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The demand for video is on the rise.
Over the past decade, numbers have shown that video marketing is an excellent method of promoting services and products and helping to establish a brand. According to Beverly Boy Productions, 87 per cent of marketing professionals use video as part of their marketing strategy. Currently, there are 2.9 million freelancers in Canada, making an average annual salary of $45,991 a year.
Jarrod Tully is a freelancer who has been working in the Manitoba media production industry since 2004 and has been freelancing for 15 years. He operates his own freelance business under the name Storm The Castle Media.
Tully is currently working on three different projects: a TV commercial for the Manitoba Metis Federation, corporate videos for Central Dental Solutions, and a year-in-review video with Qualico.
While most of the projects Tully works on are corporate videos, he also does a fair amount of other content such as live streams, music videos, sports videos, and photography.
“You sort of need to have a healthy balance, I find,” said Tully. “The corporate work isn’t necessarily always the most creative work, but it pays the bills, and that’s what you need. Then I do some creative work on my own that helps keep the creative juices flowing.”
Tully graduated from the Creative Communications program at Red River College Polytechnic back in 2004 as what was then known as a Broadcast major. From there, he began working as a camera operator at Winnipeg Goldeyes games for ShawTV.
“When the baseball season ended, they were looking to hire some full-time people, so I accepted a full-time job there as a camera person,” said Tully.
In his first year with ShawTV, Tully was a shooter and editor. During his second year, he moved up to corporate video producer.
Tully learned a lot of valuable skills while at ShawTV and said he grew a lot as a videographer.
“Just the breadth of experience. I got to shoot, I got to edit, I did a bit of on-camera stuff, which was terribly embarrassing,” Tully said, laughing. “But you get better because of the repetition of it.”
Tully said the biggest takeaway from his time at ShawTV was learning to be less defensive about his work.
“I was pretty self-conscious about my work when I first started at Shaw, so I would take everything personally,” said Tully. “Then I thought, wait a minute, these people aren’t trying to bring me down. They’re trying to help me.”
In 2006, Tully felt it was the right time to switch to freelancing, so he left his job at ShawTV.
“It was a tough time in my life where a lot of things weren’t necessarily going right, and I thought if I’m going to make the jump let’s try it now.”
Brent Robak is also a local video freelancer, who’s been working in the industry for 40 years — 25 as a freelancer. While Robak lives in Winnipeg and does a lot of his work in Manitoba and Northern Canada, he has travelled across North America and to London, England, for various projects throughout his career.
Robak is the CEO and president of his freelance company In House Digital Network that provides commercial, corporate, and live streaming services.
While Robak remains busy with work, the COVID-19 pandemic has put a lot of his projects on hold, and he cannot travel as much as he used to.
Robak’s biggest project revolves around a piece of technology he created called the Alladin (All-Ad-In), a communication device that can be hooked up to network, cable, and satellite television and seamlessly replaces regular television commercials with the content of one’s choosing.
Companies use this device to customize the advertisements played on televisions inside their buildings, stores, offices, or dealerships.
Robak is currently working with several Northern communities using the Alladin to help spread messaging about COVID-19 and vaccines. In addition to providing the device, Robak trains community members to use it.
Robak and his team broadcast messaging created by the Government of Canada. They also translate the messaging to Cree for community members who do not speak English.
Brent Robak graduated from the National Institute of Broadcasting and started his career in radio as an on-air host, working for QX104. But after four years, he realized radio wasn’t for him and went to work for CKY News.
In his 15 years with the station, Robak worked various roles from audio director in the mobile audio booth to camera operator and floor director. He covered Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Jets games and was involved in local productions like Faith to Live By and S’kiddle Bits.
In 1990, while Robak was the floor director, there was a disagreement between the union and the company, resulting in a strike.
“It was a long, nasty strike, [that lasted] about a year,” said Robak. “Lot of politics played into that, and I didn’t want to upset anybody, so I just decided to leave.”
With the multitude of experience and skills Robak acquired at CKY, he decided he’d be better off starting his own company, so he began freelancing.
“I said thanks for the experience, kept all my friends, kept all my connections. So that set me up for my personal side of things.”
How to Get Started as a Video Freelancer
Like many aspects of freelancing, getting started can seem overwhelming, especially if you’re working by yourself.
While having an impressive resume and decades of experience in the industry is a bonus, Tully said you can show clients your experience through the work you do for them.
“No one’s ever asked me about Creative Communications or having a diploma or any of that stuff,” said Tully. “They don’t care, they just want to know that I can do the job.”
Clients have expectations about what skills a video freelancer will have.
“One that can do pretty much everything,” said Robak. “[Video production] is one ball of wax. You’ve got all these different elements, and if you know all the elements, then it’s a lot easier.”
Both Tully and Robak stress learning as many aspects of video production as possible.
“When you’re starting out a lot of times, you’re a one-man-band,” said Tully. “I think being versatile is one of the best things you can do for yourself.”
But Tully also says you don’t have to be perfect.
“You need to be technically proficient, but you don’t need to be brilliant at it or have years and years of experience when you’re starting out.”
He says video freelancers don’t need to be a master of one skill, but knowledgeable in as many as possible.
“If you’ve got a handle on all the components or elements of a project, then you can sell yourself as a complete package,” said Robak.
Video Equipment and Editing Software
Video production equipment is expensive, and there are so many options that it quickly becomes overwhelming. When starting, it’s a good idea to keep it simple. Think first about the essentials when it comes to equipment.
According to Tully, three must-haves are a camera that can shoot 4K, a laptop or computer, and a boom, shotgun, or lavalier microphone.
“If you want your videos to look and sound professional, you absolutely can’t use a camera mic,” said Tully. “If your video is a little bit shaky, people are forgiving of that, but if the sound is bad, they’re not going to listen to it.”
Tully also highly recommends buying a gimbal. Gimbals are handheld camera stabilizers that make camera movement look smooth and cinematic.
“That’s just the thing that’s the most affordable and the easiest to learn that raises the production value more than anything else I ever bought.”
“So, if you have a little extra money, I would spend it on a gimbal.”
Another piece of equipment videographers should purchase is a tripod. And while tripods can cost thousands of dollars, there are cheaper ones available that will get the job done.
When it comes to computers, you’re probably going to be working on Microsoft or Apple. But what’s most important is making sure the computer you’re using is new enough and has the proper Random Access Memory (RAM), storage, and speed to run various editing programs.
It’s good to buy a computer with a little more RAM and storage than you think you might need.
Choosing an Editing Program
“If you want to be an editor, then you’ve got like five different high-end platforms you can learn,” said Robak. “But it’s an expensive game. To learn the programs, you’ve got to have the programs.”
Adobe Creative Cloud, which includes Premiere Pro, After Effects, Photoshop and several other programs, require a subscription with a monthly fee of $70 or an annual fee of roughly $800. There is also the option of paying for only Premiere Pro with a monthly cost of $27.99 or $311.88 annually. Final Cut Pro, which is Apple’s video editing program, is a one-time payment of $400.
Whatever editing program you decide to use, Tully said it ultimately doesn’t matter.
“Whatever you can afford. I mean, nobody’s going to know what you’re editing on, nor are they going to care.”
There are even free editing programs like DaVinci Resolve, which has similar capabilities as Premiere Pro.
The most important thing is having a good computer to run the software and a solid understanding of the chosen editing program.
How to find your first job and what to expect?
Once you have the equipment, software, and skills covered, how do you get your first job and start earning some money and experience?
When Tully started freelancing, he got most of his work through the people he knew, whether from friends, former colleagues at ShawTV, or the Goldeyes games.
Of course, there’s also the option of doing a cold call or emailing businesses.
“I did this fun series at Torque Brewing because I like beer, and I like their brand. So, I emailed their owner one day and then did this video series. I did it for free and all that, but now I do all their video work for them, and they pay me for it,” Tully explains. “So that’s one example where I go out of my way to find a client.”
Ultimately when it comes to finding work, choosing what jobs to take on is up to you, and that is one of the nice things about freelancing. But keep in mind this is a career, and at the end of the day, you need to earn enough money to make a living.
When starting, you most likely won’t have the ability to turn down jobs if you want to make enough money to get by. At the start, it is normal to struggle to find work.
Freelancing is all about building a network and establishing a name and reputation in the industry. With every job, your network grows, and the more jobs you take in, the bigger your network will become.
You can start building a network by taking opportunities to meet people in the industry.
“Take everything you can get,” said Tully. “Take on some of those jobs that you might not want to do because then you can meet people at that shoot who might lead you to another shoot, that might lead you to a person who could hire you.”
On Screen Manitoba also hosts various networking and open house events that provide great opportunities to meet people in the industry and grow your connections.
With some effort, jobs will start to come, but you’ve got to work hard, put yourself out there and most importantly, be patient.
Business Registration and Tax Information
One of the more tedious but essential things to do when starting a freelance business is to register your business and fill out the proper tax forms.
When registering your business, it’s good to choose a name that reflects the service/work you provide.
There are also government programs in place to support freelancers. The Canadian Government’s webpage has information on starting and running a small business and self-employed income.
This article is from Canadian Living and looks at setting up a freelance business in Canada. It covers everything from registration and financial considerations to advice on using social media and portfolio building.
Finally, Wealthsimple has a page dedicated to learning more about self-employed tax rates, freelance expenses, deductions, and tax forms.
Everything you need to know about Clients
Client Relationships
Clients are a vital part of being a freelancer, and freelancers rely on them for business. It’s crucial when working with clients to build and maintain a good working relationship.
So how does one form a strong relationship with a client?
The client is going to have a budget and a deadline, and it’s always a good idea to stay on budget and finish the project on time.
“Good work that you can deliver to their deadline and within budget. Those are the three big things,” said Tully.
Making a good first impression with a client is key and will often dictate how the rest of the project unfolds and, in some cases, whether they continue to work with you in the future.
“We want to make sure we are easy to work with, and we do work to a level that they’re impressed with,” said Tully. “Then it’s just fostering the relationship, being nice to work with, nice to deal with through emails and making changes.”
Robak, who has plenty of experience working with clients throughout his career, has earned trust with each of them.
“They like the way we work because we always keep them in the loop,” said Robak. “If they know your experience and they know your skill level, they leave a lot of stuff up to you.”
When the client starts allowing the videographer to make creative decisions for their video, it’s a sign a freelancer has earned a client’s trust and respect.
Established freelancers can work with a diverse range of clients and get the chance to interact with all sorts of different people and personalities.
“The biggest thing is they want to feel like they’re a part of the process,” said Tully. “So, the more structured you can be, the better.”
Making a storyboard and project outline is a good idea as it will allow the clients to visualize the project better. It will also help keep you and the project organized.
Clients will also want to have the ability to make changes to their video. It’s always a good idea to listen to client feedback and suggestions.
Making the client feel comfortable and confident should be another priority.
“A lot of the times [the client] can be nervous, especially if they haven’t done video work before,” said Tully. “You want to make them feel confident in your ability to get it done.”
Make it your goal to use plain language and avoid technical jargon when communicating with clients.
Tully, who said he has never lost a client, has a saying when it comes to building and maintaining client relationships: “Be good to work with, and people will have no reason to look for someone else.”
What do clients expect from a video freelancer?
As a freelancer looking at things from the client’s perspective isn’t always easy, but it’s good to know what the client expects so you can try to meet those expectations.
Remember, every client is different, therefore each client will have a different set of expectations.
“Personally, I like having long-term relationships with our outside creatives,” said Carlos Andrade, Marketing Communications Manager at MacDon Industries Ltd. “I’ll throw our video guy a project and give him a vague idea of what I want, knowing one of two things: one, he’ll come back with something close or two, because I left room for creativity, he might come back with something good that was unexpected.”
And while Andrade may allow room for creativity, he knows not all clients do.
“You’ll need to figure out the process with all your clients; eventually, you’ll just know. Maybe these guys are more hands-on and want to control it more, whereas these other guys are more open to creativity.”
There are several different factors when it comes to what clients look for during the hiring process.
Gene Fraser, who is now retired, was the vice president of global sales and marketing for MacDon.
A couple of years back, Fraser hired Gritty Productions, a local production company, to do a series of product videos for the company.
“We went with Gritty because of a number of factors. They were cost-effective, had a willingness to learn about our products, and had a grasp of farming concepts,” said Fraser. “They also had an ability to react and adapt to MacDon’s video and editing needs.”
While there are many factors to consider when working with clients, it all comes back to building trust between the client and the videographer.
“It’s easy to build trust,” said Andrade. “Do what you said you were going to do in the timeframe you promised, or be honest if you can’t and work it out.”
Be open to feedback and stick with it
Throughout their careers, Robak and Tully have faced many obstacles. But when looking back on their earlier days as freelancers, they both have one piece of advice that helped get them to where they are today.
“It was the lesson I learned at Shaw,” said Tully. “I was so self-conscious and protective of my work. Then one day, my boss came in and sat down with me, and he said, ‘do you want me to tell you only the good stuff I see you shoot or do you want me to tell you the bad things too.”
Hearing his boss say that made Tully realize he’d been closed to criticism.
“Realize that the people around you are there to help you and try to learn as much as you possibly can from them.”
Robak’s best piece of advice also came early in his career.
“Stick with it, things are hard, but they get better. If it’s for you, it’s for you.”
Robak believes the most meaningful work will often come later in your career, as has been the case for him.
“Back in the day, it was great travelling around and doing this and that, but I think here, and now what I’m doing at the end, that’s probably my wow.” said Robak. “I think working with the First Nations People. I think that’s my love right there because I get to see someone learning from what I’ve learned.”
Taking those first steps can be difficult. The media production industry is competitive, but if you work hard and have a good attitude, it can lead you to a rewarding career.