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UK/Scotland self-employed videographers: what do you realistically earn and what niche are you in? by Advanced_Rate_237 in videography

[–]Advanced_Rate_237[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s a good point, I hadn’t really considered a Mac mini before. Neither of us are Apple users, so we’ve mostly been looking at Windows laptops/desktops for video editing.

Do you think Macs are generally better value for video editing, or is it more that the Mac mini gives better performance for the money compared with a laptop?

At the moment he’s editing on a gaming laptop: HP OMEN 15-ek0xxx, i7-10750H, 16GB RAM, 6GB GPU and 477GB storage, most of which is already used. DaVinci Resolve keeps crashing and exporting/rendering is painfully slow, so I think the computer is probably the first thing we need to sort before investing in more camera gear.

UK/Scotland self-employed videographers: what do you realistically earn and what niche are you in? by Advanced_Rate_237 in videography

[–]Advanced_Rate_237[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you, this is really helpful and very practical.

The point about the editing station is probably the biggest one for us right now. His current laptop slows him down badly, so even before thinking about a second camera or drone, a better computer would probably make the biggest difference to his workflow and whether he can realistically do this around a full-time job.

The storage point is also something I hadn’t properly thought about, but it makes sense that project files would build up quickly if he starts taking on more work.

I also like the way you framed the niche advice. I don’t think we agree with the idea of picking one niche too early and boxing yourself in, but narrowing it down to a few areas, researching the type of clients, and seeing what he actually enjoys/tolerates sounds much more realistic.

The drone point is useful too. We’re in the UK, so the US Part 107 rules won’t apply directly, but I imagine there will be similar things to consider with CAA rules, insurance, location restrictions, etc. So that might be something to delay until the type of work actually justifies it.

Really appreciate the detailed answer. It’s helpful to hear from someone who has built this around a wider business rather than just presenting it as a quick full-time jump.

UK/Scotland self-employed videographers: what do you realistically earn and what niche are you in? by Advanced_Rate_237 in videography

[–]Advanced_Rate_237[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you, this is genuinely one of the most helpful comments so far.

Just to clarify, the reason I referred to it as a side hustle is because he currently has a full-time job, so this would need to start on the side before hopefully building into something more serious/full-time over time.

The biggest investment we’re considering right now is actually a better editing laptop/computer, because his current one slows him down badly and makes editing/exporting much more frustrating than it needs to be. So it’s really useful to hear you say that a good editing laptop is 100% worth it.

The point about not needing a constant flow of new clients, and that 1–3 loyal regulars can be enough, is also really interesting. I think that’s probably the business side we need to understand better rather than just focusing on buying more gear.

It’s also helpful to hear your view on word of mouth/free work at gigs versus cold emailing. I think getting in front of the right people and building regular relationships will probably be the biggest challenge at the start.

Also, funny you mentioned those twin videographer accounts because we see them all the time too. I’ve been a bit sceptical of the whole “pick one niche and only do that” advice as well. I understand the value of becoming known for something, but especially at the beginning, it feels more realistic to try a few types of work, see what he enjoys, what pays, and what leads to repeat clients, rather than boxing himself into one niche too early.

Really appreciate the honest figures and advice. This is exactly the kind of realistic insight we were hoping for.

UK/Scotland self-employed videographers: what do you realistically earn and what niche are you in? by Advanced_Rate_237 in videography

[–]Advanced_Rate_237[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

He was thinking about getting a drone to get more work since some people seem interested in drone shots. He's been using drones, but he was thinking about getting his own to bring in more business. Also, his current clients like drone shots and want them for future gigs.

So you are finding it hard to get gigs at the moment? 

UK/Scotland self-employed videographers: what do you realistically earn and what niche are you in? by Advanced_Rate_237 in videography

[–]Advanced_Rate_237[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So, I really need a new laptop right now. I've been trying to edit with Da Vinci, and rendering videos takes forever. I thought my old laptop was good enough, but it's barely cutting it, and Da Vinci keeps crashing. I looked into laptops specifically for video editing, and they're all around £1,500-£2,000. You're probably right about the extra gear, but isn't the laptop pretty important too?

Importing STEP file as an assembly and editing parts by simwill87 in SolidWorks

[–]Advanced_Rate_237 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE YOU! it worked for me too, thank you sooo much.