What Are Videography Skills? (And How You Can Improve Them)

Videography can be an interesting career choice for those interested in storytelling. It involves a combination of photography, creativity, visualisation, editing and filming. If you are interested in becoming a videographer, learning about the skills required can help you prepare well for your career. In this article, we discuss the meaning of videography skills, explore a list of skills needed by a videographer, how to develop them, discover the average salary and understand if videography is a good career choice.

What are videography skills?

Videography skills are a set of skills that include video recording, photography, editing, planning and creativity. These skills help videographers do well at their jobs and record professional, appealing and engrossing videos. While videography may seem like an easy job, professional videography is quite complex and requires professional training along with lots of practice. A videographer plans the flow of their video, identifies the right set-up, chooses the right equipment and may often get into risky situations to get the perfect shot.

Examples of videography skills

Here are some videographer skills that can help videographers shoot professional videos:

Photography

Having photography skills can help in learning videography skills faster. Often clients look for professionals who know both videography and photography rather than hiring separate people for the job. It can also help them learn the basic components of videography and understand the use of cameras. It also helps them apply different photography concepts to video shooting. Photography skills help videographers learn about lighting, exposure, angles and shot composition.

Related: What Are Photography Skills And How Can You Improve Them?

Graphic designing

After filming a video, videographers apply graphic design concepts to their videos to make them immersive and complete. This involves editing parts of the videos, removing unwanted bits and combining shorter clips to make a cohesive story. It helps them plan their shots as their graphic designing skills help them identify different elements that make a good video. While some videographers may work with editors, several of them edit their videos by themselves, as it gives them better control of the end result.

Related: Graphic Design Skills (With Examples And Tips)

Creativity

Often, videographers convert a single thought into a cohesive video story, which may require immense creativity on their part. It helps them identify their filmmaking style and think of different ways to convey a story. Creativity helps videographers experiment with new ideas and angles, try various filmmaking techniques, shoot videos with different backgrounds and visualise stories.

Equipment knowledge

A good videographer knows their equipment and all the basic tools required to shoot a high-quality video. This skill is extremely important for a videographer as the choice of equipment determines the final outcome. When an issue arises in a video, elaborate equipment knowledge can help them identify if they can solve a problem with a particular device. Knowing how to handle their videography equipment is also an important skill as it helps them maintain their equipment in good condition and utilise their capabilities to the maximum.

Communication

As videographers work in teams, communication is an important skill. It helps them convey their ideas to their team members and conceptualise them to make cohesive stories. Videographers may sometimes also communicate with clients and vendors. Good communication skills ensure that they are able to present ideas and concepts well to their clients, convey realistic deadlines, provide updates on the progress and negotiate good rates for their services.

Related: How The Communication Process Works (Example Included)

Adaptability

Adaptability is an important skill, as videographers are often required to adapt to different situations while recording their videos. They may also be required to adapt their videos to suit different audiences. This may often cause them to deviate from their original script and plan. Adaptability ensures that they can continue their work without major delays and can deliver the final result on time. Adaptable videographers are often problem solvers with alternative plans to tackle potential risks and threats.

Organisation

A video is often a combination of several elements that present a story. Being organised helps videographers plan and arrange the elements in a cohesive manner. It ensures a smooth workflow and can prevent delays in the actual deliverables. An organised videographer creates a backup of their files, allocates responsibility, sets milestones, creates contingency plans, keeps their team informed and has periodic meetings to keep the client updated on the progress.

How to improve your videography skills

Here is a list of steps that can help you improve your videographer skills:

1. Invest in quality equipment

This is the most important step in a videographer's journey as it determines the quality of the result. As a beginner, you can start with some basic equipment, but as you progress in your career, it is important that you use professional grade equipment for your work. You can also take equipment on lease for important projects if you are just getting started as a videographer. Having good lighting, sound gear and editing software can help you improve the quality of your work and create exciting videos. This can help you attract new clients looking for videographers with your style.

2. Enrol in professional classes

While some may learn videography as a hobby and convert it into a profession, it is a good idea to enrol in a professional course. Such courses have a structured curriculum, include elaborate videography concepts and also give you the scope to apply your learnings. You can enrol in a full-time course or an online course. Videography courses include a lot of practical assignments and tasks that help you apply your learning even before you complete your course. Having a professional degree can help you find jobs and internships in the initial days of your career as a videographer.

3. Practise your skills

Once you complete your formal training, it is important to practise your skills and refine them. You can shoot videos of your regular days, record events and edit them to create short films. You can even record local events such as parties, gatherings and weddings. Try recording different types of videos with different lighting, angles, sound effects and graphics. You can also edit these videos using professional software, as it gives you the experience and can help you expand your portfolio.

4. Observe other videographers at work

One of the best ways to learn and improve your skills is to observe other professionals at work. Observe their style, identify the equipment they use, make notes of the way they plan their shoot and ask questions. You can also watch videos and documentaries about other videographers at work that are readily available on the Internet.

5. Work with senior videographers

In any profession, having a mentor can help you get constructive feedback and guidance. Your mentor can be your teacher, a senior during your professional training, a videographer you admire or anyone who has more experience than you. You can work as an intern for them in the initial stages of your career and learn practical applications of your knowledge. You can also show your videos to your seniors and seek their feedback.

How much does a videographer make?

The average salary for a videographer is ₹18,236 per month. The salary amount may differ based on the years of experience, skill set, qualifications and the type of project. Videographers can work with organisations in full-time roles or can work as freelancers. Having a portfolio of their previous projects and videos can help videographers earn a higher salary than freshers.

Is videography a good career choice?

Videography is a good career choice with plenty of prospects. Depending on your interests, you may choose a niche. There are several options like wedding videography, travel videography, event videography, corporate videography, news videography and food videography, among others. While videographers can work in movie production and shoot documentaries, several organisations also look for videographers to film branded content.

Freelance videographers can start their own business or sign up for short-term or long-term projects and build their portfolio. It can be beneficial for videographers to build an online presence by starting their online channel and posting their videos there. This can help them get collaboration opportunities with brands and companies that like their work. Videographers can also share their videos on video-sharing websites and earn a fee every time someone uses their videos.

Salary figures reflect data listed on Indeed Salaries at the time of writing. Salaries may vary depending on the hiring organisation and a candidate's experience, academic background and location.