People dream. It is a primary right of any human being, and almost all humans do it without a doubt. But do you know what makes it unique? What makes your dreams special? The way you work to achieve it! So, if you were dreaming of becoming a freelance videographer, then this is where you should start!
Becoming a freelance videographer comes with many benefits. They can work in flexible time frames inflexible projects, and they can simply work in the ones that they prefer. Yes, there is no doubt that a part-time videographer could be the best part-time job. It could be the one job that you love, the one that would suit you the most, and above all, it could be a hobby.
So, enough of the pep talk because we shall provide you all the things that you need to know before becoming a freelance videographer. So, read on and find out more!
Why should you become a freelance videographer?
Cameraman jobs were considered as something local and not very reputed in the past. But at present, there are more than many talented creatives. Hence, people find it pretty challenging to find a videographer for their requirements. Therefore, as most of the present fields have become, the videography field is also overwhelmed with freelancers that are way more talented and pretty affordable than full-time videographers.
You do not need to work under someone, you can be your own boss, and you can work as you want. You can make it your hobby. If you love videography and would love to take it on as a hobby, then this will definitely be a perfect way!
Also, when you become a freelance videographer, there are not many extraordinary things that you will need. You do not have to have a specialized degree or anything like that, a keen eye and creativity would help you go a long way than any degree.
But some skills of film or broadcasting and some technical skills related to the area will definitely take you a long way.
What is a videographer?
A videographer is a person who records live events and makes small-scale video productions. They mainly focus on documentaries, live events, short films, weddings, birthdays, and other events where there are a limited crowd and a particular purpose.
You could see that a videographer might work alone, or he might even work with a small team, which includes sound technicians and light technicians.
However, becoming a professional videographer would require more tough skills than possible.
How to become a freelance videographer?
Videographer jobs could be tough sometimes. Therefore, make sure to be careful when you become a freelance videographer. So, if you think that taking a freelance realm is a little unsure because you are not sure about what you should expect, given below are some of the best tips for starting the career.
- Consider planning your entire year rather than a week or month. Plan and decide what you want to become in the next 12 months.
- You will not be able to cover everything on your own. So, it would be best to stick with what you know well and offer your clients with that service. For example, you will be in trouble if you are trying to cover both light and videos. Hence you should stick with videography – it would be best for all.
- Train and develop your skills in every possible way.
- Select your equipment wisely. You cannot only use a mobile phone to create videos – not if you are trying to become a professional.
- Get yourself into the field and start networking. Attend events, attend meet-ups, and apply to roles and other ways in which you could get to know more people.
- As a freelancer, you should always know what the best and the most suitable price tag is. It is a pretty hard area for a freelancer to decide because we cannot think about the pricing.
- Always share what you did in the best way. Get those videos out and show them to people. Make them see what you are capable of and make them understand your talents.
With these tips you will definitely be able to start a life long career of freelancing videoing if you would love to do it!
How much do freelance videographers make?
The videographer’s salary could change according to the type of event they cover. But above all, you should be considerate about the hourly rate that you set. In the US, the average hourly rate lies around $31, but this could vary between $26 and $39.
It depends on certain factors that include the skills, the types of events that you cover as well as the seasonal values. A very skilled videographer will have a very high charge. Still, there is a certain doubt on whether the people looking for freelancers would hire someone with such a higher price.
The best way to let the clients know your price is by sending a professional freelance videographer quote when they publish a job. With this, you will be able to let them know your worth in a more detailed manner so that the people will be aware of how you have made the pricing. This is a very reasonable way, and it is from experience that I say that people will not try to make you drop your price.
A well-written quote is the best way to ensure that you keep your stuff professional.
Types of videographer jobs
There are so many types of freelance videographer jobs.
Given below are some examples of the videographer types that are very popular in the world:
- Wedding videographer: people who master in weddings. They will provide a wedding album, photos, and other video makings that the couple prefers.
- Travel videographer: this will basically include traveling for a living. They make promotional, educational, and/or cultural videos. Their service is mostly taken by the tourism industry.
- Photography: this is not essentially videography but can be identified as a category because you almost use the same equipment.
- Camera operator: the camera operator could be the person who operates a camera and shoot in an event or in a studio.
- Corporate videographer: many videographers prefer to work in corporate content because it covers non-advent- based video footage. It also includes working under a business or a corporation.
- Documentary videographer: they shoot exclusive short videos called documentaries. They could be either short films or TV or branded content as well.
- One-man band: this is a person who owns all the equipment required and will transport and operate them all by himself. He does it all by himself, which includes shooting, editing, and other production activities.
- Real estate videographer: they show their talent in digital home tour videos. They work with clients who are trying to sell their homes or with real estate companies.
- Video editor: the video editor could either be the same person as the videographer or a different person.
Well, they are just some of the videographer roles that are most often found in the industry. But this is strictly not limited to these roles because there are many other fields in which you can demonstrate your skills.
So, the first thing that you should do is identifying the area that you would like to showcase your talents. This is most importantly, the best and the critical place to start!
How to get clients as a videographer?
A videographer resume basically includes a portfolio that you would love to share with the world. The collection should demonstrate your best work, and it should highlight your talents as a videographer.
It is one thing to make videos and upload on a site such as YouTube, but it takes special skills to get into a social network and build your career in the field. You must learn how to brand yourself.
Freelance videographer websites would be a better place to start.
You can make use of sites such as freelancer.com, Upwork, Fiverr, Cloud Peeps, and Guru to upload your profile.
Also, you could make use of web searches such as freelance videographer near me to find how they have showcased their profiles. You should be careful not to copy how they have demonstrated their skills, but to get an idea of how you can make yours even worthy.
Freelance videographer job description
Identifying what is in the job description of a freelance videographer will help you understand what your job role will be and what your responsibilities are.
First of all, you should know that the job description could change according to the task and the project.
But the below tips will give you an understanding of what it is like to do your job:
- Consult with the client to create a brief about the project and to understand the project deliverables.
- Select potential shoot locations.
- Find out the transport requirements and video equipment.
- Consider what help you will need when setting up the location.
- Shoot high-quality video footage that is relevant to the project.
- Edit the footages to obtain the relevant standards.
- Find out whether the concept was successfully achieved through the video and whether all the project deliverables were met.
These could be the best breakdown of your work as a freelancer because we have identified each critical aspect of the task.
What tools will freelance videographers use?
Since you know, almost all the things required to become a freelance videographer now comes the most crucial part.
What will be the skills required to be a freelance videographer? What equipment do they use? Do you have everything that you need to become a videographer?
Above everything, a videographer must be a skilled camera operator. Therefore, you should be able to work with not just one camera but with many, including lenses of all sizes. You should also be able to make good use of video editing software such as Apple’s final cut pro, Avid, Adobe Premiere Pro.
A Go Pro would be a good way to start, but you will also need some tools as below:
- Tripod
- External microphone
- Headphone
- Reflector/ bounce card
- Gaffer’s tape
- Backup batteries
- Camera
- Lenses
For video production, you will need a digital video camcorder, a video editing computer, and you should also know to use digital video editing software.
It will be best if you have an external hard drive packed in your video bag because you really cannot know when you will need to use one.
When it comes to the other skills that you would need, includes soft skills. You will need communication skills, not just communication skills but bad ones. You should also be able to think creatively and see the shapes and the details in the places in a more creative manner than what a reasonable person would understand.
A videographer should also be able to give attention to detail in a very creative manner. Therefore, you should be able to work under deadline pressure.
And, you should also have bravery when it comes to shooting in risky situations. Also, you should be able to take care of yourself, and even your equipment.
Your technical skills should always include the ability to troubleshoot the problems that occur within your equipment. You should be able to add the computer graphics and special effects to a video. Small repairs on broken equipment and setting up and tearing down the camera and other equipment will become a daily task for you. You will have to learn many things throughout your career. It will not just be in the beginning, and it will probably not end as soon as you think.
It is a lifelong learning process because technology develops every day, and people’s requirements change every day.
