What exactly is a freelance videographer?
A freelance videographer essentially captures video content for different clients and brands on a project-to-project basis or ongoing basis. They can work alone, under a producer, or as part of a team recording footage that can range from a short music video to a long-form documentary or TV advert. Their roles involve things like shooting the actual footage, operating and maintaining their equipment, and often edit the content afterwards by themselves.
What are the different types of freelance videographers?
The list can go on and on, but the following are some examples of the different types of videographers there are:
*Camera Operator – Basically, anybody that’s operating a camera for a shoot or studio can be called a videographer. And depending on the production size, they may also be in charge of the sound work and video lighting.
*Corporate Videographer – The majority of videographers are specialists in the corporate content making, and covers any non-advert based video footage that has been given the go-ahead by a large corporation or business, e.g., shareholder updates or training videos.
*Documentary Videographer – This video creative shoots footage specifically meant for documentaries, whether intended for TV, film, or branded content.
*’One Man Band’ – This videographer owns his/her shooting equipment and will cater for the transportation themselves to the location of the shoot. S/he is a solo production crew, editing and shooting all the footage for gigs like music videos, weddings, short films, and adverts.
*Real Estate Videographer – This particular videographer meets with customers who want to sell their houses or are given the mandate by real estate companies to film the exterior and interior of the properties and get some shots to be used in digital home tour videos.
*Travel Videographer – This basically means travelling for a living as you create educational, promotional, or cultural videos to be used by the tourism industry.
*Video Editor – The job description of a video editor usually overlaps or falls within the purview of a videographer.
To get a deeper understanding of what this role entails, see one of our recent articles here.
What’s in a videographer’s job description?
How can you breakdown an extensive role like this one into daily responsibilities? Depending on the project, they can be tasked with:
- Consult with the customer to determine the project deliverables and creative brief
- Scout prospective shoot spots
- Transport and set up video equipment as the project needs
- Help with set preparation and staging
- Shooting relevant and high-quality video footage
- Taking responsibility for lighting and sound
- Supporting the Producer, and/or working together with the Production team
- Editing recorded footage to desired standards
- Executing the concept through to the finish and as per the original brief
What is a videographer’s skill set?
Above anything else, a videographer is expected to be a skilled camera operator and trained to work with various lenses and cameras of all sizes. They also need to have a strong understanding of and know how to use video editing software like Avid, Apple’s Final Cut Pro, or Adobe Premiere Pro. Essential skills include things like attention to detail, communication, and solid storytelling ability.
Why should you hire a freelance videographer?
Enlisting the services of a freelance videographer is among the best ways of marketing your business or telling your brand’s story. They are experts in their craft and are flexible to your needs and will capture that special event on your behalf or come up with footage that encapsulates the successes and culture of your company. And with the exponential rise of video content over the years, these are the sort of projects no company should be missing out on.
With the aforementioned information, it should be easy choosing the best freelancer for your company! Contact us for additional support.
