If you want to turn your freelance business into a video production company, check out this one-hour training on my website. www.filmmakingmentor.com/Video_Production_Accelerator_Opt_In
I've been this for 9 years now and built a pretty great day of clients but the reality is it's always a struggle unless you have a system. Honestly the film making part is the easy bit. The sales and marketing engine is the tricky part.
Let me know if you still need help with that. I’ve helped other creative freelancers market themselves and create a personal brand, and once you get it going you will 100% see it’s worth it.
Jeeez dude, you hit it on the nail. Very well articulated and insanely valuable. Top video courses from videographer you tubers say nothing about this, really really great content
I’m that guy. 68 years old and chased it for 40 years. Made good money in the 90’s but since it’s been a struggle. Small town and the last 10 years we’ve essentially multiplied the production companies by a factor of ten. I own all the gear I need but I think I got frustrated and frozen by it. Thanks for the kick in the ass. No medals for trying. You have to do the work. You just saved a bunch a lot of research time. Thanks for the boot in the backside.
The most long winded suggestion to learn SEO that I've ever heard in my life... He's right to a certain degree. However, I've operated a successful video production company for over 35 years. The trick is to constantly be shooting and creating content. Talk to people. Show them your work. Video production is a people business. You have to forge business relationships. Get out there and DO IT. That's the ONLY way to make it in ANY business.
@@sheldonnorton9035 I personally, I have never worked for free. If anything, give them a big discount. Find a client that needs a video and approach them with an idea 💡 for one. Make them an offer that they can’t pass up. When you’re just starting, you need content to show. Your work is your calling card. Best wishes, keep at it. It will happen if you are persistent.
I am from a small town and I started filmmaking immediately after high school (2017). I work a full time job (also related to film) and do it on the side but I've started worked with some awesome big clients. I have a website but I don't rely on it other than sending my clients that way. I think this method works in big cities but idk about small rural areas. Although this is useful for when I decide to expand and move!
14min video to say 'learn marketing'. Sadly I think I fell into one of your marketing pieces, description is loaded with keywords, as is the script. I didn't find it very helpful at all, but looking at your comments it's helped a lot of people so no gripes, just wasn't for me on this occasion! Glad things are going well, 250k profit is brilliant!
Well this video was more or less my story. Not really a practical or tactical step by step guide. I’m making a lot more technical videos. The problem is 99% just refuse to understand without self promotion through marketing, they will be stuck where they are. They turn around and look for some other magic formula. It’s either that or you can get so good that you become world class in your craft and no one can complete with you and you can do very well. But I don’t know how to teach someone to become a world class filmmaker since I haven’t achieve that
The struggle is real. Lots of people in the same boat that creates a messy 'low ball' industry. Got to be a business man first, video/photographer second. Even then, hire them.
Great video!!! It is good to remember that it is not only to focus on new gears and close some sales, but to remember marketing and how to make business to become sustainable over time by bringing in new clients every month.
Sounds weak, but I'm on my last thread in the video production game. Everyone wants a Hollywood 1 million production for $600. Everyone is a cameraman now....people killing it with content on their phones.
I wanna hear more about this. What kind of client are you referring to? This has only been my experience on the lower end of the scale. Mid size and large companies still pay based or results and I haven’t seen a big change there for a long time
Thanks 🙏 I'm 22 and I have a music production company but this was what I was not getting right why not enough money or client or if Clint then why I'm not saving enough and then I'm also going for a video production company RESPECT +.
This is really great. I am now starting to change to the video production mindset from freelancing and appreciate you sharing your experience in the most frank and candid way possible. This is exactly the type of content I need.
love hearing your story. My big break was pairing up with a bank manager/cpa who got me underwritten to produce commercials. It was steep learning but got me out of being a broke line producer.
If you don't mind could you explain a little more how you did this because that's something I have been thinking about also doing but don't know where to start. I have shot 1 small digital bank advert so I have that on my portforlio but I'm not sure on how to reach out to others to do the same
@@pdlrkpdlrk9971 It was 35 years ago. I was working as a directors assistant on commercials. Basically you need to get financed by a bank. They will partner up with a company that disperses the funds so that most of the paperwork isn't done by you. As a producer, my job was just to secure the money. I got East West Bank. I did it here in Philippines where it was cheap. I had a CPA that was formally a bank manager that had the relationship. I also used my house as collateral. (It was my grandmother's house).
Agree with the overall message, been doing this for 13 years myself. SEO in a big market these days is very difficult to be competitive in because larger companies are paying SEO specialists. Social media is really hit and miss for leads unless you have 100k good followers. Paid ads aren’t cheap but I’m afraid that’s my last resort before finally conceding. I’ve been able to sustain my family but we’re not thriving and I’m tired of the grind. Never had gear buying issues, always been good with my money. Any further insight is appreciated!
I'm so glad I stumbled upon your channel. Thanks for this content. I struggle as a freelance humanitarian filmmaker. Would love to interview you someday on my channel.
Bro, this is the truth about filmaking and not a lot of people are talking about it. As a freelancer with a Production Company I can totally see everything you mentioned. Well done.
Ohhh man. I’m pretty much in the same boat. Although I’m not depending on this as a sole source of income. I have a full time job and I’ve been picking up gigs here and there for local businesses and whatnot. But instead of just scrounging up enough dough so I can buy some lens or light, I would definitely like to have ACTUAL extra walking-around money.
Well I hate to break it to you younger videographers, but corporate and sports broadcasting is where the consistent money is at. My mentor told me that the "Hollywood or Die" mindset is a big myth. It's not the 70s, 80s and 90s anymore.
I logged in just to leave a comment. Everyone needs to hear this, across creative disciplines. The is the case in music production as well. This video should have 2 million views but many people don't want to hear the truth. If you build it they will come is OVER. Great video & looking forward to checking out more of your content.
@@Filmmakingmentor Question is, how you approach this thing practically? SEO nowadays sounds much harder to get yourself to google's first page. So, you're left with social media. What actions could one take to make your presence in the market more visible?
@@oniriscope Definitely agree. This probably will cost a consulting fee to get your SEO / Social media going. Problem is- there are SO MANY inside-the-box marketers, who usually may suit consulting for someone who sells physical products, who has a store. You know, oldschool marketers. But, I think that for photographers/ videographers- we need a different approach to marketing than what it's like for a store to market itself. We need an out-of-the-box marketers to consult with. How do you spot and find them? That's the real question here... [quick example...an oldschool marketer would advise you to upload a selfie with a client saying "another great appointment with X"....which might suit an online store owner...yet, makes us wanna barf. So many of those marketers out there...]
I grinded out gigs for free / low pay on craigslist for a couple of years before really getting an established client base...mostly do editing and motion graphics though, so a different path for sure. Appreciate your insight and inspiring story! Thanks for sharing 😊
How can you improve SEO for websites that mainly have images/ videos? Not text/blog? ++ Also, how much does it cost per month? Heard it costs tons btw..
Loving this content, thank you so much!!! Currently in my 2nd year of being in my busienss full time and feel like I'm doing a ton of work but still making elss than minumum wage.... I feel your videos are helping! Thank you.
Thanks so much for making this video! A lot of strong insight! I recently moved to LA after graduating film school, and curious what your advice would be for someone like myself? It's obviously a very saturated market, so standing out (especially as someone new) & gaining top ranking SEO is obviously very difficult considering so many others do video production out here. Are there other routes you'd suggest which would give me exposure to clients within the saturated market? Secondly, you talk about "getting a film into Sundance... getting discovered.. then being a director." What's your suggestions to go from a video production company, working for clients, to being at a place where there's financial stability, as well as the freedom/ability to make short films/features that are my own?
cant stand those youtubers anymore, they became more ads channels for gears companies... most of them dont even works in the field... they just do videos from the gear they received for free. Thanks for this channel, very nice advices.
Good topic, there’s enough camera view videos. i just started an llc, High 5 video and drones services, got my 107 a couple months ago, been driving trucks for 7 years, that’s when i started making videos and liked that more than truck driving. Struggling making a website currently , but i just bought a travel trailer im going to live in, so i expect my content will be evolving, more videos on the video production business would interest me.
Hey congrats on the new company. The drone angle is great. I have some other videos on making a website on my main RU-vid channel, howfinity. I’ve used wix and square space. Search howfinity wix and it should come up
Thanks for this taking the time to create this type of content. Marketing is where the money is at, not the gear we have. Learning tons from you! keep it up!
One thing I'm learning right now. Starting my own filmmaking business is you have to let the client choose. Because, for me, I'm starting out with no experience and I'm going up to random. Fast food trucks or small businesses offering to make an ad. And then do a documentary style interview about how they got. The business started. And one thing I've had to realize is that even if I do a bad job. And the video sucks the client still chose to let me do it. I'm not charging them anything. Currently, so I'm not taking their money. And they're the ones who are okay with it. Knowing beforehand that I had no experience, so instead of feeling super bad about wasting the time. I'm just gonna have to learn to keep on pushing and then hopefully when I do get better. I'll do another video for them until then. I can't do anything but try my best.
Takes time indeed, also doing it the right way. Luckily, there's tons of info if you want to learn. Going quicker will be by getting someone with more experience in digital marketing.
Please do a comparison review on Sony A7S III vs BlackMagic Pocket 6k Pro vs Panasonic BS1H vs Panasonic GH6 vs Canon C70. Test image look and dynamic range and low light.
So bottom line is...we have to know marketing and SEO and social media marketing and the whole jing ban...till i start forgetting how to be creative and do my actual thing which is film making. Hmm you think the DOP for bond movies/ big blockbusters etc gets his work bec he knows SEO and mktg very well ? Im guessing they wont know squat about it.
This is to go from step one to step two. Of course higher end creative professionals dont need to know any of that and they shouldn’t. But if you don’t want to learn it, you have to either hire someone to help or partner with someone to help. And there is nothing wrong with just being a dop or camera op. This video is exactly for people that want to take their freelance skills and make a video production company. To do that, you need to promote yourself. You can either pay someone if you can afford it or learn enough yourself to get to step 2. Then, you can hire people
I know ton of DPs that are smarter and far more talented than me as a DP, but still struggle to get work and struggle paying with bills in the slow season. They should either get help from someone to promote themselves and learn a bit themselves. It literally took me six months to learn enough marketing to get things going. It’s taking me film school and 15 years or production and I’m still learning to be a better director/DP
@@Filmmakingmentor > Yes it makes sense. But unfortunately learning so many subjects to a pro level like SEO (there are guys doing that for a living) becomes very oppressive to creative people as SEO etc is the opposite of creative...its all about keywording and what not from what i understand. Also this SEO stuff changes completely in 1 year, they just changed the way it works, so we need to start learning from scratch. I know because i learned webdesign the best possible way, using just programming in flash professional, not some drag and drop and make your website kinda stuff. Sites made like this run extremely fast and are customizable to the core as per your taste. I learnt 3ds max officially from a top academy in my country, all this so i can manage every part of the company business by myself. Then suddenly the www just dropped flash like a hot potato and claimed it will no more work on any browsers. It takes a very long time to properly learn a programming language (Action Script) and then next day they will just wipe it out. What a world the www is. At least in video nothing has changed, they dont change something where videos will just not run right ? A video made in 1980 is still running till date. SO investing time in these ancillary arts to get business, while helpful is extremely daunting and can give out under you at any time. Theres no ROI on the time spent, this is just my experience. Not saying what you said is in anyway incorrect or anything.
I live in the middle of nowhere which means the opportunities are limited and the market is relatively small, but the interesting thing is no one appears to be pursuing those opportunities which do exist, so I think this might be the perfect place to start by doing old fashioned door to door sales to a few key initial clients who could provide enough income to expand my initial set of gear to the full kit I need to do bigger projects. There are also a dearth of skilled pros in the region, so doing Hollywood grade work will blow any competitor out of the water. My basic needs of roof over my head, clothes on my back, food, and transportation are already met, so I can fully reinvest everything I earn to grow the company for a while which is a good position to be in, but I've got to thank channels like this and a few in the microbudget cinema arena for giving me the kick in the pants I needed. My plan is to use client work fo fund my art films. I mean it worked for Walt Disney, so... Anyhow, I think with a little effort to create some demo projects for the first niche I intend to pursue and a little time building out a website to help market the company long term, coupled with some of that door to door selling, I should have my first clients before June.
WOW thank you for this! I've been working for the past year on transitioning from freelancer to business owner. I really needed to hear this today. THANK YOU!
I see my self in your journey🤗 At least you continued, I just gave up and start flipping houses😂 but I still have a dream to be on Oscars’ 100. Year anniversary, My name will be there somehow🙏🧿🥰
Still using the Sony a77 and 6300, the taboo camera that's grown my business far more than I ever thought. Why should I upgrade becuase some youtuber said so?
im a locations manager and I ALWAYS ask my PAs what departments they want to be in and if i can i try to help them. I introduce them to department heads, on the rare occasion I PM or PC i try to hire them as department specific PAs. I think you should talk about what department you want to end up in.
Well come bigger companies tend to pay net 60 or even net 120. And I was sharing stories when I was starting out and didn’t collect the way I should have
