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A videographer is a person who creates and produces videos for various reasons. Some of the reasons for producing these videos may be for websites, YouTube, television or social media. Just like photography, videography can be a very challenging industry to get into. The film industry is very competitive and for one to become an excellent videographer will mean that you have a lot of ambition, perseverance and passion. You can decide to either be a wedding videographer, videographer for real estate or any other field that videography has to offer.
Being a cinematographer is no different either, you will need to equip yourself with the necessary technical knowledge and skill to succeed in this field. Natural creativity will also be crucial since you will probably create moving pictures that will tell a story.
Once you have gotten the necessary skills and knowledge to enter the industry and become a videographer icon, the next big obstacle will be getting a job and embracing your different style. All of these sounds too much to anyone that wishes to start a career in this industry.
Here are a 10 tips on how to become a videographer:
Tips on How to Become a Videographer
1. Attend workshops
The first step of becoming a videographer is understanding how to operate a video camera properly. Since it’s a lucrative career, it requires a lot of skill and technical knowledge that is more than just pressing the record button.
You can begin educating yourself by attending schools which offer courses that are related to videography such as journalism, film, broadcasting among others. Once you familiarize yourself with these classes, you can now enroll in videography workshops around your neighborhood or even online.
Youtube provides a huge amount of tutorials and information about videography.
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2. Grab yourself a good video camera
Since you are a beginner, you can find a mirrorless camera so that it can be easy for you to use. After attending a good number of workshops, you will know a good type of cinema camera that you will be comfortable to work with.
After deciding on the type of camera you wish to work with, you can choose from the several camera brands and models that will meet your requirements to be versatile and super high-resolution video recording. Once you get the camera, you should learn how to use it well.
Along the way, you will realize that you will also need to learn how to operate other equipment. Some of this equipment are camera rigs, cranes, sliders and other technical gear.
When you start applying for a job in this industry, agencies and filmmaking institutions will mostly want to proof your education with a degree related to the field of film and broadcasting. Some of the bachelor degrees that you can study include:
- Broadcasting
- Video editing
- Cinematography
- Film theory
- Screen writing
4. Go for internships
Most people believe that the reason to make into the film industry is to find ways to spend time on real film sets and get to interact and know useful people who can help you work your way up.
Get in touch with television companies, film studios and other companies that will offer internships and you can also scout for opportunities to start as an assistant. Do not be in a rush to get a job fast. The major objective will be to get a look at how film crews on set do their jobs. You will learn a lot from these internships that you wouldn’t get from the workshops.
5. Find yourself a mentor
While carrying out your internship, be able to get yourself a mentor. Besides getting important information from known people in the industry, that person can be your inspiration too.
It will be advantageous to assist your mentor in some of their projects and be keen to observe how they carry out their duties and plan and deliver their shots. You should also be able to observe and learn how they handle challenges that arise.
6. Come up with your own films
When you spend time on real-life film sets surrounded by all those creative people, it should inspire you to start creating your own short films or movies. By doing this, you will perfect your skills in certain camera movements and filmmaking ideas.
Get a few people and invite them to start a film project that will enable you to perfect your skill and also be able to use to come up with a portfolio.
7. Market yourself
Once you have created several short films, you will be ready to build your own brand. Come up with a website where you will display your best work and creativity. This will be a good way of standing out from the rest.
You can also market yourself through social media by sharing your content on social media platforms such as Facebook or Instagram. You will be able to increase your following and allowing others to promote your work.
Add your business to online directories like photognow.com and show your work to potential customers.
Here you can find some videographer icons for your website:
ICONS 8
FLATICON
NOUN PROJECT
8. Join an organization that deals with filming
Besides internship, you can also join professional film organizations. Joining these organizations will be a great way of gaining more experience and exposure. You will also be able to build your own network and find jobs.
9. Make job applications
Armed with theoretical and technical skills and knowledge, experience in real film sets, an impressive portfolio, creative style and known identity, you can start looking for job opportunities. You can search for jobs online, contact a few film companies and even ask from friends.
10. Extend your skills and career
Make it a routine to keep up with the latest trends in the film industry, familiarize yourself with the latest high-tech film equipment. You should also be able to take challenging jobs to expand your skills. By doing this, you will be able to achieve and maintain your relevance in the field.
Videographer vs. Cinematographer
Is there a difference between a videographer and cinematographer? These terms are usually used interchangeably which only brings about more confusion. However, there is a notable difference between these terms.
The real definition of these terms is much more different from how they are defined in the video-making world. Usually, a cinematographer is always part of a bigger crew. If you make videos as part of a big crew, you will probably be working as a cinematographer. A cinematographer is often known as the director of photography. He or she is in charge of the camera and lighting crew.
A cinematographer makes important artistic and technical decisions by following the director and helping to realize the vision. They can utilize different lenses, camera movements, lighting methods, composition, filters and other filming tools.
The cinematographer makes decisions that have to promote the story and the director’s general vision. The cinematographer rarely handles the camera, instead, the camera operators take orders from the cinematographer.
Videographers can be described as camera operators who work with small crews or just solo. They are more camera operators since they handle the camera themselves. For this reason, some people may refer to them as camera operators. Their main job is to work with event videography. When they cover events such as weddings, parties or commercials, they are also in charge or video editing and other duties. The production levels that they work in are smaller compared to that of a cinematographer.
Some videographers refer to themselves as cinematographers since they market their services the same way cinematographers do. By doing this, they put their profiles out there to attract more clients. With technology revolutionizing the digital camera, many of them use this opportunity to boost their careers.
Videographer Salary
According to recent data, it shows that the average salary for a videographer is roughly $44,858 a year in the United States. The reality could be quite different based on where you are working from and the job’s manner. The bandwidth is from $31k to $64k a year. For example in Sydney, Australia the average salary is around $73,272.
Freelance videographers have an advantage since they have control over how much they earn and the time it takes to take off.
Wedding Videographer
The duties of a wedding videographer focus on recording a wedding and events related to the wedding using a video camera. The responsibilities of this person vary depending on the needs of the client. They have to meet with couples before the wedding to listen to their needs and develop a project plan. You will have to record the couple at the wedding venue and take pictures during the ceremony and reception. You will have to edit the footage after the wedding to come up with a wedding film for the clients.
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Videographer for real estate
It’s common to use photographs to sell real estate, lately there has been a rise in demand for videography too. Many clients are requesting videos since it’s the only way clients can get a first-hand tour of the real estate. If you are upcoming in this field, then this is good news but there is a lot of competition in the field.
We wrote an detailed article about videography for real estate:
10 Tips on How To Get Into Real Estate Videography
In a nutshell
If you aspire to venture in this field, make sure to keep up with the latest trends in this field and be sure to have passion and dedication while pursuing your career.
What do you think? Anything we missed?
