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Right now, due to several factors, we are in a good moment to set up an audiovisual production company.
On the one hand, the easy access to a basic equipment with which to achieve professional results. On the other, the lack of work in traditional producers, since many of them are not able to adapt to the new formats and demands of the market. Finally, in recent years the video is being raised as the king content on the internet. And this type of content is perfect for new generation producers who, with ideas and creativity and without a high disbursement of money, are getting more impact than other producers with more experience. And this is, in the end, what brands and companies demand.
There are producers of all types, from which they make any type of video, through those dedicated exclusively to fiction or even those that only make wedding videos. However, these tips can be applied to each of them.
TIPS FOR ASSEMBLING YOUR OWN AUDIOVISUAL PRODUCER
- References: Find jobs you like, find out who has done them and what else you have done. Make a list of reference producers, follow them in their social networks and learn from them. When you are planning your work, think, how would you have done it in them? Vimeo or Behance are two important sources of inspiration.
- Boast about your portfolio: Your portfolio is your best cover letter. Now that you’re starting, you may not have done a lot of work but do not worry. If you do not have “official jobs” nothing happens, record some fictional work and add it to your demoreel.
- Look for partners: There are always some things in which we are better than others, we all have qualities and we lack others. That is why it is good that you locate your weaknesses and look for someone who strengthens them. You may be a great filmmaker, but you do not know how to edit, or your postproduction is likely to be yours, but you have no idea of sound.
- Say goodbye to the office: Today, it is not necessary to have a nice (and expensive) place to become an audiovisual producer. Strive to have an attractive website, that’s your showcase. And what about meeting with customers? A good option are the rooms of the spaces of coworking destined for that purpose.
- Basic equipment: One of the most frequent doubts is which equipment to acquire and which to rent. For starters, having a basic camera kit, 2-3 lenses and a tripod may be fine. Later we will acquire other products that allow us to offer a better service (microphones, slider, recorder, spotlights, steadycam, etc …). Try to look for products that can expand their functions in the future, for example our Ápodo Steady.
- Many proposals, few jobs: Arm yourself with patience. All the producers make many proposals / budgets that do not come to anything. Typically, large producers charge for this phase, whether or not they make the job.
- Budgeting and billing: This is one of the issues that creates most questions at the beginning and there are many ways to do so. In the case of budgets, we can go to the BOE’s salary table or decide how much we want to charge at the time and anticipate how many hours we will use to obtain the final budget. As for the issue of invoicing, if our volume of work is reduced (probably at the beginning), we can become partners in a cooperative to issue invoices without having to be autonomous.
Setting up a production company is not easy, especially creating a portfolio of customers who trust you. But everything is compensated when you think that you are raising your business project working on what you like most.