If you like making and editing videos or just messing around with a camera on your phone, chances are you have a good side hustle opportunity! Video production is not only for larger production companies and full-time content creators anymore. There are many local businesses, non-profits, schools, churches, and online brands that want to hire someone who can produce simple, clean, and interesting videos.
And here’s the best part: You don’t need to have a lot of money to get started. You probably already have almost everything you need at your fingertips.
And yes, people will pay a lot of money for simple video work.
There Are More Businesses Than You Think That Want Video Content
Think back to the last time you visited a local business website; did you see an introductory video? Or perhaps you were searching social media and came across a brief promotional video of an upcoming local event. Additionally, many local events that present information use video snippets throughout their presentations.
Chances are, those companies that created the videos above did not use a large production company.
This type of work was probably done by a freelancer or someone doing side work in video production as a small business. The focus of these projects will generally be short promotional videos for businesses, to cover the use of video to promote events, for training materials, and/or during clip videos for social media, and they can generate immediate cash for you, if you do one a month or two a month at $200 plus dollars, that’s easy cash for someone who works a full-time job.
Working on weekends to make extra income from projects can have a significant impact on someone’s financial situation.
Tools First, Skills Last
Many people believe they need to buy all of the expensive and high-quality camera and lighting, plus an awesome video editing program before they start anything. This is simply not a reality. Today’s smartphones have an excellent camera and the ability to download a quantity of free editing apps. If you have both of these things, you can make simple, yet effective and entertaining promotional/business type videos.
Although some will tell you that you need to buy a lot of gear to learn how to shoot video, it is much better to use simple equipment to learn to shoot video and learn as you go. It is much easier to learn to tell a story and compose a scene when you are not distracted by complex camera and lighting issues.
Your skills will generally develop naturally over time.
Once your skills improve and grow, only then will your investments in gear will be worth it.
How Side Hustling as a Video Production Business is a Much Better Option
One thing that lots of people in the media industry can agree on is that getting started in video production usually works best as a side business before attempting to become a full-time business or career.
Most clients expect short video projects completed in a relatively short amount of time and for a reasonable price, so someone who has a steady job may be able to accept some of these smaller projects and get paid without needing to rely on them for their primary source of income.
For example, if a person was able to go out on Saturday and film a short promotional video for a local business, they could possibly earn up to $500 without needing to quit their job (or an office), lease a studio or build a large company.
It would simply be a means of generating some additional income for them while allowing them to work around their typical work schedule.
Learning to Create Videos on a Budget
Today, one of the best things about being able to learn video production is that there are many free sources of education available online.
You can find thousands of video tutorial resources, video editing courses, video production advice, guidance for lighting, sound, editing, and video camera angles all through various online websites.
There are also a number of structured online courses available that are very affordable to follow; however, if you are unable to afford to pay for those types of courses but still continue to practice creating and watching video tutorials consistently, you will be amazed at how much you will progress within a relatively short period of time.
I’d like to encourage you to explore all types of video formats and approach them with curiosity; this will help you develop your video-production skills more effectively through the various projects you complete.
Many new video producers fall victim to the Gear Trap when they feel pressure to invest in expensive video-production equipment from the start. Many of the tools available can be fascinating, but they don’t directly correlate to the quality of your finished product. When you over-invest in equipment this early in your production career, you could find yourself financially restricted and struggling to finance future video production projects.
Instead of buying equipment, consider renting what you need for each production. If you need a specific camera or lighting for a production, you can rent from a local photo/video rental business and then include the rental charges when submitting your project price to the client.
The benefit is that your client pays for the equipment and it relieves you of the potential for loss because of equipment purchases and maintenance costs.
Look for Your First Client
Most new producers find that the biggest challenge of their careers is finding their first client. Finding your first client is usually much easier than you think; however, it tends to feel very difficult.
Your best source for your first client will be your personal network. Tap into your-circle of friends, family, coworkers, and any other local connections you may have. Many of those people may already know someone who needs video, so simply posting some information about your video services on your social media may create some business opportunities for you.
Both in-person and online Local Networking Events can be beneficial by providing the opportunity to get to know each other, give your service, and develop trust for those business owners and community leaders.
It’s often said that “trust equals projects”.
Strategically Working for Free Can Open Many Doors
While it may feel counterintuitive (and seem like a bad idea), strategically doing some free or discounted rated work can actually be a great approach to opening up new doors.
For example: If you create a video for a company with a large enough online presence, you will build a portfolio, enhance your visibility and possibly get recommended again.
While your intention may not be to work for free indefinitely, it is important to use it as a method of building your credibility and subsequently, creating opportunities to obtain paid jobs.
As soon as others can see what you’ve created, you will have people reaching out asking for your services.
Offering Portfolio (Viewable Work) instead of Perfection
Most beginner videographers have a tendency to wait too long to share any video projects that they’ve completed. They often want every video in their portfolio to appear perfect before they share them with clients.
This is a huge contributing factor to their delayed success.
The truth is…clients are not looking for perfection in the work that you produce when just starting out. Instead, they are looking for good communication, a reliable method of completing projects and decent quality video that fulfills their needs.
It is important to remember that having a small number of real projects in your portfolio will be more valuable than waiting for months to produce a ‘perfect’ sample.
Nothing will equal the feeling of progress over perfection.
When starting a side hustle making video productions, it is more important to take action, than it is to have an excellent quality camera. Taking advantage of using your mobile phone with basic editing skills and your desire to learn will enable you to start providing low-cost video production services for local businesses or organizations.
As you gain experience through providing services to your clients, your self-confidence will grow, and with that growth in self-confidence will lead to you receiving better-quality clients, and in turn, better-quality clients will pay you more than if you were to have the same level of experience or self-confidence.
Therefore, if you enjoy making videos, creating a weekend side business could potentially become one of the easiest ways for you to earn additional income while also enjoying the creative process and fun of creating videos.
