How to make a start at all this?

[Giles Campbell Longley]

Hi,

I have always been into film, camerawork and post production and i have finally decided after sitting around for a year working after school that this is what i am going to push to do as a career, the thing im really looking into is freelance camera work as i much prefer to be out there doing something even though i do love editing.

I was just wondering what the best way to find my feet is, im looking into doing some courses at the London Academy of Media Film and TV. Also looking to invest in the JVC GY HM100 as my main camera.

I plan on setting up a website and building up showreels by using sporting friends to make samplers for them, as well as a few local companies who need videos made for websites etc.

Any advice or tips would be very much appreciated.

Giles

[Shaun Roemich]

If you're serious about doing this as a career, the best advice I can give you is SAVE EVERY RECEIPT EVEN REMOTELY CONNECTED TO YOUR BUSINESS and get yourself an aggressive accountant. Soon. Like, even before buying gear.

[Lori Starfelt]

In the beginning, it's all about networking and getting your friends aware of what you do for a living. Though Brad had edited professionally for years, when we hung out our shingle to do indie film editing, it was a freebie that we did that got things up and running. We cut a television pilot for a young guy that was working with Russell Simmons. Simmons didn't do anything with the project, but a few months later, he sent another filmmaker to us that needed a documentary cut. That was paying work, of course, and that doc wound up being picked up by IFP. All of that led to the producers of that piece hiring us to cut two more features, and one 40 minute film. In terms of paying the bills, that was a very productive use of our time. But if you're going to do that, you must find projects that have a real artistic heart and soul and have been put together with care. Otherwise, they won't have any real respect for your work. Then, you must give it the same care and attention you would a job that you were being paid ideally for. To this day, when things get slow, we'll still do a worthwhile freebie. We always find it a good use of our time.

Making your career work is all about being out there and meeting people. You'll be astonished at where the work comes from. I belonged to a Unitarian church for many years that I haven't attended in over a decade. We still get work out of that.

[David W. Jones]

You might want to reconsider a field where there are jobs available.

[Shaun Roemich]

While I don't disagree with David about JOBS being hard to find in video right now, WORK will never be hard to find in this field IF you market yourself aggressively, as Lori suggests. Very few companies will be hiring right now but that makes it an ideal time for the RIGHT PERSON to market themselves in a freelance capacity. I've changed my marketing "push" for this year from "all in one service provider" to "cost effective external resource". Stay tuned to see how it works out for me...