Everything you need to know about becoming a videographer
If you have a passion for taking videos, then becoming a videographer might be a great career choice for you. It takes skill, passion, hard work, and dedication to succeed in this career. Videography is a very competitive field, but with hard work, you can have a long and enjoyable career.
If you’re looking for videography jobs, visit Job Mail today.
Not sure what equipment you’ll need to kick-start your career? Visit Junk Mail to find out.
Photo Source – www.pixabay.com
What exactly does a videographer do?
A videographer is responsible for shooting, directing, and editing videos taken at events, weddings, for TV productions, movies, and music videos to name a few. The exact duties can vary depending on the type of videography jobs, as some might be more involved with editing the videos and others will mostly be responsible for shooting the footage.
Videographers can either be self-employed or work for a company. Self-employed or freelance videographers will most likely complete more tasks on their own. When working for a company, videographers will more often form part of a larger team where different people will have their own specific tasks. For example, a team can consist of the camera operator, video editor, producer, director, assistants, lighting team, sound engineering team, etc.
Typical duties of a videographer:
- Have meetings with clients to discuss their requirements and propose solutions to meet their desired outcome
- Develop and present storyboards
- Set up all the equipment and shoot the footage at desired locations
- Operate and maintain videography equipment, such as video cameras, lighting, audio equipment, etc.
- Edit/organise digital footage with video editing software
- Record/edit voice-overs if necessary and edit it into the footage
- Ensure that the footage (both the raw footage and edited versions) are working and stored correctly
- Ensure the archives and back-ups are done correctly and are up to date
- Stay up to date with the latest technological advancements and changes in the industry
Photo Source – www.pixabay.com
Educational requirements:
Although a degree is not required for this career, it’s advantageous to have the necessary qualifications for the job. From diplomas and certificates to a bachelor’s and honours degree, there is a wide variety of options when it comes to studying to become a videographer.
Part-time studies and short courses allow you to gain work experience while studying, whereas full-time studies will usually take about four years to complete. With the amount of knowledge gained from both, studying will definitely pay off in the end.
Options for full-time studies at universities and tertiary education institutes across South Africa:
- Bachelor of Arts in Film and Television
- Bachelor’s in Film and Media Production: Digital Media and Informatics Stream
- Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree in Drama and Film Studies
- Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree in Film and Television Studies
- National Certificate in Film and TV Production
- Film, Television and Video Production Operations
- Film and Television Production
- Non-Fiction Filmmaking
- Cinematography
Short courses at tertiary education institutes and academies across South Africa:
- DSLR Videography
- Video Editing
- Video Production
- Photography and Lightroom Foundations
- Short Production/Technical Production
- Script Writing
Other related studies in South Africa (various institutes):
- Bachelor of Integrated Studies in Publishing
- Full or Part-Time Photography Studies
- Project Management
- Business Management and Communications
Photo Source – www.pixabay.com
Skills needed for this career:
- An eye for visual effects
- Creativity
- Innovativeness
- Good vision and colour sense
- Computer skills
- Ability to work with video and photo editing software
- Teamwork
- Good interpersonal skills
- Attention to detail
- Patience
- Critical thinking
Photo Source – www.pixabay.com
Employment opportunities and potential employers
As a videographer, you can choose to be self-employed or work for a company.
Possible employers can include advertising agencies, digital marketing agencies, movie production companies, music companies, television stations, radio stations, media/journalism companies, real estate companies, travel agencies, other large corporate companies and many more.
However, self-employment opportunities include a much wider variety of options, such as wedding videography, event videography, advertisement or other promotional videography, corporate videography and more. You can also work with other photographers, filmmakers, and journalists.
This career also has international employment opportunities, and with the constant advancements of the digital environment, this career has seen an increase in demand.
Photo Source – www.pixabay.com
Now that you know more about what it takes to become a videographer, you can start looking for employment opportunities on Job Mail.
If you want to get started but you’re not sure what type of equipment you’ll need, visit the Junk Mail blog.
Yes I want to know everything about becoming videographer
Hi Matshidso,
Once you’ve read the article, please consider the following:
If you have not registered your CV on Job Mail, follow this link: http://bit.ly/2Lk3C0b.
Once you’ve registered, look for jobs that suit your skill set at http://bit.ly/2mFMBPB and apply for them!
Alternatively, set up a job alert to receive the latest jobs in your field via email at http://bit.ly/2LxITpe.
We hope you find employment soon!
I am looking for colleges that offer video courses
Hi Eddie,
We’d like to suggest you investigate which college you would like to attend then visit their website to find out if this is one of the courses they offer.
Kind regards,
The Job Mail Team