How to Become a Professional Videographer

Becoming a professional videographer was easily the best career decision I ever made. After all, it’s an opportunity to capture the best day and moments of a couple’s new life together, especially the ones they were too busy to notice on the day of. It’s a special time, and we love what we do. With that said, perhaps you are itching to become a videographer but don’t necessarily know where to start.

 Step 1 — Work closely with someone who is a videographer

Having someone who was willing to teach me, guide me in the field, offer encouragement, and trust me enough to put a video camera in my hand during key moments was invaluable. As cliche as it sounds, I soaked everything in like a sponge and used those opportunities to get experience, learn a few savvy tips, tricks, and life hacks, and save up money to purchase my own equipment. As successful as my company has become, I still lean heavily on those same mentors today.

Step 2 — Buy the right camera

If you want to be a professional videographer who always captures crystal-clear moments, buy a mirrorless camera. They are  smaller and more lightweight compared to their predecessors or other options on the market, and they are quickly becoming more required every day. Your clients deserve the best video possible, so spare no expense in getting the right equipment.

Step 3 — Buy a gimbal

A gimbal is a camera stabilizer that pivots and allows you to shoot fast-moving and clear videography from some pretty amazing angles while holding the camera steady the entire time. The last thing anyone wants to do is watch footage from a camera that’s bouncing around all over the place. A gimbal eliminates that problem.

Step 4 — Buy the right lenses

This tip is pretty short and sweet. You will need 50mm lenses and 24-70mm lenses. Again, there is a cost associated with these items, but you can successfully shoot anything with these lenses.

Step 5 — Be a second shooter

As we near the end of this blog post, we briefly head back to where we started. Find an experienced videographer who will pay you to be a second shooter. This gives you time to learn for a couple of years in the field, shadow the professionals who are the primary shooter, and save up money for your own equipment.

Step 6 — Hire another person

A professional videographer who owns their own company must hire another person. Do not expect to catch every angle and moment yourself. It simply isn’t realistic. Having a second videographer allows you to cover all the bases for someone’s very important day. If you remember that and follow the tips above, you’ll be a highly-coveted professional videographer in no time.

Need a Professional Videographer for Your Wedding? Contact Modern Memoir

You’ll want to replay your videos and print photos of your wedding day for generations to come. Therefore, working with the right media team before and during your big day is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. We are an award-winning crew of wedding videographers and photographers based in Dallas, Texas, and our team of dedicated artists and storytellers is committed to creatively documenting every minute of your love story.

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