Starting a video editing buisness

[Jackforrester]

Hello,

I am interested in starting a small buisness with video. I would like to offer an editing only service where people would send me there raw footage and i would do some simple editing on their video. This would be charged at a small price. I was wondering what would i need? Would i need any permission and would it work. I would also like to know how much to charge?

[Luis Maymi Lopez]

I ask a similar question months ago. Go check out the post.

http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/how-much-should-i-charge-for-video-editing-only

[Jackforrester]

Thanks

[Grinner Hester]

You obvioulsy are not ready for this venture. It’d be a good idea for you to work in the industry long enough to educate yourself before venturing into an overhead with no bookings. I suggest staffing for 5-10 years then freelancing for at least 5 years. You’ll then know your specialty, what tools are required and what that is worth.

[composite1]

“I suggest staffing for 5-10 years then freelancing for at least 5 years.”

Grinner,

Lay that ‘Reality Whip’ to him! Jack Grinner’s suggestion may sound harsh, but this is not a business you should jump into haphazardly. You could easily blow a buttload of cash on gear and software then go bankrupt because you didn’t have enough experience / skill up front. Hopefully, you’ve gotten an idea from the posts Sarge recommended.

BTW, congrats Grinner on getting your series picked up.

[Grinner Hester]

thank you, sir. Only took 2 decades. lol

[composite1]

Grinner,

‘2 decades faster than most!’ And this applies to Jack and everyone who participates on these forums. Unless you’re born into a showbiz family, born wealthy or personally tapped on the shoulder by the ‘divine finger’, odds are good that getting anywhere in this biz is going to be a long and arduous ‘assault’. Half the battle is building up a body of work to make people think you’re worth betting their money on. The other and harder half is keeping your spot once you get there.

Nowadays, all the digital revolution has done is make it possible for more people to get started. Nothing’s changed about building up a credible body of work and a rep to go with it. Anybody can have dumb enough luck to get ‘struck by lightning’ once. The real trick is doing it at will and make it create funny animal shapes at the same time.

[EarlC]

The guys who have posted here are right – ya gotta pay your dues, learn the ropes, gain experience, ect. BUT…

…I’m also a believer in, forgive the cliche, “True Grit” and the benefits of someone who toughs it through to get the door of opportunity open. No, you don’t want to leap into a sea full of sharks (and that is what it can seem like at times in the video business) but you can test the waters, ease into action, then start kicking into higher gears as you develop the necessary skills.

Some people are too inclined, too often, to spend too much time paying for a education, researching the next best thing and putting off ANY forward action. That is not everyone’s way. Some do it dumbly by jumping in on an emotional whim, others do it smartly by cashing in on the practical reasoning their left-side brain provides but they often lack perception from their creative (if any) right side. There are a boatload of folks who sense the opportunity, know their limitations (mentally, emotionally, physically and fiscally) but are willing to intelligently “jump in” depending somewhat on the “luck” and lightning strikes that might occur.

So, while there are a bounty of practical ways to approach this business – and the above “pay your dues” approaches are a reasonable suggestion – there are also elements, voices and strengths within you that might push you harder toward jumping in.

I was impressed (and still am) with the story of Lee Stranahan, former renown Video Toaster guru who, with the support of his working wife took a year off from making money to delve into and learn the NewTek system that was wowing the Amiga community with its video editing capabilities. Sure, Lee had some general knowledge of things, I do not remember his pre-Toaster background, but nonetheless he invested a year into digesting and becoming intimately familiar with a completely new system. The effort paid off as he gained a reputation for knowing the Video Toaster inside and out – to the extent he once released a GREAT how to video that said: “Ten Things You Can’t Do with the Video Toaster – and How to do Them!”

So, if you think you can do this, and you WANT to do this, and you feel like you owe yourself the opportunity to make it work for you. Just do it! You’ll learn a lot along the way, or quit – either way you’ve not wussed out of trying. I keep hearing my late Mom, telling me: “Great ideas won’t work unless you do.”

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