My Experience Starting Out as a Freelance Videographer

Around 2019, I made the jump to working full time as a freelance video producer and videographer. For a few years prior, I had been working steady jobs. First as a video producer, then as a full-time editor. During that time, I put most of my extra money into building out my own gear, with the goal of eventually going out on my own. By the time I made the leap, I had a camera, one lens, a single light, a cheap lavalier microphone and I was ready to get started.

What I didn’t realize at the time was that owning gear is only half the battle. The hard part was finding clients.

Starting out with no client base is tough. There’s no roadmap. I didn’t know how to get leads, what to charge, or even how to talk to potential clients in a professional way. I just knew I wanted to make it work. So I took whatever jobs I could find, most of which didn’t pay much and some of which came with difficult clients. I learned quickly that the lowest-paying clients are often the most challenging to deal with. I also came to understand another major hurdle of freelancing in video production: the gear. If you want to produce high-quality work, you need a lot more than just the basics. The simple kit I started with one camera, one light, and a lavalier microphone. That only got me so far. As projects became more demanding, I quickly realized I needed more lights, multiple cameras, prime lenses, a proper shotgun mic - the list just kept growing. Building out my kit took years. And during that time, I wasn’t traveling much or spending money on myself. Every time I landed a job, a good chunk of that income went straight back into my equipment. But I saw it as an investment: better gear meant the opportunity to land better clients.

Even though the early days were tough, I stayed committed. Each project helped strengthen my portfolio, and as my work leveled up, so did the opportunities. Over time, I reached a point where I wasn’t chasing clients, they were reaching out to me.

The first few years were tough, no doubt. But I’m glad I kept pushing through the uncertainty. I look back now and feel grateful I didn’t give up, because where I’m at today feels like the result of all that slow, steady progress. And if you're just starting out, just know that it does get better.