Anyone who has ever held a video camera in their hands understands what it means to be a wedding videographer and is ready to get a passive income out of it. In the end, you are not only recording a video but also creating a video story, a real masterpiece that can become a memorable moment for a young family. Unfortunately, far from everyone who has learned to press the red button can become a professional videographer. This is not a quick and easy process as it may seem at first glance. So how to get started as a wedding videographer, and what skills are required? Check our tips to know how it works.
The Basics of the Profession
A videographer is a person that shows you the world through one’s eyes as you watch a video. The camera operator sees reality in a special way and will always find the right angle to show it to the viewer. In view of this, among the main responsibilities of the cameraman are:
- Drawing up a wedding video filming plan;
- Installation of shooting equipment;
- The filming process itself;
- Processing of the received material.
When shooting a memorable event, a wedding videographer creates the shooting script and creates a story for the video from A to Z. Taking into account all the pitfalls of the profession, the work of the camera operator is serious mental work: a videographer is required to first draw a picture in one’s head and then make every effort to transfer the invented plot to the screen. At the same time, the following set of skills is required to succeed in the profession:
- Creating thinking and a good imagination;
- Attentiveness to details;
- Knowing the basics of photography;
- Diligence and patience;
- Drawing up a technical assignment with a client;
- Preparing to shoot a video;
- Shooting;
- Preparation of a finished project;
- Maintenance of equipment performance;
- Knowledge and possession of video equipment;
- Ability to do various types of filming;
- Resourcefulness, observation;
- Good color perception;
- The speed of reaction and decision-making.
Of course, many of these can be developed over time. But you will hardly become a successful wedding videographer or create sophisticated wedding pictures and videos if you cannot boast of creative thinking and do not know how to hold a camera well.
Tips for Getting Started
The job of a wedding videographer is to capture special moments from people’s lives and show them favorably. Regardless of a wedding one shoots, the tasks of a videographer are to develop the shooting plan, install the equipment, the composite structure of each frame, and their further processing. Of course, being a pro from the very beginning of your career is simply impossible. But you can start your path as a videographer by following the below recommendations.
Tip #1 – Start with a Theory
To be successful in your profession, you need to work hard, draw inspiration from simple things, constantly gain new skills, watch tutorials from industry experts, and take videography courses. There are many examples of how-to guidelines that most professionals follow and numerous free video templates that they use. While these are useful in the initial stages, try to create your own video style.
Tip #2 – Get the Best Camera & Start Practicing
If you are planning to become a professional videographer and want to make a good impression on your audience, it makes sense to get quality video equipment, with DSLR being a part of it. If you want to feel like a pro, there are modern digital camcorders that shoot high-definition video in up to 4K resolution. Having the best mobile video camera, but it will hardly serve the intended purpose. With such tools, even novice operators shoot good videos.
Tip #3 – Find Inspiration in Different Videos
If you’re just at the beginning of your path and don’t know what to do with your camera, try to copy the styles of the videographer that you like. Getting to know new approaches, methods, and projects will help you develop your creative style. What is more, it will be a great source of inspiration. Study the work of other cameramen, and you will develop your own style over time. But while you are not there, learning about other people’s work is a great way to become a good videographer.
Advanced Tips for Future Wedding Videographers
It’s easy to understand how to become a videographer, but it is way more challenging to get an idea of how to get into the field of video production. A skillful cameraman may want to master the profession of a wedding videographer, and this desire is natural and easy to achieve. If you find yourself there, then the following recommendations will help you make your dream come true.
Get an Academic Education
So, if you are passionate about shooting videos, where can you learn the art? If you delve deeper into this subject, you will see that most professional wedding videographers are not specialized in training. They learned the art of filming on their own and know more than just how to color correction, which means you can do it too. However, when you apply to be a videographer, many customers usually want to see your diploma. So you better get it.
Improve Your Skills Whenever Possible
Knowledge is a power that is difficult to resist. You can develop in a particular direction or develop new skills. Everyone has the opportunity to choose. However, the fact that you need to constantly add something to your “piggy bank of knowledge” is undeniable. If people are content with little or what they have and do not strive for change, then it is worth considering whether they are really professionals. Stability is good. However, new knowledge can open up perspectives that previously seemed beyond reality. Choose online video editor Fastreel, or look for alternative options – be it OpenShot or Adobe Premiere.
Develop Your Style & Vision
If you do not have your own vision, then you have not yet figured out how to become a videographer. What is beautiful to one may look strange to another. Work in the style you like. There will always be those who appreciate what you do, so you will always have your fans. Look for videographers whose style you like and study their works. Join thematic groups on social media and research various sources. You can find a lot of useful info on free blogs.
Start an Internship at a Production Studio
Internships were invented in such a way that graduates have something to offer to an employer after graduation. This is a great opportunity to get into the professional environment to learn from your experience. Of course, tasks will not be the most difficult, especially if there is no practical knowledge on your end.
Update Your Portfolio
A portfolio is a must for a person of a creative profession; it is a business card that will help you get customers with ease. Therefore, as a videographer, it is important to be able to do it right. Remember to update your portfolio regularly so that it doesn’t contain outdated videos.
Do It the Right Way!
Being a wedding videographer is an amazing job that will add many interesting moments to your life. If you are just at the beginning of your journey and aim for rising popularity, then the above tips will guide you and help you find your way!