How to make money as a freelance videographer

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When I first started out in the wild world of freelancing how to make money as a freelance videographer, my main gig was writing. One day while working at my very first magazine, a photographer called in sick, and my editor assigned me to shoot an freelancf I was writing about even though I had no experience and a crappy camera. Why did I bring this story up freepance an article about how to become a freelance videographer? The truth is, that moment created an opportunity for me — I took a few decent photos at mnoey event and was hooked. There happened to be a sale at my local electronics store that weekend and I bought my first camera. I soon had a new skill that I could pitch with my articles — photography.

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Many successful freelance writers are full-time writers like me. They are making a stable income or a growing income and have no challenge finding clients or getting projects. But, there are even more writers that barely make enough money to replace their sucky dead-end job. They are struggling, and they have no idea how to get away from crappy freelance writing projects. I had no idea what I was doing and ended up landing a content mill gig. Yes, I was one of those writers…..

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When I first started out in the wild world of freelancingmy main gig was writing. One day while working at my very first magazine, a photographer called in sick, and my editor assigned me to shoot an event I was writing about even though I had no experience and a crappy camera. Why did I bring this story up in an article about how to become a freelance videographer?

The truth is, that moment created an opportunity for me — I took a few decent photos at the event and was hooked. There happened to be a sale at my local electronics store that weekend and I bought my first camera. I soon had a new skill that I could pitch with my articles — photography.

I could now write and take photos to get more work. This helped me get into several newspaper and magazine articles, and start blogging for a local news station.

Everyone and their brother wants video as part of their content creation for social media, blogs and websites in general. In other words, I need to add videography to my skill set to stay competitive. Related: How to get freelance video editing jobs. Here are some questions you should ask yourself before getting started as a freelance videographer:. To be a freelance videographer, you need to know your way around a video camera. Do you need a college degree or a special certificate?

Not really, no. This is especially important when you are just starting out, and have no portfolio or client history. On the other hand, it is important to note that some clients will prefer you do have a degree. For example, if you want to be a freelance videographer for news stations, they might require one, or at least be more likely to hire you.

Then again, if your work is good enough, they might be more interested in your footage than your qualifications. You can take online courses, watch tutorials on YouTube, and even read books on the subject of how to shoot video. At some point though, you will need to start actually shooting video.

While shooting, you might realize your videos are coming out dark, and that will tell you that you should brush up on lessons about lighting. Related: How to build a portfolio website in 7 steps. What does a videographer need?

You know at a minimum you need a high-quality video camera, but what else? In truth this answer varies depending on the type of videos you plan to shoot, but your list might include:. Over time you might add pieces, but the most important thing is that you at least have a good quality video camera to start.

Related: Online photo storage for your photography website. How does one break into the field once they learn the skills of a freelance videographer? Your best first step is to determine what you want to shoot. Only then can you start networking to establish connections in the industry you choose. That tells you that you should network with wedding vendors. Or if you want to shoot public speaking events, then you would physically go to events where people would be giving speeches to crowds.

Many freelance videographers start out by volunteering their services to begin building their portfolios. Others will offer their services dirt cheap on sites like Craigslist and Upwork until they can get enough experience to go after bigger fish. You could even pitch yourself to a charity so that they get footage they need, and you get the warm fuzzies of giving back to the community. Once you have enough jobs under your belt, you can create a highlight reel of the footage to start promoting yourself to new clients.

Related: Digital networking for photographers: 6 tips for improve your exposure. After you have gotten your feet wet, you might want to create a company name for. You could just shoot as an independent contractor, but creating a name gives you a way to brand yourself and what you.

Start your search now! Take our quiz to find out! I know, I know. Then again, you might start off with a bang. How quickly you start making moneyand how much you earn will depend on a number of factors including your:. But, most people have to network like crazy, and how to make money as a freelance videographer some cases beg for the work.

Related: 25 ways freelancers can generate an abundance of qualified leads. The reason for this is twofold. First, you might take a gig that is out of your league, and have a rough time with it. Or worse, you could bomb it completely. This could lead to your first negative reviews. Second, if you do somehow manage to complete it, you might have spent too much time and energy on it.

This might leave a sour taste in your mouth about being a freelance videographer, and send you running back to your day job. A better bet is to take small gigs at first, and slowly build your way up to bigger jobs. If you know what types of things you want to shoot, you could ask local videographers in your field if you can tag along and help.

Of course, the threat of competition could have many established videographers telling you no. On the other hand, it could help you start building a network of contacts. Related: Finding a mentor: Where to look and what to look. Now, you just keep moving on up from. Eventually, you might want to scale your business by hiring someone to manage your booksfind more clients and even edit your videos.

Who knows? For now though, I hope this article has helped you see how to break into being a freelance videographer. Articles By Product. Search for: Search. Lights, camera, action When I first started out in the wild world of freelancingmy main gig was writing. These days though, video is king.

The reality is you might have to start small — like, no money for a how to make money as a freelance videographer time small.

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February 17, Sign up for our exclusive 7-day crash course and learn step-by-step how to make a documentary from idea to completed movie! Film Documentaries Film interviews. It is easy and you can even meet new people, make collaborations. You may have someone that is skilled in a particular sphere. The internet has changed the world completely. No Film School. I am a professional filmmaker, and I applaud this site for detailing the ABC’s of documentary filmmaking. Go have different ways to monetize our videos in freelacne era and several people are getting paid for doing this hobby. A detail-oriented videographer can help a homeowner develop a visual inventory of furnishings, valuable artwork and other irreplaceable items. Here are the ideas on how to make money as a Freelance Videographer. We’d like to occasionally email you about our latest news, competitions, music, new services and updates. Return Home. Making money is difficult just in general, but it’s how to make money as a freelance videographer tricky for those working in the film industry.