Chris Pirillo » videographer

How Geeks Can Make Money from Video Jobs

Chris — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 07:32:11 +0000

How Geeks Can Make Money from Video Jobs is a post from Chris Pirillo

This is Marina Martin’s submission for the HP Magic Giveaway. Feel free to leave comments for this article as you see fit – your feedback is certainly welcomed! If you’d like to submit your own how-to, what-is, or top-five list, you can send it to me. Views and opinions of this writer are not necessarily my own:

If you have a digital video camera, there are many ways you can earn extra cash to fund your geek habits, including working for a filmmaker network, entering video contests, selling stock footage, filming events, and sharing your own videos.

Work for the Elastic Lab Filmmaker Network

Elastic Lab pays freelance videographers to occasionally shoot footage for a variety of creative and commercial projects. They have multiple filmmaker tiers, so there are paying projects available to both hobbyist geeks who livestream and film their cat riding a Roomba, all the way up to independents with a full-length film under their belt.

A typical assignment involves filming an interview on a specific topic or shooting a tour of a local landmark, and every project pays at least $100 (usually more). Project invites are sent out based on where you live and what kind of equipment/experience you have, and it’s up to you whether you accept or decline each invitation.

Signing up is totally free, and there are no hidden fees; they even reimburse for shipping and media. The only requirements are that you’re at least 18 years old, you can legally work in the U.S. or Canada, and you have access to a real digital video camera – no Flips, still cameras, cell phones, or web cams.

Enter Video Contests

There are lots of film contests out there, and just by making a one- or two-minute video, you can win $500 or even $20,000 – pretty sweet! The best way to hear about the latest video contests is to drop Video Contest Hub and Online Video Contests into your RSS feed reader.

Sell Stock Footage to MotionDrops or iStockVideo

Many websites are in the business of reselling stock footage, typically on a commission basis. People buy stock footage to use in news broadcasts, in their own videos, or even to practice motion graphics effects. You can shoot anything – the sky, the ocean, your dog reading your calculus book – and see if someone out there wants to buy it!

MotionDrops splits stock footage sales with videographers (called “producers”) 50/50. Their non-exclusive licensing agreement means you can sell the same clips on their site that you’re selling elsewhere, maximizing your potential profit.

To start selling on MotionDrops, create an account and upload your current clips. You can upload individual clips or create collections that you sell as a group. They must approve your footage before it makes it into the marketplace, but they’re pretty fast about it.

You’re probably very familiar with iStockPhoto, but did you know they sell stock footage, too? In addition to making money on your footage, iStockVideo gives you access to a forum full of other geek videographers and membership in their A/V Club. They also have an annual iStockalypse event where you can get together with fellow video geeks in your town and make art.

iStockVideo gives you 40% commission on exclusive video clips, and 20% on non-exclusive clips. To sell your footage there, signup for a free account, take a quick quiz (no sweat!), and upload your three best samples for their approval.

You can always upload your footage to your own website and use PayPal and some SEO magic to sell it yourself, too.

Film Local People & Events

If you’re new to videography, you definitely don’t want to be filming once-in-a-lifetime events like a wedding … but there are plenty of less-serious opportunities to cut your teeth on making money shooting footage.

Kids’ birthday parties, local band concerts, high school football games, or even houses and apartments for sale — there are tons of places for a geek to earn some cash behind the camera. Start spreading the word – ask your family, friends, and friends’ families if they need anything videotaped.

You may need to do an event or two for free so you can make a demo reel to show to a prospective customer. If you’re stuck for ideas, ask to film a cousin’s birthday party or a dance recital. Be bold and offer your services outright – maybe you could walk around their house filming their belongings so they have a record for insurance purposes.

Incorporate Ads and Product Placement in Your Personal Video Projects

You’re probably already making your own videos for fun – LEGO re-enactments, comedies, or maybe even livestreaming like Chris. Why not make money while you’re at it?

StoryBids lets advertisers bid on the chance to incorporate their products in your video. Upload your video/concept and see if you get any bites!

Brightroll matches you with advertisers who will pay you to play their short video ads (”pre-roll”) at the beginning of your videos. They’re not for everyone, though, as they require 100,000 video views per month and 250,000 page views per month to qualify. (But it’s definitely something to strive for!)

If you don’t quite have 100k video views yet, there are plenty of video sites that share ad revenues with content creators, like Metacafe, Veoh, and (of course!)YouTube. By uploading your own videos to their sites, you can make money from your audience.

If you have specific geek knowledge to share, upload tutorial videos to Hubpages and eHow for additional revenue-sharing opportunities.

Well, there you have it! What videos have you created lately? Have you made any money making video? Any additional resources to share with fellow video geeks?

The Wedding Video will be Online

Chris — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 01:34:24 +0000

The Wedding Video will be Online is a post from Chris Pirillo

There’s apparently only one name in town when it comes to Seattle wedding video production: Cory Bogle. Just about “everybody” has recommended him to us, including digital strangers who privately answered my public request for local videographer recommendations the other day. Knowing that we were in the eleventh hour with wedding planning (less than a month away), Ponzi and I were not expecting to hear back from Bogle Productions. A few hours ago, Cory (himself) called. Within minutes, we had secured our video package – which will be recorded in high definition!

More importantly, Cory has given us permission to share our (fully produced) wedding video with everybody online. This level of distribution was very important to both Ponzi and me, as most of our family and friends will not be able to attend the ceremony. While our video will be recorded and archived in 1080i, I’ll have to locate an HD-DVD or Blu-ray burner to put that particular format directly on a disc. We’ll likely encode the video in both high-def WMV (as well as MP4) for anybody to stream / download.

Seattle Wedding Videographer

Chris — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 21:16:27 +0000

Seattle Wedding Videographer is a post from Chris Pirillo

I come to you this afternoon seeking wedding video recommendations! Do you know someone who shoots excellent HD wedding video in the Seattle area? We’d like to have more than just still photos from our wedding. Ponzi and I have seen streaming video samples from just about every other local wedding video producer, and I don’t think a single one of them looks very professional. Actually, we found one producer – but he never got back to us. At this point, we’re looking for a happy medium between elegance and affordability – as the wedding is on December 9th. I would much rather be recording the ceremony in high definition, but may have to abandon that dream altogether – as “nobdody” seems to be doing it. Moreover, I want to be able to put the video online to share with the world, but… again, we can’t seem to find the “perfect” wedding video production team. Know anybody?

How to Handle Remote Tech Support

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:30:00 GMT

Using GoToAssist is the easiest way to view and control another person's computer online. Use it to provide instant technical support to family, friends and customers. Start a session with just one click, and instantly connect with the other party.

Network Tools for Windows

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

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chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

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VMware and Parallels for Virtual Machines

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

It doesn't matter if you're running on Windows or Mac OS X - every power user needs either Parallels or VMware (or both). There's never been an easier way to test software without destroying your primary operating system's stability. Think of how many times you wish you could press a 'reverse' button on your computer. Plus, there's no easier way to try new Linux distributions - see what all the fuss is about. Run Windows in OS X, run Linux in Windows, but the best way to do either is with VMware and/or Parallels.

Coupons for Online Shopping

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:56:13 GMT

This feed is fueled by Lockergnome Online Shopping and Coupon Codes

Before you shop next time, see if we have a coupon first.