alright me and my friend(really into video) want to start a little mini buiness where people hire us to make video's for money. I was wondering how we coudl get our name out there, get peopel to wanna hire us, get peope TO higher us. Any help is very appreciated...thanks
-anthony
How do you get ur name out there?
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U.S.Amateurfilmaker
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I have made numerous videos for people since I started my small "enrapenurial adventure", and I have learned that the best way to get your name out there is word of mouth. Make a sample, show it to people, and they will recommend you to their friends, family, etc. This is how I get ALL of my jobs. In fact, I was offered a video production career at a Video Game corporation by an executive who saw one of my videos via someone I did a job for. However, that changed when they found out I was 16. Remember, all of this was without any material advertisement what-so-ever.
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Grant
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Well to start off with you have to have examples of your work to show prospective clients. Word of mouth will soon get around. Promote yourself at every opportunity. Enter any festival (free or paid) that you feel fit. Construct a nice professional looking website. Make sure you can work in the mediums that people are after.
Come across professional at all times
Come across professional at all times
OK here are a couple of ideas for sources, as well as a couple of points to consider...
1) Hook up with some local small web designers. This give sthem another product to add to a web package... either training, instructional or promotional videos.
2) Talk to some local photographers, particularly the smaller photogs. They may have some industrial shoots which could use a video component.
3) Remember to financially reward both 1 & 2 above when they hook you up!
4) Develop a concept and do a weekly or bi weekly show for your local cable access channel. Promote the hell out of it to everyone you can so that in a few months people are watching... this shows you can deliver quality on a deadline.
5) Shoot for local news stations. Almost all local stations will use stringer video, and pay you for it on a per use basis. Some networks will also. I shoot for one local station exclusively. Some stringers will sell the vid to whoever wants it and this probably works in larger markets.. say Top 50 - 60. In the mid and small markets tho I have found if you work with one station, they tend to call you to shoot things that are not really 'breaking' news when they are short of photogs. This gives you a couple of advantages...
a) Free advice on improving your vid skills
b) experience shooting in all conditions... nothing likle an accident on a dark rainy night to challenge your skills to come back with 30 seconds of useable footage
c) experience in 'story telling'. In a movie, or industrial vid, we have a script or at least some direction to help witht he story. News is unscripted and has no retakes. This helps you get a feel for how to tell a story with vid, and makes much more effective stories when you have direction.
6) AVOID WEDDINGS AT FIRST!!!!
weddings are the worst thing to shot. The light generally sucks, the sound generally sucks, there are no retakes, and if you screw up some woman's wedding video there is a good chance you will be hearing from her lawyer! Generally for weedings, use two cams, at least one wireless lav mike on the groom, to one cam, and a feed from the church sound system on the other. Not easy stuff to shoot. Get lots of experience before you enter this field.
7) Shoot on spec. Approach some businesses with a concept of how a video can help them. Do the work, show them the vid then cut the deal. Things like... We'll do a 7 minute vid in exchange for a letter of recommendation... Do barter deals.... Give them the vid if they allow you to append your commercial at the beginning( depending on the use a promo vid sent to customers would be good, or on their website)
Now for what you need to be able to do.....
1) If you are not doing strictly web work as mentioned in 1 above.. deliver broadcast quality video....
2) Deliver a product on time... everytime....
3) Have the gear.... you won't be able to handle a lot of jobs with a single MiniDV cam properly.
4) Be able to offer options in product delivery
5) The two most important things in your product... light and sound. Good sound is required in any commercial video. A shotgun mike might work, however wireless lavs are much better to use in most situations where someone is speaking. Imagine doing a factory tour using the on cam mike or even a good shotgun. Would be hard to hear the tour guide with equipment running in the area...
Lighting -- lighting--lighting--- say it again... properly lit subjects, with a good white balance. 2 or preferably 3 light configuration.. ( key, fill, hairlight) with color correction gels.
While the first 4 points are important, it is point 5 which will separate your work from "Joe on the loading dock who got a new VHS-C cam for Christmas and can shoot that video"....
It will take some time to build a reputation for quality, and only one or two bad jobs to relegate your name to the bottom of the list.
Pitfalls to watch for....
A couple of other things to be aware of.
Concert/ performance videos...... I have been to school concerts, community plays etc where a vid of the performance could be ordered for later delivery. This is something to consider offering however make certain that the group doing the performance has secured the necessary rights from the copyright holder to allow distribution of the video. This will usually be an additional fee to them beyond the performance license they have for the material.
With new customers, do not deliver the finished product until paid.. show it to them but the money before you leave the product. Sometimes this isn't always possible so be prepared to wait 30 - 90 daus to be paid... If you shoot news as mentioned above.. be prepared for the wait.
Repeat customers you could do a net 30 billing...
Do not come into the market and pull the price rug out from under everyone else. Stay competetive, but close. Not advocating price fixing here, but stay friendly with the guys already in the field. For many of then their prices have to be higher.. while you may be shooting with a $3000 cam, they may be shooting with a $10,000 + cam. Also, if you are on friendly terms, they may hire you as an extra shooter on some projects. Also, if you get into a job you don't have the equipment to handle. find a source for rentals of higher end gear. Other shooters may have an extra rig they will rent out. Or will rent out light sound gear. Much cheaper to rent it for the job thatn to go buy the high end stuff.
I can't think of a better way to make some money than shooting video. In three years I haven't come close to making a living at it yet but a nice second income doing something I love, and it supports my camera habit LOL. This year I should make about $4000 on local news and video for the Weather Channel. Don't forget in the US Uncle Sam will be looking for his cut, so keep good records of your expenses for tax time!
OK since this is tarting to look like war and peace.. I'll go sit down now
1) Hook up with some local small web designers. This give sthem another product to add to a web package... either training, instructional or promotional videos.
2) Talk to some local photographers, particularly the smaller photogs. They may have some industrial shoots which could use a video component.
3) Remember to financially reward both 1 & 2 above when they hook you up!
4) Develop a concept and do a weekly or bi weekly show for your local cable access channel. Promote the hell out of it to everyone you can so that in a few months people are watching... this shows you can deliver quality on a deadline.
5) Shoot for local news stations. Almost all local stations will use stringer video, and pay you for it on a per use basis. Some networks will also. I shoot for one local station exclusively. Some stringers will sell the vid to whoever wants it and this probably works in larger markets.. say Top 50 - 60. In the mid and small markets tho I have found if you work with one station, they tend to call you to shoot things that are not really 'breaking' news when they are short of photogs. This gives you a couple of advantages...
a) Free advice on improving your vid skills
b) experience shooting in all conditions... nothing likle an accident on a dark rainy night to challenge your skills to come back with 30 seconds of useable footage
c) experience in 'story telling'. In a movie, or industrial vid, we have a script or at least some direction to help witht he story. News is unscripted and has no retakes. This helps you get a feel for how to tell a story with vid, and makes much more effective stories when you have direction.
6) AVOID WEDDINGS AT FIRST!!!!
weddings are the worst thing to shot. The light generally sucks, the sound generally sucks, there are no retakes, and if you screw up some woman's wedding video there is a good chance you will be hearing from her lawyer! Generally for weedings, use two cams, at least one wireless lav mike on the groom, to one cam, and a feed from the church sound system on the other. Not easy stuff to shoot. Get lots of experience before you enter this field.
7) Shoot on spec. Approach some businesses with a concept of how a video can help them. Do the work, show them the vid then cut the deal. Things like... We'll do a 7 minute vid in exchange for a letter of recommendation... Do barter deals.... Give them the vid if they allow you to append your commercial at the beginning( depending on the use a promo vid sent to customers would be good, or on their website)
Now for what you need to be able to do.....
1) If you are not doing strictly web work as mentioned in 1 above.. deliver broadcast quality video....
2) Deliver a product on time... everytime....
3) Have the gear.... you won't be able to handle a lot of jobs with a single MiniDV cam properly.
4) Be able to offer options in product delivery
5) The two most important things in your product... light and sound. Good sound is required in any commercial video. A shotgun mike might work, however wireless lavs are much better to use in most situations where someone is speaking. Imagine doing a factory tour using the on cam mike or even a good shotgun. Would be hard to hear the tour guide with equipment running in the area...
Lighting -- lighting--lighting--- say it again... properly lit subjects, with a good white balance. 2 or preferably 3 light configuration.. ( key, fill, hairlight) with color correction gels.
While the first 4 points are important, it is point 5 which will separate your work from "Joe on the loading dock who got a new VHS-C cam for Christmas and can shoot that video"....
It will take some time to build a reputation for quality, and only one or two bad jobs to relegate your name to the bottom of the list.
Pitfalls to watch for....
A couple of other things to be aware of.
Concert/ performance videos...... I have been to school concerts, community plays etc where a vid of the performance could be ordered for later delivery. This is something to consider offering however make certain that the group doing the performance has secured the necessary rights from the copyright holder to allow distribution of the video. This will usually be an additional fee to them beyond the performance license they have for the material.
With new customers, do not deliver the finished product until paid.. show it to them but the money before you leave the product.
Sometimes this isn't always possible so be prepared to wait 30 - 90 daus to be paid... If you shoot news as mentioned above.. be prepared for the wait.Repeat customers you could do a net 30 billing...
Do not come into the market and pull the price rug out from under everyone else. Stay competetive, but close. Not advocating price fixing here, but stay friendly with the guys already in the field. For many of then their prices have to be higher.. while you may be shooting with a $3000 cam, they may be shooting with a $10,000 + cam. Also, if you are on friendly terms, they may hire you as an extra shooter on some projects. Also, if you get into a job you don't have the equipment to handle. find a source for rentals of higher end gear. Other shooters may have an extra rig they will rent out. Or will rent out light sound gear. Much cheaper to rent it for the job thatn to go buy the high end stuff.
I can't think of a better way to make some money than shooting video. In three years I haven't come close to making a living at it yet
but a nice second income doing something I love, and it supports my camera habit LOL. This year I should make about $4000 on local news and video for the Weather Channel. Don't forget in the US Uncle Sam will be looking for his cut, so keep good records of your expenses for tax time! OK since this is tarting to look like war and peace.. I'll go sit down now
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Epsilon
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Create quality works. If you put the effort and extra time into each and every project that you do, people will know about it. As you gain the experience, you will continue to do better. Spread your works out, if people like what they see, you will know about it. I would look for a person with fewer good works out than one with more junk works. Also start small and work your way up!
I am not going to say anything else... Raptor has already spoken!
I am not going to say anything else... Raptor has already spoken!
