Two Ways Video Can Put Money in Your Pocket

Learning to create pro video without buying pro gear is certainly fun and exciting, but what if you could take this skill and earn some money for your efforts? Not only are you doing more with what you have, but you are beginning to unlock a new opportunity to create income. Will it replace your day job? Maybe not today, maybe that’s not even your goal. But it sure is exciting to think of the opportunities this skillset can offer!

Ironically enough, I learned video years ago at my day job. That’s right, I was a sales guy who somehow convinced a bunch of marketing people I could edit video with no prior video editing experience (more on that another time). I was given access to all the gear and resources I could imagine. It was a dream come true! My office consisted of a world class studio complete with an editing suite that I shared with our other producer. We had integrated audio and lighting and we even had our own A/C unit installed so we could turn it off during shoots to avoid the noise. We had all the cameras, all the mics, all the lights and the best MacBook Pros you could buy. From here, we pumped out more content in a year than ever before in company history and even facilitated the organization’s very first globally broadcasted live stream. At the height of it all, my first daughter was born, and I left the company in pursuit of another dream (I know, crazy right?). Seemingly overnight, I went from having it all to having nothing but my smartphone. Did the video dream die? No way! As it turns out, they let me keep everything I learned inside my brain. Putting that knowledge into action was a no-brainer… pun intended.

Why am I sharing all this? Only to show that with some imagination, your unique skills (video or otherwise) can serve others, even if you think they’re only useful in your traditional career path. While there are any number of ways to create value using video, let’s unpack two specific ways I’ve gotten paid by using this creative skillset to help others.

Opportunity #1 - Freelance Editing

One of my favorite ways to earn extra cash is through freelance video editing. This is how I started out when I gave up the video kingdom in pursuit of greater things. Usually, this involves someone (other than you) filming a video, but they lack either the time, resources, or knowledge required to edit the footage. I’ll name a couple of downsides before getting to the good stuff:

• Video files are MASSIVE. Especially when you get into 4k raw footage, you could be in the hundreds of gigs, and this is not easily transferable over the web.
• You are beholden (for better or for worse) to the quality of the shoot. Since you’re not participating in the production, you have no control over lighting, location, and sound. It’s your job to make the best of what you’re given.
• On the flip side, you may receive footage that surpasses your skill level as a videographer, which will make your edit look that much better!

The reason this pathway was so attractive to me early on was because I didn’t have any gear, other than my personal iMac. All I had was the editing experience I learned on the job. If I was going to provide value with video without any gear, it would have to be as an editor until I could earn enough to invest in the equipment. Before leaving the company, I offered to continue editing on a contractual basis, and this turned into a fantastic relationship. It also helped me discover how to develop as a freelancer.

Now, I wish I could take credit for this idea, but as a Bible believer, I like to think God had something to do with it. Since that day, I’ve edited videos for organizations around the country, all from the comfort of my home with minimal cost to me. All I needed was a subscription to Adobe Premiere Pro, and I was off and running. Strangely enough, I’m typing this blog on the very same iMac that started it all. Talk about full circle!

Opportunity #2 - Producing

After you’ve developed as a freelance editor and earned some cash, you may be thinking about investing in some camera and audio gear. Be sure to check out last week’s post where I shared how to build a film studio for under $850 US. It’s more than doable, and the perfect foundation for years to come!

Producing video can be lucrative in that you get to pick and choose your projects, and in some cases, you get to visit some pretty cool places. I listed this opportunity second on purpose, though. As we’ve discussed in previous posts, video equipment is expensive, so there is going to be an initial investment upfront. It’s also much more time consuming than editing and challenging for a few reasons:

• You will likely need to travel to shoot on location.
• Unless you hire a small crew, you are the director, camera operator, audio engineer, gaffer, interviewer, editor… the list goes on.
• Your job starts long before filming day, as you’ll need to storyboard the whole shoot to make sure you get every take in the least amount of time possible.
• You’ll still need to edit the video. In most cases, if you’re hired to make a video, the expectation is that you make the whole video. I personally view this as a major benefit, but some may not like this part so I’m adding it here.

Okay, okay. Let’s get to the good stuff! The upside is incredible. Because you’re traveling, because you’re using your equipment, because you’ve done your due diligence and planned everything out in advance, you can name your price. Another benefit here is that you have full control over the shoot. If you don’t like a take, or the lighting or audio is weird, you can reshoot it right then and there. This will make the edit go much smoother, and get you to the next project quicker.

Edit. Learn. Earn. Invest. Grow.

There are so many ways to make money with video. At some point, I’d like to share more on this topic, but each of the opportunities described here is a great way to get started in your video journey. If you have a computer, start editing today! As your skills as an editor develop and you earn some cash, reinvest in a camera, a mic, and a couple softboxes (lights), to scale up with production. Most importantly, get excited! What may have once been some seemingly unattainable dream, is now much closer than ever before. Never has it been easier to produce professional looking video with equipment that doesn’t break the bank.

As always, my friend, go create something amazing. I’ll be right here, every step of the way.