DVX100b, Tripod, Glidecam, Sound - No business..

PainTed

PainTed

Active member
Have the camera, Tripod w/Bogen 501, Rode NTG-1, Glidecam 2000 (still trying to figure out how to balance it though). I'm set for the basics but what are my best options for drumming up some low paying gigs to start with? Seems like weddings may be my best bet starting out? Website? Word of mouth? Business cards even? I need to start making some money to pay for this stuff but feel stuck. I live in the Central Ohio area (Columbus). I don't want to charge too much for anything considering it will all be pretty amatuer right now just to get experience. Maybe $300 for a wedding? Even thought about doing some sporting events. I dunno. I would appreciate some advice from anyone who's been in this position and what you did for business. Thanks.
 
You are where I was at a number of years ago. You just have to keep working at it. It will take a few years of hard work to get regular good paying gigs.

Advice–––

There are plenty of people who want someone fo ra low/no pay gig. See Mandy or Craig.

Get business cards. Try Staples.com.. don't get the free ones form vistaprint– every amateur has those and everyone knows what the stock designs look like... just spend the $30 for real ones....

When you have good work to show, get a website. Getting myself one was the best thing I ever did after buying a G5. Make sure you pay a friend to design it, to at least make it semi-pro.

Get whatever work you can to get yourself going. By doing so you will build a reel, experience, a list of former clients, and get to know the industry from a local perspective. This may include weddings. This may include sporting events. I might suggest avoiding long-term no-pay work. Just do the one-day shoots or one-month edits. Anything more and you SHOULD get paid. Also, insist on gas money/food money. Most people don't mind paying for this even if they aren't paying you for your work.

Word of mouth and the internet are 100% of my freelance business. I paid off a HVX/FS100 setup within 5 months of freelancing on a part-time basis.

Hope that helped.
 
Great advice. I appreciate it. Guess I just need to start shooting anything I can and pass my business card around. Wish I knew how to make a good website but maybe I can push that off onto someone.
 
Craigslist, craigslist, craigslist.

Mock up a template stating who you are and what you do, and that you're just starting out so your rates are reasonable.

EVERYDAY, post that template in the 5-6 catogory's in craigslist that are even remotely close to video production. The musicians section, the service's section (creative, event, real estate, etc), the TV Video Film section, and there's a few more.

For wedding, you're going to need at least one wireless lav mic. If you can't afford one right now, rent one for $15 for the day, and take it out of what you make of that wedding.

If you do that everyday like I said, you'll get gigs. May not be exactly what you want, but they'll be paying gigs and you can start making some money.

-brown

p.s. Also great advice from Mike W.
 
I worked for years in the Cincinnati/Dayton/Columbus area shooting and editing and to be honest, there's more videographers than there are paying gigs so you've got a lot of competition out there. If you go down the wedding video route, it may take some time but you can make a decent living off of that just about anywhere. Look into using Decidico.com you can set up an account and people who need wedding or event videographers will post there info on the site, you will get an email about it and pay $1 to get there contact info. I use to get at least 2-3 weddings per year through them...could have had more if I had the time.

There are other websites you can look into as well. expertvillage.com is one. they need filmmakers to create "how to" videos. I think they pay $15-$20 per 1 minute clip that you produce. Here's a few other sites you can check out for gigs: sologig.com, productionhub.com, and creativecow.com.

Good Luck!
 
I appreciate the links. Decidico.com does not seem to work though. I wouldn't mind doing just a couple a year anyway. Thanks everyone.
 
Work Hard on Your Quality and Confidence

Work Hard on Your Quality and Confidence

The suggestions on how to find business are great.

The key to long term success is in the product you deliver and the confidence with which you sell it.

You express concerns about your work being "amateur" right now and not worth much.

If you are being modest, don't be.

If your statement is an accurate reflection of your work -- try to spend some time learning and improving BEFORE you enter the market place.

Unfortunately, we get type cast by the quality of our early work and the rates we charge for it.

Many people get stuck because they undervalue their work and don't charge enough. They start out this way thinking they'll build a book of clients. But, those clients will get used to underpaying and it will be hard for you to get a fair rate from them, later.

It may be worth working as an apprentice until you have a strong reel and competitive rate card.

sjh
 
Charge more than anyone else. Build a killer reel with breathtaking visuals and music. Say you are too busy for a particular date unless they pay a "rush" fee to arrange a videographer.
 
marketmd said:
Charge more than anyone else. Build a killer reel with breathtaking visuals and music. Say you are too busy for a particular date unless they pay a "rush" fee to arrange a videographer.
Click to expand...

LMAO- Awesome! Then show up in a beret and riding pants and sip champagne while yelling in your megaphone. Seriously, everything takes time. Look how long it took Marty to get an Oscar!
 
I think you need to ask yourself one big question:

Where do I want to go?

 My answer was this:

Become an ASC Cinematographer, making his living shooting feature length films and national commercial spots.

What I'm doing:

NOT shooting weddings

NOT shooting ENG news

Etc..

If you wanna work in film, then you need to focus as hard as you can on film, not booking a zillion and one weddings. To me, that is clearly the difference between those of us who truly make a full time living shooting the "cool stuff", and those of us who don't. If you need to save up and live off of savings for a year to do it, then do it. I'm not saying that shooting a wedding here and there will kill you, just don't get sucked into it, I've seen what that does.

Just my 2 cents.

And yes, I now work full time shooting the "cool stuff", and I'm not looking back!
 
Last edited:
good for you chris, but some of us like shooting weddings. i make a full time living shooting what i consider "cool stuff" (which would be short films) but I'm not about to tell someone else that shooting weddings is a bad idea and they should do what i do because it's cool. Not everyone wants to do the same things. Your work may be cool, but not everyone would want to do it.
 
cardmaverick said:
I think you need to ask yourself one big question:

Where do I want to go?
Click to expand...

If you dig the wedding business, thats cool. I personally do not. I have friends who do not, but they still shoot them anyways, yet dream of shooting commercials, films, and music videos. Years later, they are still shooting weddings and wondering why they haven't picked up any commercials or feature films.

The same thing is true for a few ENG guys I know.

Find a bearing, and follow it. Thats all I'm saying.
 
Last edited:
Indeed. I have had my DVX100a for some time now and have a dream and desire to shoot nature cinematography. I simply love to see well shot nature documentaries and such. So, with that being said, I agree with Chris on determining what you want to do. No, I have not made it to the "bigtime" yet, but it doesn't bother me as such. I'm still content with learning the camera and, most importantly, camera methods and practices. I have been fortunate to have met a guy that does this for a living and is giving me tips and suggestions which have been the best help I could get. I have purchased several add-ons such as GC4000 w/smooth shooter, as well as 1.6 teleconverter lense & mattebox. All of this takes time to learn and get halfway decent at. And we haven't even touched yet on editing with FCP. I have been asked several times to do weddings but I simply will not do them because I have no interest what-so-ever in doing them. I'm sure there are plenty of good people that make a good living (as above stated) doing that and that's great. It just isn't my 'cup of tea' so to speak. Follow your heart.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top