[Drsanchez]

Documentaries have their own set of rules, and some of them fall under fair use. But it’s always a sticky wicket. I think that’s why SuperSize Me could use all the McDonald’s logos without paying for it somehow. Anyway, all those “I’m not a lawyer” comments also apply.

drsanchez, son of a midwestern bureaucrat

[Drsanchez]

If you have a Craigslist in your area, that’s always a good start. And in my opinion, one wedding is enough to get enough footage for basic web examples; give that one away for the cost of your consumables, then start charging. The bar is set extremely low when it comes to the $500 wedding videographers, so you should feel confident in your ability to provide a better product for more money.
And remember, the client is spending thousands of dollars on photography, a cake, ice sculptures, flying doves and assorted other nonsense, just to put your price into perspective.

drsanchez, son of a midwestern bureaucrat

[Drsanchez]

I like it!
I’ve already written a short script (30-second commercial) for my local food bank but haven’t shot anything yet. Training on higher-end equipment is next. But I like the idea of just getting out there, talent and experience be damned.

As far as focus (30 second spots, marketing videos, training videos, or 28 minute informercials), they all sound appealing but I haven’t done any of them yet. In keeping with the do, learn, do better attitude, I guess there’s nothing wrong with exploring all of those options to see which suits me?

Thanks,
drsanchez

(are you dvxgalt on the VU forums?)

drsanchez, son of a midwestern bureaucrat

[Drsanchez]

Here’s what I’m hearing:
1–gotta network
2–learn the equipment (cameras, lighting, sound)
3–try to freelance

I like this direction. To learn equipment I prefer classes (like https://www.bavc.org/catalog/default.php?cPath=30). San Francisco is 5 hours from me, so it’s almost do-able. I pay them and their only purpose is to teach me, rather than make money, so I can make sure my questions are answered.

Networking is going to take some time. Previous posts have mentioned Chambers of Commerce and similar organizations. Is the Chamber one big schmooze-fest? Is it necessary to work for someone to determine with whom to network?

Freelancing will be a little trial and error and will probably be related to the networking.

To get on-the-job experience will be tough–with the need to work half-time, my schedule isn’t all that flexible. That’s why I like the idea of freelancing.

Thank you both (Tony and Mark) for your insight. I’ll be back with more questions once I figure out how much I don’t know 🙂

drsanchez, son of a midwestern bureaucrat