In an era where video content is king, the market for videography is experiencing unprecedented growth. Here at Freelancer Club, we're witnessing this first-hand with a steady flow of videographer jobs pouring onto our job board.

That's great news if you're in the videography sector. But the question is, how many of the jobs you're applying for are actually turning into gigs?

Whether you're sailing smoothly with a solid client base or just stepping into the industry, looking for your first few jobs, it’s a perfect moment to reflect on your approach.

Are you ready to jump right into action? Hit that button and start applying for video jobs immediately.

Click here to apply for paid videographer jobs today

Or, if you're looking for some expert guidance to help land those paid videographer roles, keep reading. Freelancer Club is here to deliver an insightful guide to navigating and conquering the industry.

Let's turn your videography talents into your dream career!

What do you do as a videographer?

As a videographer, you step into the role of a visual storyteller.

Your days might be filled with creativity and technical challenges, ranging from conceptualising a narrative, capturing it through your lens, to the meticulous and often artful task of editing.

In this role, you transform visions into compelling, engaging stories that resonate with audiences.

You could be making music videos, bringing together rhythm and visuals to tell a musician's story. You might film weddings, capturing every special moment.

In fashion, you could be creating cool adverts, and with documentaries, you'll explore and share unseen stories. 

Your skills are also perfect for corporate videos, where you make a company's message interesting and clear. You'll film different events too, big or small, capturing all the important parts.

You might even work on movies, independent films, or action-packed sports videos.

Each project is different, needing your creativity, skills, and technical know-how. 

No matter what you're filming – from lively concerts to carefully planned studio shoots – your attention to detail and storytelling is crucial.

You're not just telling stories with your videos; you're making memories and experiences that educate and inspire.

This career keeps you on your toes, always learning and growing with every project you do.

When it comes to qualifications, a formal degree in film production or cinematography can give you a solid foundation – but it's not the only pathway.

With equipment becoming cheaper and easier to get a hold of, more people are self-taught.

And, in the dynamic world of videography, your portfolio speaks volumes.

Showcasing a range of work that highlights your versatility, technical skills, and unique style is often key to success.

Keeping up with the latest video techniques and technology, combined with essential soft skills like communication and flexibility, will help you navigate and excel in this ever-evolving creative landscape

What type of videographer are you? 

The brand is all important to any creative freelancer – but in a sector like video, it's especially key to guide the potential client in the right direction.

Ask yourself 'What do I do?'. Yes, we know you're handy with a camera and probably have decent editing skills but where do you fit in the market? Does your brand scream BRIDAL or are you more of a fashion fiend?

Perhaps you offer a variety of styles but is this confusing the viewer or giving them more options? It's time to take a step back and be brutally honest about your brand. 

To start off, ask someone who doesn't know much about your brand or your style to take a look at your website, business card or showreel.

Without giving them any hints or guidance, ask them what they think you do.

Look over their shoulder and make a note of where they naturally click on your site or the questions they ask about your work.

Does everything align with your vision of your brand and are they asking questions that would reflect your work? 

Honest and impartial feedback is invaluable. Don't take it personally, use it to make changes to your brand. 

Another great technique is to think about your last ten clients. Where did they come from and are they in the sector that you think your brand is aimed at?

A lot of the time videographers believe they are a certain type of artist when most of their work comes from other sectors. 

The fashion industry is a great example of this. Fashion seems sexy, fun and appealing to many creative freelancers looking to break into it – but with so much demand, there's not a lot of well-paid jobs out there. 

Why? Mainly because employers know that they can hire cheap, talented services with so many freelancers trying to break in and the top jobs tend to go through agencies – although this is slowly changing.  

So, before you start to apply for jobs, ensure that you have a clear brand and brand message.

Consider the journey a client will take when they visit your website. 

Is your showreel on the homepage? What does it represent? Is there a call to action at the end of the showreel or near the video player for the employer to click through to the next page you want them to go to?

Keep probing and asking questions about your work, your brand and your site's journey until you land on the right formula that represents who you want to be.

Check out how freelance videographer Alex Warren does it:

The mighty showreel 

We’ve mentioned it a few times now, but let’s dig deeper. What exactly is a showreel, and why is it so important?

Just like a stills photographer, model or graphic designer, a videographer must have a strong body of work to show potential clients. When we surveyed hundreds of employers and asked them what they looked for when hiring creative freelancers, portfolio [quality of work] came out number one every time. 

The portfolio of a videographer is slightly different to that of a creative freelancer with still images as you don't require as many 'projects' to show off the style of your work. 

However, this does not exempt a videographer from skimping out with a few clips and expecting to land the job.

A solid videography portfolio should contain at least 6 videos in each 'sector' eg: 6 fashion videos or 6 wedding videos. It's not a rule rather enough of a selection for an employer to see the quality of your work across. 

The other major difference between an employer choosing a videographer and a photographer, for example, is the time in which they have to view the work.

A model's portfolio may contain 30 images but an employer could rifle through those in a few minutes. A videographer's work will generally take longer and the employer will generally skip through the content to get a sense of the quality.

This is when your showreel plays a big part in the employer's decision. 

The benefit of the showreel is that it puts you in complete control to show the viewer exactly what you want.

It's a way for a videographer to cherry pick the best aspects of his or her work and highlight the areas that they've excelled in. 

Let's look at a few key elements to a strong showreel. 

Edit, edit and edit some more

Your choice of footage to show will not only determine what a potential client thinks of your work but determine whether the viewer will hang around long enough to watch to the end.

Be ruthless and only include the best of the best. Try to avoid repetition or holding a scene for too long.

Give the viewer the content they need to see (your style, technique, editing skills, motion graphics etc...) then CUT. 

Your showreel is also a video

The actual edit of the showreel is an ideal opportunity to show off your post-production skills as much as the content you have in your portfolio. Don't be over-elaborate so that the post-production work overshadows the content but do give the viewer a taste of your quality. 

Click here to apply for paid videographer jobs today

Short and sweet

When an employer is looking to hire a freelancer for a one-off project, they have a few criteria. Near the top of the list is time and how long it's going to take to find the right person.

This is particularly true when the job is a quick, modestly paid piece of work. Their time is precious and if something doesn't take hold quickly, they'll move onto the next option.

Keep your showreel short - a couple of minutes can give anyone a good idea and if they want to see more then they've got your full portfolio to watch.

Start with a bang

You know what they say about a good first impression. Now is not the time to be bashful. Put your best fruit out in front and capture the viewer's attention within the first 10 seconds.

This starts with your opening titles. A viewer will get an immediate idea as to the quality of your work based on those few words on a screen.

We've seen videographers and filmmakers flex their post-production muscles on their opening credits to incredible effect and set their stall out early. Just as important as a strong start is a powerful finish.

The last 10 seconds of your showreel should leave the viewer with a pleasant taste in the mouth.

K.I.S.S

Keep It Simple Stupid. Harsh but sage advice.

There is a real temptation to over-elaborate your showreel in an attempt to put it all out there for the viewer to see.

Often this can muddy the waters and confuse your style which will hurt your chances of success.

It's best to do the simple things well with a few flourishes that show off your skill.

Should you not be a flashy filmmaker or perhaps you're starting out, a solid if unspectacular showreel will increase your chances of finding work a lot more than overreaching.

Check out this showreel from our talented member Tuff Yak to see what we mean:

Online marketing 

Most videographers will host their work on a platform such as YouTube or Vimeo.

Some videographers leave it there and don't bother with a website which, we would argue, is not the ideal way to present your work but by no means a tragedy.

Your online presence is key – and that’s why your Freelancer Club profile is an invaluable tool to showcase your work.

Your Freelancer Club profile, as with your social media platforms, is a snapshot for the employer to get a quick understanding of your work.  Here are some tips to consider when compiling your online presence. 

You can start by signing up and creating a profile (yes, it's free!). 

✅ Make sure to tick these key points off when you set up:

✅ Choose to use your own name or your freelance / company brand name.

✅ Depending on your brand, use your company logo or a photograph of yourself as your profile picture.

✅ Under edit profile, insert your website (if you have one) and any social media links. 

✅ Talk about your experiences, achievements and past clients in the About Me section 

✅ Add any additional skills to Skill Set - particularly post-production or hardware 

If you’re still unsure, we offer plenty of tools and support to help you set things up. You can start off by checking out this video:

Top tips when applying for videographer jobs

Okay, so you’ve sorted out your brand, made a showreel, updated your Freelancer Club profile, and are ready to apply for some videographer jobs.

So what’s next?

It's time to maximise each opportunity. Don't just click apply to everything that has the words 'paid videographer job' on it – be strategic instead.

Follow our top tips to increase your chances of landing the job.

Top Tip #1:

When applying for each role, there is a message box that allows you to send the employer some extra details. Use this wisely.

Keep it short and to the point. Illustrate why you're suitable for that specific job (don't copy and paste a message) and include any past clients who may align with the criteria of the job.

Top Tip #2:

Quote sensibly. We gather statistics all the time on jobs and our stats show that the videographer who gets the job is seldom the freelancer who quotes the lowest.

Quote competitively but fairly. Employers will insert budget so try to stay within this number.

If you feel the budget is too low then add in your breakdown in the message explaining what the employer would get the quote.

Some employers have very little experience of videography so be kind, realistic and guide them through the process.

Top Tip #3:

Communication is key. Should the employer contact you with a question, get back to them as quickly as you can.

Remember, this isn't strategic dating, it's supplying a service.

Top Tip #4:

Stay strong.

We are constantly posting videography jobs on the board and you're not going to land them all. It only takes one job to justify a couple of years worth of membership fees so stick at it. 

Learn more about how to land a job in this video:

The 'do nots' when applying for videographer jobs

A big focus of the Freelancer Club is constant improvement and development of the platform.

We receive constant information on site activity that we use to improve the process for both our members and the employer.

Best of all we are able to pass on this data to both sides to make for a more successful experience.

By closely monitoring how everyone uses our site, we're continuously tweaking and improving things for both our members and employers.

The best part? We share this valuable information with both sides, helping to create a smoother and more successful experience for everyone. Plus, the insights we gather from employers about hiring freelancers are incredibly interesting and could give you an edge when applying for jobs with us. 

The first major faux-pas is applying to a job that you're not qualified for. You may think it's worth a punt as you never know but it annoys the employer no end.

“What do you care??” I hear you cry. Well, we've helped thousands of freelancers over the years and can tell you that reputations stick.

Outrageous quotes that are either way over budget or rock bottom don't go over well with employers.

Over quoting you can understand (unless you can justify the price or the employer has completely underestimated the job) but classifying under quoting as a negative may surprise you.

The natural instinct is to think 'cheaper, the better' but in reality employers see this as a lack of professionalism, confidence and quality. Pay peanuts gets monkeys.

So how much does a videographer earn, and how much should you charge?

Starting as a freelance videographer in the UK, you might begin by earning around £200 to £300 per day.

As you build experience and a solid portfolio, your rates can rise, with skilled videographers earning £500 to £1,000 or more, especially in niches like corporate videos or high-end event videography.

Top professionals working with big-ticket clients or on large projects can even exceed £1,000 daily.

Keep in mind, these rates vary with demand, project specifics, and your networking skills.

Also, don't forget the business essentials – equipment, travel, insurance, and taxes all affect your net income. While average rates provide a guideline, your earnings will be influenced by your individual situation and market needs.

Stay updated with the latest from UK freelance job sites and industry surveys for a clearer earning outlook.

And remember, if you’re ever unsure about how to set your rates or what costs to consider, we’re here to help.

Learn how to set your rate in 30 seconds below:

To summarise:

Videographers are in demand and even photographers are adding videographer as another string to their bow.

Salaries in this sector vary greatly depending on what type of clients you get, and your experience. This is why it's so important to have a solid portfolio and a good showreel in place – so that you're always ready to apply for that next big opportunity.

Whether you're already a skilled videographer or are just starting out, we hope that some of these tips have been helpful. Ready to apply for some videographer jobs? Make sure you hit the button below!

Click here to apply for paid videographer jobs today