In the world of video marketing there are endless different brands, styles and classifications of video production equipment including cameras, microphones, lighting and more. For an aspiring videographer all of these options can be quite overwhelming. Video production is a highly competitive field and your competitors are always upgrading equipment and your own equipment can become outdated very quickly. Is a videographer only as good as their equipment? Here at Skillman Video Group, our videographers know that skills and experience are more important and more valuable than owning the latest gear.
What to Expect on Set
Stepping on the set of a video shoot for the first time can be both an exhilarating and terrifying experience. Each experience on set is unique and every shoot is different, so it is difficult to predict what will happen on your first shoot but one thing that should be consistent at every shoot a videographer attends is an early arrival. Experts from elite Boston video production companies all agree that to be on time is to be late, which means that to be fully prepared and ready for any shoot a videographer must arrive at least a half hour early so that he or she can start setting up immediately. Another useful tip from the video production experts is to always ask questions. It is better to be honest and admit where you are inexperienced and confused than to pretend that you know what is going on. It’s ok to show weakness or lack of skill, this is how Boston videographers learn and gain experience is through mistakes and asking questions. Faking knowledge will slow down the entire video production team and potentially sabotage the entire shoot. Skill comes with time, the best in the business have a lot of experience and knowledge that they certainly did not have when they first got started.
Does the Equipment Make the Videographer?
Owning good quality equipment is definitely beneficial in the video production company world, but the equipment is useless if the videographer does not know how to use it. There must be a certain level of competency before a videographer’s skills become evident. These skills are learned through not just filming but mostly from seeing how others work, what they are using and handling a wide range of cameras, both expensive and inexpensive. Before investing a pricey, high-tech camera, a beginner videographer must first completely master the equipment that they already have. This means that they must know the gear inside and out, memorizing every feature and menu option possible. The best way to improve is through experience, so new videographers should always be filming!
Essential Skills
Video production is a highly competitive but extremely rewarding career path. Although most essential skills are learned, there are a few natural abilities and qualities that make a great videographer. For example, a good videographer has a close attention to detail, both visual and auditory detail. They must watch all the meters on the equipment and actually listen in real life to what is happening on a shoot, this is to prevent any unwanted sound or errors when recording video. Boston videographers must be attentive and aware of the small ambient sounds around them because sound is half of the picture. A good videographer also knows the limitations of their equipment, not all equipment is created equally so the users must know what their gear can and can not do well. Along with understand the limitations, successful videographers must be able to work with different types of equipment and be able to work inside the limitations. It is dangerous to depend on the quality of your equipment, and knowing how to use a wide variety is useful because there is such a large array of different types of cameras, audio tools and editing software that could be used for each different video shoot.
In conclusion, the video equipment does not make the videographer. There is a lot more to being a great videographer than having top of the line gear and having the budget to update cameras with each update. Successful members of video production teams value each experience and are able to learn from their mistakes and from their successes. Video production is very fun and can be very lucrative, but keep in mind that it is a competitive businesses. The best videographers agree that video production is worth the struggle because when they step off the set, they know that they are doing what they love.