Prioritizing Fundamental Skills
Big budget gear doesn’t equal success
I’m going to say something slightly controversial. If you provide video production services directly to businesses and organizations, your clients don't care about your camera. They generally don't care about 6K or 4K resolution or high frame rates. Obviously, if you freelance as a Director of Photography (DP) for film crews, advertising, and creative agencies, then that's a different story, and what I am saying doesn't apply to you. But when working with clients outside of the film and creative industry, it’s our job as video producers to worry about the gear and ensure we deliver a standard of technical proficiency in every project.
Don't get me wrong; gear matters. Your equipment should reflect a level of professionalism and instill confidence in your clients. But if your selling point is based on your camera or some film technology you provide, you are building your foundation on quicksand. Gear is always depreciating in value, and professional-quality videography equipment has become more accessible than ever. It’s also an unforgiving technological space in terms of how fast it advances. At the end of the day, these are simply tools to help capture moments.
Certain fundamental and intangible skills can provide much more value in fostering long-lasting relationships with clients. Storytelling and interviewing skills allow you to identify compelling elements in your client’s business. Knowing how to light and compose your shots enables you to make the most of filming in your client’s business locations and create captivating visuals. Using best practices for capturing quality sound ensures your video is watchable since sound quality is ultimately more important than video quality.
Intangible qualities can have an even bigger impact. Are you pleasant to work with? Do you communicate professionally? Are you reliable, or do you constantly over-promise and under-deliver? Do you show up on time? Are you collaborative with your clients, or do you complain when you receive feedback? It may seem like common sense, but these day-to-day interactions ultimately leave a lasting impression on those who work with you.
Taking the time to provide consistently good customer service alongside solid fundamental skills and a reliable work ethic can make you indispensable. Building your value on these attributes is more likely to lead to a long-lasting video production career than incurring debt for a top-of-the-line camera package.