Patrick's Podcast

Getting Started In Video Production and Other Tips

• Patrick

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SPEAKER_01:

Welcome back to the deep dive. This is where we uh take a huge pile of sources, articles, interviews, deep research, and really boil it down for you.

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Aaron Powell We try to synthesize that core wisdom, give you that shortcut.

SPEAKER_01:

Exactly. And today we're tackling something practical: building a career in video production, launching a business, you know, navigating this constantly shifting market. Aaron Powell Yeah.

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And what's really interesting looking at these sources is the depth of experience. We're talking insights from like 30 plus years in the business.

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Wow.

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And it's not just about the cameras or the editing software, right? It's kind of a three-legged stool. The tech side, sure, but also handling trends, AI, YouTube, that sort of thing. Maybe most importantly, the human side.

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The human element. Yeah. Storytelling, networking. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

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Right. That people stuff.

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Trevor Burrus, So that's the mission for you listening. We wanted to steal the mindset, the practical steps you need, whether you're just starting out or trying to grow your production business today.

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Aaron Powell And the good news, maybe the surprising part, is how easy it is to just get started.

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Aaron Powell Okay, let's start there. The barrier to entry.

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Aaron Powell It's genuinely lower than ever. The sources are really clear on this. Starting a video company today.

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Yeah.

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You basically need a laptop, a hard drive, and well, a camera. It doesn't even have to be top of the line initially. Aaron Powell And the cost. The veterans we looked at literally said, quote, not a lot of money.

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Aaron Powell Okay, not a lot of money is relative, but point taken, the technical hurdle isn't what it used to be.

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Not at all.

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But uh a low barrier usually means more competition, right? So the challenge isn't getting the gear, it's getting noticed, building that portfolio.

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Aaron Powell Exactly. So for anyone starting out, the advice is super hands-on. You got to get comfortable with the equipment, obviously.

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Yeah.

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But also jump on that laptop. Start writing. Start practicing your craft.

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You need something to show people.

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You need proof. And if paying clients aren't knocking down your door yet, you uh you kind of have to engineer your own portfolio.

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Oh. Spec work.

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Yeah, spec commercials are a great example. Or just short concept videos, anything that demonstrates your skills. You need material for those future paid gigs.

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Right. Which brings us to the big question finding that first paying client. What's the strategy there?

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Okay, so the sources suggest something that sounds, well, a bit counterintuitive at first.

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Go on.

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Offer your services to a small business for free.

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Hold on. Free. Isn't that like rule number one of freelancing? Don't undervalue yourself. How does giving away work help?

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Okay, fair question.

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Yeah.

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But think strategically. This isn't about charity. It's about de-risking the next hire for a potential client.

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De-risking how?

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That small business gets a video, a tangible asset, right? And you get a professional piece for your portfolio, plus hopefully a testimonial, real-world results.

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Ah, I see. So the free job is really an investment in getting the next job, the paid one.

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Exactly. It's a necessary stepping stone, according to these sources.

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Okay, that makes more sense. And while you're building that portfolio piece by piece, is it better to be a generalist or specialize?

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The advice leans heavily towards niching down. Don't try to be everything to everyone. Target specific types of clients or industries you actually want to work with. Healthcare, maybe, or tech startups, or hospitality. Whatever fits your interests and skills.

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Focus your energy. Yeah. Yeah.

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And while you're doing all that creative grinding, don't forget the basics, the uh the unglamorous stuff.

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Like what?

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Your digital presence. It costs basically nothing. Get a solid LinkedIn profile up. A simple website doesn't have to be fancy, a Google business listing. Table stakes, really. Pretty much. Pretty much. And use that LinkedIn profile to start targeting those niche businesses you identified. Connect. Engage thoughtfully.

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It's interesting how quickly we've moved from tech specs to well, people. Networking, presence.

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It always comes back to the human element, doesn't it? Once you have the basic tools, your success really hinges on connection. Trust. That's the core principle. People buy from people they trust, know, and like. It's an old saying, but it holds true.

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And if you're just hiding behind a website, how will they get to know you?

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Or trust you? You got to get out there.

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So literally get out there. In person.

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Yes. The sources really hammer this home. Go to networking events, industry happy hours, meet people. That face-to-face time is huge. Still.

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Even in our digital world.

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Especially now, maybe. Yeah. It cuts through the noise.

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Okay. What else? Any shortcuts to building that trust?

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Volunteering is a great tactic. Think about local marketing associations or chambers of commerce. They're always looking for help.

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Ah, clever. You get involved, meet decision makers.

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Exactly. You're suddenly embedded with the very people who hire video producers and marketers.

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Smart. Now, what about reaching out cold? Like to establish production companies or ad agencies.

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Okay, crucial point here.

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Yeah.

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Do your homework first. Don't just blast out generic emails. That's a waste of everyone's time.

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Research is key.

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Absolutely. Know who you're talking to, look at their work, understand what they do.

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And then is there a trick to getting their attention?

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There's a bit of a secret hook, yeah. When you reach out, maybe asking for an informational interview, don't just say, I like your work.

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Be specific.

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Yes. Mention a specific project on their site that you admired. Talk about a particular shot or the editing style or the message, something concrete.

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Ah, that makes a huge difference. It shows you actually paid attention. I know that kind of personalized note always gets my attention.

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It gets me every time, too. It signals genuine interest and respect for their craft, not just, you know, wanting something from them.

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It's the difference between asking for a favor and starting a professional relationship.

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Well put. And little things matter too. Maybe connect on LinkedIn before sending that email. Show you're putting in some effort.

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It all adds up. But let's be real, even with the best approach, rejection is part of the game, right?

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Oh, absolutely. The expert who shared a lot of this, even after 30 plus years, gets told no literally every day.

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Wow, every day.

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That's the reality of sales and business development in this field.

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Yeah.

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So the message is simple. You gotta keep grinding. Don't give up. Persistence pays off.

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That's sobering, but also encouraging. Knowing even the veterans face rejection daily.

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Okay, speaking of friction, let's talk technology shifts. AI, YouTube. These things cause anxiety.

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They definitely do. And we saw a really clear pattern in the sources looking back historically.

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Like with YouTube.

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Exactly. Remember when YouTube first exploded? Everyone in the production world panicked.

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Oh yeah. It's the end of professional video. Everyone will just shoot shaky cat videos.

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Right. The fear was that producers, camera ops, we'd all be out of business because anyone could upload anything.

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And what actually happened?

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YouTube became this massive distribution channel for high quality content. It actually drove more demand for professional skills.

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Interesting. So the fear was the opposite of the outcome.

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Pretty much. And now we're seeing that exact same kind of anxiety bubble up around artificial intelligence. AI. AI is gonna take our job.

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The narrative is almost identical. But if history is any guide, and the sources strongly suggest it is, AI is, well, it's just another tool.

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A tool like YouTube was a tool.

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Exactly. It's something that will likely help creators like us make amazing content more efficiently, not replace the core creativity.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay, but it's just a tool can sound a bit dismissive. Can we get more specific? How should creators be using AI right now instead of just worrying about it?

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Good question. The smart play isn't using AI to like write the whole script or make the final edit. Uh not yet, anyway. It's about efficiency gains.

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For example.

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Think about tedious tasks, transcribing interview footage. AI could do that in minutes, saving hours, literally hours, of post-production time.

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Okay, that's practical.

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Or using AI to generate initial shot list ideas based on a script. It doesn't replace the director of photography, but it gives them a starting point, freeing up their brain power for the more creative, high-level thinking.

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So it handles the grunt work, letting humans focus on strategy and artistry.

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Precisely. It lowers the labor cost on some technical bits, which actually makes the producer's creative judgment more valuable, not less.

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Aaron Powell That flips the script, doesn't it? From force multiplier. Okay, speaking of efficiency, let's talk content length. This seems non-negotiable now.

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Oh yeah. The trend is undeniable. Short form rules, people generally just don't stick around for a five-minute video anymore. Not online, anyway.

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Aaron Powell So what's the magic number?

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Aaron Powell The sweet spot seems to be uh 90 to 120 seconds, two minutes, tops, maybe three minutes, absolute maximum for certain things.

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You have to be really concise.

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You do. But you can pack a lot of story and message into that time if you're disciplined about structure.

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Aaron Powell Okay, but what happens when the client, the one paying the bills, insists? No, our story needs five minutes, seven minutes.

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Uh yeah, that happens. And you know what? You make the five or seven minute video, the client's got to be happy. But and this is critical, almost non-negotiable in a modern contract. You also create the short clips, the 60-second, 90-second versions, specifically for social media: Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, wherever their audience actually hangs out.

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So you give the client the long version they ask for, but you also deliver the assets that will actually get seen online.

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You got it. You have to feed the platforms where attention lives today.

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Aaron Powell This push towards shorter, faster content, it really circles back to authenticity, doesn't it? If you only have 90 seconds, the message has to feel real instantly.

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Aaron Powell Absolutely. Which reminds me of this great anecdote in the sources about Whitecliff Sean.

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Oh, the musician.

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Yeah. This is maybe 15 years ago. He was doing a TV public service announcement at PSA.

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Okay.

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They had him set up in this makeshift studio in a hotel lobby. Teleprompter, scripted copy, all approved by the client. Yeah. Pretty standard stuff. Right. So Whycleff looks at the script on the prompter, looks around at the crew, and then asks the producer, hey, can I can I just try something?

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Uh-oh. Client's approved script.

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Exactly. But the producer led him. And Wycliffe basically, well, he kind of wrapped the core message. He delivered the scripted points, but in his own voice, his own rhythm. Totally authentic Yycliffe.

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Wow. How did that go over?

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The result. It became the most downloaded PSA in that organization's history. Because it was real. They let him be authentic.

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That's incredible. It shows that when you capture that genuine human spark, the technical stuff almost fades away.

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It really does. Which leads us perfectly into the art of the interview. Because that's often where that authenticity lives or dies. It's maybe the most critical human skill for a producer.

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Totally agree. And the number one job, according to these sources.

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Making the interviewee comfortable. Period. Doesn't matter if they're a CEO in a fancy suite, or as one source put it, someone down in a coal mine. Comfort is key.

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How do you build that comfort, especially when you've got cameras, lights?

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Yeah.

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It's inherently intimidating.

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Preparation helps a lot. Respecting their anxiety. One strong recommendation is try to meet them beforehand.

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Before the shoot day.

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Yeah, even just a quick five-minute Zoom call or a phone chat a few days before. So the first time they see you isn't when you walk in with a mountain of gear.

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Break the ice early. Makes sense.

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And when you are on location, setting up, use the environment, look around their office or space, family photos, awards, books. Find some common ground, ask a question about it.

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Small talk, but strategic small talk.

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Exactly. Builds rapport quickly.

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Now there's a specific pet peeve mentioned about interview prep. Something producers often get wrong.

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Ah, yes. Setting the questions ahead of time.

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Wait, really? I thought that was standard practice, being professional, letting them prepare.

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It seems professional, but the experience shared in these sources is pretty consistent. When you send questions in advance, people tend to overprepare. How so? They script out their answers, they rehearse them in their heads, sometimes even write them down. And then on camera.

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Sound robotic.

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Exactly. You lose all the spontaneity, the natural pauses, the genuine emotion. It comes across as less authentic, ironically.

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Interesting. So you're trading polished answers for potentially more human, maybe slightly messier, but more real answers.

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That's the idea. Prioritize sincerity over perfection.

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Okay, and that ties into another cardinal rule for conduct during the interview itself.

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Absolutely. Never ever interrupt the interviewee mid-sentence.

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Even if they mess up a word or a loud noise happens.

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Even if a firetruck goes screaming past the window, let them finish their complete thought, their story, their line. Then after they're done, you can gently say, That was great. Let's just get that last bit again because of the siren.

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Protect their flow. Don't make them self-conscious, mid-thought.

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You got it. Preserve their momentum and confidence.

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This focus on comfort and authenticity, it's not just about the individual interviewee, is it? It extends to the whole context, the community you might be filming.

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That's a really crucial point. There's a powerful story about this from the experts' work on a big national campaign film for United Way.

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Tell me about it.

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The film featured this young man, Socrates, who grew up in a pretty tough neighborhood outside Boston. He managed to get his law degree and then, importantly, came back to serve that same neighborhood.

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Okay, inspiring story.

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Very. But before they started filming, Socrates pulled the producer, Patrick, aside and made him promise just one thing. What was that? He said, Please shoot my neighborhood in a respectful manner. He was clearly worried about the usual negative media stereotypes, rundown buildings, crime, that kind of thing.

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Understandable concern. So how did the film turn out?

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Patrick and his crew took that provise seriously. And after the film premiered, Socrates found Patrick and said, with real emotion, thank you. My neighborhood look awesome. My people look good.

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Wow. That hits hard, the responsibility there.

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It's immense. It highlights how critical it is to be sensitive. The integrity of the people and the places you film is just as important, if not more so, than getting the perfect shot. That trust is paramount.

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So let's try to synthesize this. We started out thinking, okay, video production, low barrier to entry, just need a laptop, a camera. Pretty straightforward.

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Right. Technically easy to start.

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But the deep dive shows the real investment isn't just cash for gear. It's paid in uh relentless networking, doing that deep research before outreach.

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And committing to capturing those authentic human moments ethically.

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Yeah, ethically and respectfully. We've seen that tools like AI aren't necessarily the enemy, they're accelerators, right?

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Aaron Powell Exactly. They help with the technical side, make things more efficient, but they don't solve the core challenge. Which is connecting with an audience on a human level, that still takes empathy. Building trust, often face to face, and having the maturity to tell stories, especially sensitive ones, responsibly. Aaron Powell Okay.

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So here's the tension, the final thought for you, the listener, to grapple with. We know video needs to be short now, right? 90, maybe 120 seconds for distribution for the algorithm.

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That's the trend. Feed the beast.

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But we also just heard about the profound, lasting impact of deeper, respectful storytelling. Like that film about Socrates, which probably wasn't just 90 seconds long.

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Definitely not. That required nuance, context.

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Aaron Powell So here's the challenge for you as a creator. How do you balance that? How do you reconcile the urgent demand for short, maybe even viral, clips needed for today's platforms with the equally important imperative for crafting narratives that have real depth, sensitivity, and lasting authentic impact?

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That's the million dollar question, isn't it? Finding that balance. That's where the real art and maybe the real business value lies today. We'll explore more next time on the deep dive.