Those who “know” me are likely thinking this is a hypocritical statement. But the truth is that you cannot be good at everything. It takes a keen awareness of your personal strengths and weaknesses in order to survive in the world of video.
Truly professional productions require a myriad of source elements. Video is much more than just moving pictures. You’ll need high-quality sound, compelling music, a well-written script, compelling graphics, art direction, and more.
I recommend a triage approach to developing a skills inventory:
- Marketable Services – These are skills that you feel confident in selling to others. You should aim to keep this list below ten items (after all there’s a reason you have ten fingers). Be sure to develop these skills continuously through exercise (practical use) and training (conferences, books, online learning, and social media).
- Potential Services – This category houses skills that you both want to offer and show potential aptitude. Look for opportunities to develop through personal projects and volunteering your time. Look for a mentor that you can serve under and log additional practice time.
- Outsourced Services – There will be lots of services you need to make a video project. You can’t be good at all of them. Learn enough so you understand what’s involved, then build a good pool of talent that you can hire. There is no shame in hiring other professionals. In fact it is critical to the success of the industry. Through the mixing of creative professionals, new ideas are born.
You can download the free eBook "From Still to Motion – The Business Manifesto" to get practical advice for professionals working in video and new media
- ePub – http://www.richardharringtonblog.com/ebooks/FS2M_Biz.epub
- PDF – http://www.richardharringtonblog.com/ebooks/FS2M_Biz.pdf