1. Find Videographer Jobs
One of the fastest growing markets across all sectors is video. Here at The Freelancer Club we upload a lot of paid work to our jobs board and videographer jobs are rapidly on the rise. We're seeing videography work come in from a number of sectors that you would expect as well as some unusual markets. Of the familiar industries, we receive requests from the wedding industry, fashion and events while the less obvious markets include corporate and private video jobs. Companies are wide awake to the value of video and even small businesses are reaching out to professional videographers to avail of their services.
Great - so you're in a sector with growing demand, that's the good news. How many videographer jobs that you apply for are you landing? Whether you're riding high and looking for more clients or starting out in need of your first few jobs, it's worth taking a step back to assess a few aspects of your approach. If you feel ready to work now, click on the button and start applying for video jobs straight away or read on for The Freelancer Club's ultimate guide to landing paid videographer jobs in the industry.
2. 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.
First of all, 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 is sexy 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 you are want to be.
3. The mighty 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.
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.
Tuff Yak showreel.
4. 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 your Freelancer Club profile, it's what our employers are going to see first. Jobs range from wedding videos and fashion shorts to corporate burst videos and work on features. How you present your work will be all important.
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 creating a professional freelancer profile on The Freelancer Club site for free.
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
4. Top tips when applying for videography jobs
You're ready to apply for jobs on The Freelancer Club jobs board so what next?
It's time to box clever and maximise each opportunity. Don't just click apply to everything that has the words 'paid videographer job' on it, it will pay to be strategic. 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.
5. 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. The feedback we receive from employers in relation to hiring freelancers is fascinating and may help you when applying for jobs on the site.
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 hired thousands of freelancers over the year 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.
Make it as easy as possible for employers to a) see your work b) see your price and c) get in touch. Of course with the Freelancer Club they can do all these things in seconds so long as you've filled out your profile and provided the information. If you make it difficult for the employer to say yes, guess what, they'll say no. Be sure to include your contact details (phone number and website link) and links in your profile as well as a quote when you apply. All you want the employer to do is message you with the news that you've got the job not ask them to search the internet for your phone number.
The videography sector is growing faster than almost all others in the creative industries as video starts to take over. Social media platofmrs are favouring video content over imagery or text meaning thee value of strong video content is increasing. We read an article on the state of the industry that said 'if you're not using video for your business now, you're already 2 years behind' and this was written in 2014!
Videographers are in demand and more photographers, in particular, are adding videographer as another string to their bow. Being able to provide businesses or private cleints (wedding in particular) with both stills and video content is of huge value. As a freelance videographer you can charge more as you're providing multiple services and as an employer they'll have to pay less as they only have to hire one person. It's not easy, but we've seen freelancers produce excellent quality images and video content on the same day using a variety of techniques to acheive this.
Act now, claim your Freelancer Club profile live and get applying to those jobs NOW.
