent article by emarketer.com gives several compelling reasons to put your videos online. Here are some stats they presented:
– 77 percent of the total U.S. Internet audience viewed online video.
– The average online video viewer watched 274 minutes of video.
– More than 80 percent of the 18-34 year olds watched online video, higher than any other age segment. The average 18-34 year old online video viewer watched 4.8 hours of video during the month, also ranking above all other age segments.
– 99.5 million viewers watched 5.3 billion videos on YouTube.com (53.2 videos per viewer).
– The duration of the average online video was 3.0 minutes.
One great way to get your videos online to a lot of sites at once is to use tubemogul.com. It allows you to upload the same video to over 20 sites at once. The more your content is out there, the more people will view it. If you put a commercial you did for a local television station, or a wedding video or a promotional video, than put it online and track who is watching these videos. If you want to market to a niche in your area and have the stats to back up your product, then you will get a lot of business. You can impress a company by proving that 5000 people viewed your video in 2008. They will want to continue to make videos with you as you are helping drive traffic to their website and/or storefront but having info at the closing of each video.
Go ahead…give it a try. People are continuously going online to consume content and video is the natural means.
Tags: business, stats, Video business, youtube
Things are going amazing. Releasing the podcast soon as well as materials to help people with filming and editing.
Haven’t Tweeted in a while. Macworld today was a bit of a downer. Was hoping for a newer iphone. Oh well.
Since Christmas is almost here and you’re probably thinking about 2009 and beyond, I thought I would give you some tips on how to get more business. My biggest mistake when I started in the video production field was to expect people to ask for my services without networking and getting my name out there.
Here are 3 ways you can get more business in 2009
1) Make networking work for you: Don’t just go to a chamber of commerce meeting. Talk to everyone there and listen. Ask what they do find out what service they provide. Most companies still need to market themselves and video is a great way to do this. When they ask you what you do, make sure to craft your speech around what they just said. Example: if they are a training center that hold both customer service training and also conducts training on site, tell them you create videos of training sessions that can consistently have the exact same message to each viewer. No longer will each training session be a crap shoot as to the content but you can create a video with a consistent message to everyone watching. When they go on site to train, they can bring a video that shows the viewer what words alone cannot convey.
See how easy that was. You just have to listen to the person talk and tell them how video could benefit their line of work. If you are only in the wedding video business, then ask them if they know anyone getting married or in the wedding industry that could pass your name and services along. The more people you know, the more they can pass work to you.
2) Get involved in blogs, podcasts, twitter, websites and other industry leaders in the video production field. I have gotten several jobs by helping other people get what they want. Zig Ziglar said, “You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want”. Post thoughts on this site and get involved in the discussion. Offer your services on Twitter or other sites. Do a Google search on topics you want to get more work (corporate, weddings, travel, etc) and get involved with the content.
3) Partnerships. Find other people in parallel fields and get to know them. Contact photographers, web designers, graphic designers, printers, rental houses, marketing firms, CPA’s, lawyers, chamber of commences, and even other videographers. The more you can partner with these key industries, the more they may pass work on to you, hire you or work with you projects. Many people don’t think of CPA’s and lawyers, but they have a broad client base and might be able to pass your info to them (approach this vary carefully as most CPA’s and lawyers are very guarded with their clients).
The key for all these ideas is to get your name out their. If you are shy and don’t like to socialize, then find a way to get clients online or have people pass work on to you. This may be a bit challenging, but if you work hard enough, then you can find a lot of work coming your way.
Best of luck and tell me what you think. And Merry Christmas
Tags: marketing, Video business
Great trip to Austin…although it was a bit cold
iShowU is the best screen capture program…and affordable. Wish I would have found it earlier in the week.
my new 1080p 24in monitor is amazing. Such better than my old one. I likey
back from Mexico…great vacation…back to work this week. Looking forward to it.
Great posts on my blog…check out http://www.improvemyvideo.com
Since tax season is quickly approaching and getting your receipts together is always a blast (insert sarcasm here) I thought I would share an easy way to track your spending and see where your profits are coming from.
For the past year, I’ve been looking for budget programs and programs that track your spending. I want this both for my personal/family finances as well as my company expenses and earnings. A few months ago I went out and bought the typical budget software you can find at any Staples or Best Buy. I won’t mention it but if you ask 10 people, about 8 of them will mention this program. It has great referrals but when I tried to use it, I found that is was anything but user friendly. I couldn’t add sources of income or various expenses I regularly have but had to follow their strict idea of a typical user that has a typical j.o.b. Sadly, I had paid about $70 on this program and could see it was not for me. I wanted a program that was adaptable to my various streams of income through my video production company, my freelance work and my ebooks/consulting work. I downloaded scores of trials and found some programs that were decent but…THEN, I found my solution.
I don’t even know where or how I found this site but it’s AMAZING. You can use it for just personal/family use or just business use OR BOTH! It is fully customizable and best of all it’s FREE!
Let’s look at using it to track your business expenses and profits for your taxes.
First, import your various accounts. I would recommend starting a separate banking account and credit card account for your business spending. This will help with record keeping as well as keeping you nice and legal. The Feds don’t like it when you mingle your personal and business expenses together. Then, once you import your accounts, Mint.com will download your business purchases and for how much. You can then categorize each purchase into anything you like. They have categories set up but you can make your own if you want…and making your own is very easy. Talk to your accountant or CPA to see what categories the IRS looks for and what you can deduct. To read a great post on 10 deductions to keep in mind, click on this link at the bottom of this post.
Tracking your categories is easy and let’s you look at each month or year to see what you spend your money on. Remember, your top priority is to keep more money than you spend, Mint.com will show you if you are spending all your profits on a new monitor, laptop, HD camera, etc. Set goals for yourself that you won’t buy a new monitor until you have brought in $3000 this month (or whatever fits into your budget). Mint.com shows me how I use my money within my company and lets me track it easily. Most people will use it only to track personal/family spending, but I think it’s a great way to track your business expenses. Since it records each purchase, you don’t have to worry as much about recording each receipt and having a huge shoebox full of them at the end of the year that you have to read line by line. Please keep in mind that you still need to keep all your receipts for at least 7 years so don’t throw them away.
If you are unclear about what categories to make and what percentage gets deducted, go to any bookstore and pick up a tax book and look through it (quite the exciting topic, I know!). When I was first starting out, I went to a bookstore, grabbed a few tax books and got familiar with what is deductible and the percentage the government gives you.
I haven’t found a better program that: tracks your spending, is easily customizable, adaptable to various sources of income, helps with saving your money, pays bills online, shows your income and expenses in a handy dandy pie chart (did someone mention pie?) and is FREE! Try out Mint.com or various other programs and let me know what you think. The best way to track your money and see where it’s going it by having some sort of budget.
http://freelancefolder.com/keep-for-freelance-taxes/
Tags: budget, ebooks, taxes, Video business
In the past 2 weeks, I’ve come across the same scenario and each time I was shocked and taken back. I not only film weddings but also work with companies of various sizes and create custom videos for them. This occasionally lets me work with creative freelancers. Most of the time, it has been a good experience but these last 2 interactions has made me think.
Each time, I have hired them for a project that I could have done myself and made more money. But, I have enough on my plate and at times it’s easier to hire certain aspects out. Both times, I had the freelancer come back with their strict terms and give me rates which I knew were pretty high for their experience and knowledge level. In their defense, I should have been more precise when giving the expectations on the project but with each project, I assured them along the way that I would take care of them like always and not run them over. After all, I want to build relationships not make a quick buck. Maybe it’s just me, but when they gave their demands, it left a bad taste in my mouth and made me think. They are talented but also need to realize their place. I would assume when working at McDonalds you wouldn’t tell your boss how much you charge to work there and what you will or won’t do while working. I look at freelancers the same way. I know it’s a 2 way street and you have to be clear about what you offer (I do some freelancing myself and try to live this out) but please do this before you begin working with them. Always try and communicate as much as possible before, during and after the project to maintain a positive relationship and hopefully continue to get more work. I continually see beginners or freelancers who want immediate respect and expect a huge hourly rate. Most companies that hire freelancers won’t hire that type of person again until the freelancer understands the process and that making demands won’t make a difference. Be humble and play nice with others.
Being on both sides, I decided to write expectations on both sides. Feel free to learn from these, add to these and comment on this post.
Bosses:
-Please be clear on what you expect
-How much you pay
-The time each portion needs to be completed
-Extra editing and how the review process works on your end and the freelancers side
-Who owns the rights of the project
-Stay in communication throughout the process (don’t assume everything is ok, if you don’t hear from the freelancer)
Freelancers:
-Don’t talk down to the people hiring you and make demands. You might not have all the facts, experience or knowledge about the topic.
-Either say yes and do the job or turn it down and find another project.
-Do great work in a timely fashion and you will continue to get more work.
-Talk through the review process with your boss and what charges you expect (they may not have this in the budget but will let you know before the project starts, not during)
-Don’t get cocky
-Keep in mind if you are a beginner or in college, you may need to learn the ropes at a cheaper rate. Remember, everyone started at that level and gradually increased their rates. Don’t assume you can start off at $200/hr if you are fairly new in this field.
So again…learn to play nice with others regardless if you are the boss or a freelancer.
It’s easy when you first start out in the video production field to focus on the simple things like: hitting the record button when you want to start so you get the bride walking down the aisle and hitting the record button a second time when you want to stop so you don’t film your feet for ten minutes. It’s also easy to think about how to show your client that you are knowledgeable and have experience (even if your only experience is filming Christmas morning for you family).
Once you get settled in to producing wedding videos, you’ll find the importance of color correction. I always make sure the cameras are white balanced to the correct setting, but at times I notice that when I’m editing, they still need a hint of color correction. Sometimes worse than others but you can still see a huge difference in the brides dress when you color correct and when you don’t. It separates the amateurs from the pros. Most editing programs have some type of color correcting. Final Cut Express, Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere, Magix Movie Edit 10, Pinnacle Studio, and Ulead VideoStudio all support color correction in some form.
Original frame but white balanced in camera from a recent wedding
This is a view of the couple without color correction. Notice how the bride’s dress appears dingy and not crisp and pure white? If the entire wedding is like this, then you might be able to get away with it but I would never recommend that. The skin tones are also a bit off and appear dirty and not true to life.
Color Corrected frame from a recent wedding
AHHHH…much better. Doesn’t that look a lot better?
The Bride’s dress look a lot more pure white and the skin tones seem more natural. This process only took me a few seconds but makes a world of difference. Most programs allow you to adjust the colors and even let’s you determine what is true white and then adjusts the footage accordingly.
So the next time you shoot a wedding video, make sure you white balance your camera (or you’ll have results worse than those above) and spend the extra time while editing to white balance. The Product will look better and you will look more professional.
That’s how to Improve Your Video.
done editing 2 projects…now we render and wait.
I have been working hard the last few weeks to produce a toolkit that will help from start to finish of getting a wedding video to filming the ceremony and reception.
These comprehensive topics will give details on each topic and how to film like a professional. You’ll learn things like:
1) The Basics of Filming a Wedding
2) 7 Keys to Determine your Pricing
3) Sample price sheet of how much to charge and what to include
4) 14 ways to market yourself for free
5) Checklist on meeting with the couple
6) 16 things you should never leave at home when filming a wedding
7) Checklist on filming the wedding day like a pro.
Find where to get this toolkit by clicking here
This product is great for anyone who wants to learn more, earn more and make the process of filming a wedding video a lot more smooth. Spread the word.
Tags: ebook, Video business, Wedding Video
I have my ebook, toolkit and several podcasts ready to go. My goal is to help anyone that has an interest in knowing more about wedding videography. It could be someone that has to film their first wedding or it could be someone that wants to brush up on their skills and learn from a pro. It doesn’t matter if you’ve filmed for years, there is something that you can learn.
Come back soon and look on my products page.
I had a meeting last week with several other media professionals and we got on the topic of Tilt Shift and using it in video. If you haven’t seen it, then click on the link at the end of this post…it’s amazing. Keith Loutit does a great job with this video. Using a special lens, you can change the perspective and make it look like scale models. When you first look at the photo or video, you will think the image is not real but the more you study it, the more details you can distinguish. It blew my mind.
How could this be used in your video? Great question. That’s what our media team was discussing. It could be used in a lot of ways to show a unique perspective to the viewer. The more you can keep your viewer guessing, the more they will stick around and come back for more. Don’t you watch the commercials on T.V. when you are interested? Don’t you turn the boring commercials? If you can use this effect to keep your viewers guessing, and find a way to monetize the video, then you have a million dollar idea. The possibilities are up to you.
I thought I would throw this post up quickly to see what you all thought of it. Tell me in the comments how you could use this in a video to capture a scene and make money!
Tags: tutorials, Video business
Last Friday I had the privilege of filming a wedding. This time, it was for a close friend. It means so much to me when I get to capture a wedding on video for a friend. This couple is so encouraging and with God’s help will continue to encourage people for decades to come. Even though I work hard when filming anything, I put an extra touch into weddings where I know the couple, family or situation. It becomes more than a job when I have a relationship with the couple.
Most people that get into the “wedding video biz” start by filming friends and family weddings. Since you know the couple and you are trying to get started, go the extra mile. Don’t get picky with staying an extra 15 minutes, even though it says in your contract that you won’t stay past 10pm. The little you do for free, will come back to you in referrals. Here are 3 ways to insure succes with your video company.
1. Network: Tell as many people what you do and find common services that can recommend your video services. You have to get your name and company out there for people to pay you. Set up a basic website, use Facebook, talk to friends and family, go to networking meetings in your area. Go to the “products” page and in the coming weeks I’ll have some info to purchase on how to market yourself (for free). Don’t forget to think about areas that other videographers won’t (see my ebook on the products page). If you are sitting at home wondering why people aren’t calling you with work, then you need to get out and talk to some businesses. People do business with people they know and trust.
2. Go the extra mile: Don’t be lazy, overly picky or rude when starting your business (or once you are successful!). Remember, your clients are making you successful and you need them to refer you to anyone. You can be picky about the weddings you film (especially if you only film beach weddings, high end weddings or any other niche) but don’t be picky and tell the couple all the things you don’t do (”I don’t go to the rehearsal. I don’t go to film the bride getting ready. I don’t stay longer than 2 hours for the reception.”) I’ve heard some crazy things the videographer tells the couple. Go the extra mile and it will come back to you.
3. Quick turn around: It’s easy to get lazy once the wedding is done and you’ve gotten paid. But, you still have the editing to do. Make it a goal to get the DVD back to the couple by the time they get back from the honeymoon. That’s my goal. When I first started I would wait a few weeks but then I would procrastinate and never “feel” like finishing the wedding. It’s best to just get it done and into the hands of the anxious couple. Most wedding photographers aren’t able to offer quick turn around so if you can hand the DVD to the couple a few days after they get back from the honeymoon, you will look like the best business person EVER! They will tell all their friends/family about you and your video services.
So there you have it. Get people to know who you are, your work ethic and that you offer quick turn around and you will have customers lining up.
Tell me what you think in the comments…
This site is loaded with helpfull tips and updated frequently with new products and ideas. Subscribe to this blog so you can improve your video.
Tags: ebooks, Video business, wedding videography
I just completed and posted the first product that will help you improve your videos. My goal was to illiminate the stress when filming a wedding. Where to be? What to film? What to expect? What will happen next? I read a lot of blogs, posts and forums and a lot of you have the same questions and I want you to film like a pro. Click on the products page or click the link below to get to the storefront page. Isn’t a few dollars now worth the lack of stress on the day of the wedding.
Click here to view and buy the ebook.
Tags: ebook, how to film
I hear from high school students, college students and others that are interested in breaking into the video production field but don’t know how to do it. There are several ways and some of them are more costly than others. Let’s go over a few of them.
College: Get a degree in a media related field.
Pros: It looks good on your resume and you can use that if you want to work at a production house and to brag to your friends (Hollywood may not be as impressed though). If you find the right school with the right teachers, you will come out knowing a lot and having a lot of real world experience. I have plenty of colleagues that have gone this route and do quite well for themselves.
Cons: You pay a lot of money and might learn on outdated equipment…the teachers may not even know what HD is (High Definition for the unlearned). I have plenty of colleagues that have gone this route and do quite well for themselves. I’ve heard plenty of students complain that they wasted money on the degree when they could have just learned and worked at a tv station or at an internship for a video production company. Which brings us into the next topic…
Internships, working for cheap and/or volunteering:
Pros: This can be a very wise choice as you are learning from the pros while in the field. You aren’t learning from a professor that was in the field 20 years ago (a lot has changed…think VHS was the king of media then). This is also a great choice because they can teach you while filming various types of videos. You can learn how to film: weddings, corporate training videos, promotional videos, infomercials, live events, and much more. After the internship you could walk away with a wealth of knowledge. You may not get paid a lot but money shouldn’t be the focus during this time. You can discuss the length of time that you would be working with the video professional. You cold also work with a wedding videographer, t.v. station, cable access station, court videographer, or any other professional that is offering work. Be clear that you want to work with them to learn all aspects of the biz. If you are lucky, they will let you on the inside and how to deal with clients, write proposals, edit, and deliver a great product to the client…but don’t assume they will give away their secrets. As you can tell, this is a great idea and something I would highly encourage.
Cons: You probably won’t be earning much money during this time and will be doing everything from learning the fun stuff (how to film, edit and work with clients) to the boring stuff (cleaning up after a shoot, setting up the equipment, filming stuff the owner doesn’t want to, and getting coffee). Overall, the cons for this are pretty short.
Learning on your own: teach yourself by learning online, from blogs, podcasts, magazines, etc
Pros: You can do this for a lot cheaper. There are plenty of sites (like this one), Lynda.com and VTC.com (online training for a small monthly fee) that teach you how to improve your skills as well as learn various video programs. Talk to video professionals and see how they got their start. They are always willing to talk the biz (just not during the shoot after they’ve yelled, “quite on the set”).
Cons: This may take you longer if you aren’t motivated and don’t do your homework (yes, you can still do homework while not in school, except this homework is a lot more enjoyable). Your family/friends may look down on you if you don’t go to school for your degree (no problem if you have a vision/passion and don’t need to go to school for it).
These are just a few options. I just heard of a guy who went to Hollywood and learned everything from an incredible DP but then the DP died shortly after that. Which means, this guy learned a bunch from the pro and was able to take over the biz after the death….I wouldn’t recommend counting on this to happen in your situation though. You might have better luck doing one of the above approaches
Best of luck. Leave a comment on how you broke into the biz.
The more I meet beginner videographers, the more I realize they have the passion and drive to do a great job filming but they need the information. I would have loved during my first years to have the “secrets of the pros”. I’ve done enough wedding and corporate videos to be able to help beginners raise their level of success to the next level.
What are some products and services I could develop and provide? I would love to have ideas, checklists, documents and other resources available to download both for free and for a fee that would help beginners raise their skills to the next level. One of my first weddings, I somehow missed the bride walking down the aisle. I think I was checking my settings or something. Thankfully I had a second camera set up that got most of it. If I would have had some information from a professional I would have known how to deal with the couple during the meeting, what to expect the day of the wedding, and how to deliver a great project. It took me countless weddings and several years to perfect my craft.
So again….what tips and tricks would you like me to provide that would help you film weddings (or even corporate videos) and take you to the next level? Respond back and I’ll get started ASAP.
Tags: Wedding Video
I keep hearing from people how bad the economy is as well as the job market, home market and lending market. From all the reports I would agree, it does look pretty bleak. What if I had a built in market that will never stop and will continue to come back. Sounds pretty good eh?
One of the many things about video production is that their is a built in market. Wedding videos. There are a little over 2.2 million wedding a year…and ya know what? Most of them will want their wedding filmed. They may choose a friend or family member or they may chose a big, expensive company to film their wedding. Either way, you have a market that is reoccurring. No matter what the economy, there will be people that want someone to film the wedding. Doesn’t that sound great. It doesn’t matter if you film weddings full time, part time or are just getting into the “biz”, wedding videography is a great place to be…whatever the market looks like.
Follow me over the coming months as we talk about wedding videography and how to make the most of it. My goal is that you will improve your video, no matter what your current skill and knowledge leve.
Tags: Wedding Video
I filmed a wedding the other week (not a big deal since I am a videographer) and I again was encouraged by the amount of people wanting to be on camera and asking what I do. They were intrigued by the fact that I own my own company and work when I want and for whom I want. They were impressed by my camera as well as my audio equipment. I always tell people that a great investment is a good looking camera. You don’t have to know how to use each button and feature at first but people will respect you more when you have a decent camera.
I was also reminded of setting up before the wedding so no surprises happen. At the last minute I was asked to put a personal camera on stage. I usually don’t do these last minute things but since I knew some of the people involved in the wedding, I obliged. If I had guessed where everyone was standing, I wouldn’t have put the camera in the right place but since I had done the homework and asked the right people, I knew where to put the camera so it would get great placement.
Just remember, do what you love and keep the dream alive that you can start, run and succeed at owning your own video production company. Even if it’s only on week nights and weekends.
Tags: Video business, Wedding Video
Pricing is the best part of the job. You can literally make what you want to make regardless of where you live. I would say, if you’ve never filmed a wedding, to keep it under $1000 (at least for your first wedding). Search online around your area to see what others are charging. Remember, their will always be “cheap” and “discounted” wedding videographers in the area but they will always stay in those price ranges. Once you set a price and the word gets out, it’s hard to up your fees. The best time to do that is when weddings are slow which is usually around January through February. I have met people who filmed weddings at under $500 and have never been able to raise their rates because they attract the kind of people who will only pay for a $500 wedding video. Your prices reflect your clients pockets. Are they the type of client who will pay anything for the wedding or are scraping by and trying to find the cheapest deal. If you have a couple who complains about your price, remind them that they will be able to watch this forever and you can’t put a price on the memory (don’t get too cheesy or they won’t book you).
If your plan is to get into the market with cheaper prices ALWAYS put the full price (let’s say $800) and give them a 50% discount. That way, if anyone asks you can tell them that you charge $800. Like I said before, it’s hard to bump up your prices once you are labeled a “discount” videographer. Your reputation follows you.
So, it’s up to you…what do you want to make and what type of clients do you want to work with? Look for future posts about finding Clients (which are good) and Grinders (which will waste your life away).
I got started filming weddings for friends and family so they didn’t mind if it wasn’t the best. They also didn’t pay a lot for it either. I had to ask friend for cameras to use for these first weddings since I didn’t own any yet. One wedding I filmed, I somehow didn’t get all the bride walking down the aisle with my primary camera so I didn’t have a close up of her face. Thankfully I had another camera angle but it didn’t have a good angle at all. Thankfully, she never complained. Knowledge only comes through experience and learning from your mistakes. Even if you’ve read all the books in the world on filming weddings, you still have to get in there and film some weddings to know what works best for you and what your style is. I have worked with a lot of college students who know a lot but they havent’ been in the field. They have all the book answers and they think they know everything. You can’t fake experiece but you can focus on what you know when you are around the client so they forget the areas you don’t know. The old saying, “fake it till you make it”, is partly true but make sure you are learning at a feaverish pace until you know a lot and make it.
Knowledge is key in the video production industry and I am convinced you can’t know it all. If you know everything in the weddig video industry, you still have to learn the corporate video side. If you have mastered the corporate video industry, you still have the film and movie industry to learn. Same thing with television commercials, travel videos, documentaries, live events, etc. What my goal is with this blog and future podcasts is to bring your knowledge up a notch or two in a few industries as well as give you some information that is transferable from one industry to the next.
Have a great week and don’t be afraid to pick up a book, read some blogs, and get some knowledge on video production. Even Steven Spielberg had to start somewhere…and look at all the knowledge he has now.
Tags: Learning Video, Video Production
In wedding videos there is one thing that separates the people who make money and those that don’t. It’s confidence. Most wedding videographers create the same product but one charges well under $1000 and the other starts his basic package at $1000. Confidence will put money in your pocket. I have seen almost exact wedding packages, demos, and websites yet one will charge double or triple what the competitor charges. Is it because of experience, equipment, location, length of editing, or some other mystery? I say, it all boils down to confidence.
Agree or disagree? How does experience fit into this equation?
It’s all about presentation in the video business. It doesn’t matter, if you are pursuing your first video contract or if you are a seasoned veteran, you still need to focus on presentation. My first paying gig with my brand new video company (at the time) was for a local car dealership. We didn’t own a camera or even a pro editing program but we presented our vision and let them know we weren’t filming another commercial but giving them an identity. They didn’t know we were camera-less and they didn’t know our editing program was about $100 but our presentation both personally (how we carried ourselves) as well as our vision, was on point. We came across as professionals who knew what we were doing. Thankfully we were able to hire a cameraman and the editing didn’t need special graphics, etc.
Please make sure you keep your presentation at its highest with how you dress, act, and deliver your vision regardless if you are selling your services for: corporate, commercials, weddings, music videos, short films, etc,
Don’t wear shorts, nasty tee-shirt and a half beard to the meeting and expect them to take you seriously. You look like you are in college. Keep in mind you have to play the part. Some would say, “fake it till you make it”. I would say, use presentation to leverage yourself and grow your video business.
What do you think?
Tags: Video business, Video Production
I just met with a fellow video producer today that has his own company and is expanding his reach. He started in live events and weddings and has moved to corporate weddings. I’ve noticed most professional videographers take that coarse. Interesting.
Here is a secret of landing that big contract with the large company. Let’s say you are working with company X and they are a medium size company with no marketing/video branch. If come right out and tell them you will create a video for $20,000 (or $10,000 or even $2000) always tell them what the “big companies” are charging. “They usually charge $50,000+ for this scope of work. Since I am a smaller company and am more nimble, I can cut costs while still creating a great video”. When they drop their jaw at $50,000 for a video and you mention, $20,000 for the same video, your price will seem great. But, if you drop your price right away, they may be expecting to pay half that ($10,000 or less). It’s only a perception thing but it helps. Make sure you lay out the benefits to the video and how it will: 1) save them money 2) earn them money 3) inform their customers or 4) train their employees… You get the idea.
What do you think?
Tags: owning your business, Video business, Video tips and tricks
How many of us have a job? I’m guessing (and hoping) most people do. I don’t have a job, I do what I love and get paid for it. Strange idea I know. It’s sad to hear friends and family say how they hate going to work in the mornings while I get up and create videos and media for companies. I get to work with people, work with video and also be my own boss. Their is something liberating about the whole process. I don’t know what will come in the next 5-10 years but I do know I do what I love and am motivated to success.
When people do what they love, they become passionate about it and work 2x harder than those that just go through the motions. I can’t imagine having a j-o-b that I hate and that sucks the life out of me. Even though life is not just for work, I want to have a career that I enjoy and find success in.
In the coming weeks I want to discuss how to find that success through video production. We’ll start with video production as many videographers start in this field and I want to help everyone from the first timer to the seasoned pro. I want to help others earn more money and find a better process while doing what they love.
What do you think about your j-o-b? Love it or hate it? What do you do for money…a job or something you love?
Tags: career, job, Video Production
