Wednesday, November 12, 2014

How to Start Your Own Video Production Business

Video Production Business | Small Business IdeasVideo production is the process of creating video by capturing moving images (videography), and creating combinations and reductions of parts of this video in live production and post-production (video editing). In most cases the captured video will be recorded on electronic media such as video tape, hard disk, or solid state storage, but it might only be distributed electronically without being recorded. It is the equivalent of film making, but with images recorded electronically instead of film stock.


Practically, video production is the art and service of creating content and delivering a finished video product. This can include production of television programs, television commercials, corporate videos, event videos, wedding videos and special-interest home videos. A video production can range in size from a family making home movies with a prosumer camcorder, a one solo camera operator with a professional video camera in a single-camera setup (aka a "one-man band"), a videographer with a sound person, to a multiple-camera setup shoot in a television studio to a production truck requiring a whole television crew for an electronic field production (EFP) with a production company with set construction on the backlot of a movie studio.


If you are a creative storyteller and know your way around camcorders and film making software, starting your own video production company is a way to not only call your own shots but make a modest income, too. In addition to flexible working hours and diversity of clients and assignments, video production is a business you can launch with a relatively small amount of capital as well as promote easily via the Internet and customer referrals. Prior coursework in screenwriting and film making is highly recommended along with an internship, apprenticeship or assisting at a local access studio to gain hands-on production experience.

Things Needed

  • Business Plan
  • Training
  • Permits and Licenses
  • Camera equipment
  • Film editing software
  • Computer
  • Lights
  • Microphones
  • Tripod
  • Soundproof studio space
  • Website
  • Business cards

Category of Video Production:

Corporate Video

Corporate video production covers a wide range of purposes from corporate Communication, Training and Education, videotaping conferences and conventions, products and services, and sales. A popular type of corporate shoot is known as the "candids" or "happy-face" video, in which a multiple-day event is covered by a video crew, including speakers, break-out sessions, awards ceremonies and local recreational activities in which the conventioneers participate. An on-site editor then creates a short video presentation that is shown before the close of the convention. Many associations take advantage of the convention venue to gather interviews of their principals, setting up a green screen or other type of background in a secluded room.


Television Broadcast

Betacam SP video production was the broadcast television standard from the early 1980s up until the beginning of the 21st Century when many television stations began using digital media to shoot, transmit and store High-definition (HD) footage. Two styles of producing video are ENG - Electronic news-gathering and EFP - Electronic field production. Television broadcast productions include television commercials, infomercials, newscasts, entertainment shows, documentaries, news magazines, sitcom and reality shows. They may be distributed by broadcast syndication.


Event Video

Video production can be used at sporting, school, stage, wedding, church, and similar events to provide recordings of the events. Event video productions range in distribution from a wedding video that is custom made for a bride and groom and their immediate family and friends, to a dance recital where dozens to hundreds of videos are sold to individual dancers. Event video production can also be used to broadcast events live to viewers at home such as a press conference or concert. Video of live events can be sent by microwave or a satellite truck from the event location to a television studio in order to be broadcast


Explainer Video

Explainer videos incorporate animation as the primary visual element. There are two main types of explainer videos: Whiteboard and Cartoon. Both types are used to convey messages that are technical in nature. By using the explainer type of videos, the viewer has a better understanding of the concept of the message being presented.


Marketing Video

Marketing videos are used to promote an organization or product and create awareness among consumers. Marketing video production ranges from television advertisements to internet commercials and viral videos.


Real Estate video production

Real Estate video productions consists of shooting footage of properties and editing them into short videos; the final videos could include footage, graphics, titles, animations, and voice over.


Video production for distance education

Video production for distance education is the process of capturing, editing, and presenting educational material specifically for use in on-line education. Teachers integrate best practice teaching techniques to create scripts, organize content, capture video footage, edit footage using computer based video editing software to deliver final educational material over the Internet. It differs from other types of video production in three ways: 1. It augments traditional teaching tools used in on-line educational programs. 2. It may incorporate motion video with sound, computer animations, stills, and other digital media. 3. Capture of content may include use of cell phone integrated cameras and extend to commercial high-definition Broadcast quality cameras. The primary purpose of using video in distance education is to improve understanding and comprehension in a synchronous or asynchronous manner. Moore, M. G., & Kearsley, M. G. (2012). 'Distance education: A systems view of on line learning'. (3rd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.


Internet Video Production

Many websites include videos. These videos are not necessarily produced online, although there are many video production tools that allow the production of videos without actually using a physical camera. An example of this is using the YouTube video editor to create a video using pre-existing video content that is held on the platform under creative commons license.


Video content is being used in an ever growing range of contexts on websites. There are testimonial videos, web presenter videos, help section videos, interviews, parodies, product demonstrations, training videos, thank you videos and apology videos.


Internet marketing videos are primarily made in home based environments[citation needed], and serve the purpose of interacting with the audience. There are two main types of internet marketing videos: transactional videos, aiming to sell a product to a customer, and reference videos, aiming to keep the customer on the website.


Individual internet marketing videos are primarily produced in-house and by small media agencies, while a large volume of videos are produced by big media companies, crowd sourced production marketplaces or in scalable video production platforms. Most types of internet marketing videos serve the purpose of interacting with the audience, and there are two main types of internet marketing videos: transactional videos, aiming to sell a product to a customer, and reference videos, aiming to keep the customer on the website.


Training Video

Training videos are commissioned by organizations to promote or make changes in workforce. This can range throughout the organization from training for those that need to learn simple, repetitive tasks and up to executive training. In addition, organizations often purchase or rent more generic training videos to minimize costs. Such videos would include safety, first aid, time management, sales skills, etc.


Instruction:

Step 1

Write a business plan that describes your primary video production mission, the experience you have as a producer and a marketing plan. Include a list of equipment you already own and are familiar with using and a budget for items you need to be self-sufficient in video production, such as editing systems, duplicators and lighting equipment.


Step 2

Set up the business entity. File for a fictitious name statement as a sole proprietor with the county clerk or file limited liability company or incorporation paperwork with the secretary of state. Get a tax identification number from the Internal Revenue Service by filing Form SS-4 available at IRS.gov.


Step 3

Choose a name for your video production company and register it with your state's registrar agency. You'll also need to acquire a business license by paying the applicable fees, posting a doing-business-as ad in the local paper and opening a business bank account. Design a professional website that describes your services, lists your rates and fees and provides sample clips of your work. In addition to shooting live footage for your clients, you may also want to include copying DVD's, creating digital photo albums and assisting in script writing. Use online print companies, such as VistaPrint, to create your business cards, postcards and brochure mailers.


Step 4

Purchase your equipment. Video producers often have two to three cameras, wireless microphones, a basic lighting set, computer editing bay with Final Cut or Adobe Premier and various lenses for the cameras. Depending on the caliber of equipment, a video production business should expect to spend at least $15,000 for a full setup with costs going into the hundreds of thousands for high-end equipment.


Step 5

Design a logo, business card and website to establish your video business brand.


Step 6

Edit a reel together of past work. A reel is a compilation of what you have done that is approximately three to five minutes long. Use the best camera shots and most creative angles to demonstrate your exceptional eye for capturing special moments. If you have no previous work experience to use, use the equipment to go out and shoot stuff, and develop a production library.


Step 7

Create a price list of services. This is often broken down into either an hourly rate or a "per production" cost. Offer complete packages as well as services for editing family videos or duplicating other video productions.


Step 8

Promote your video production business by writing articles and blogs, distributing your cards and brochures to local companies, nonprofits, schools and print shops, placing ads in local newspapers, and utilizing social networking channels. Join your city's chamber of commerce and get on the speakers' roster for neighborhood clubs to chat about what you do. Trade banners with vendors in related industries.


Step 9

Place the reel on your website and make DVD copies of the reel to give to prospective clients with a business card. Network with wedding photographers, school drama departments and corporate human resources divisions, handing out the DVDs to those interested in your services.

Reference


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