In Case You Forgot–You’re An Artist

“Dude, this camera is going to make my videos look sick.”

I get it. I’ll be the first to admit, I love getting the latest tech and having a clean camera set up.

But between our habit for buying new gear (That we more often than not, don’t need) and our constant desire to consume and mimic other’s content and style, I think we’ve forgotten why we do what we do in the first place.

And don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of “stealing like an artist” (Go check out the book here), but I think we tend to forget what’s trendy or exciting right now, very often won’t be in 6 months.

I think that’s why content creators feel like they are constantly running on a hamster wheel, trying not to completely burn themselves out–You’re consumed with ‘keeping up’ with what’s hot, instead of owning your true style.

If you aren’t being fed creatively as a filmmaker and feel like you’re at the end of your rope, maybe it’s time you take the reins back and reevaluate what you want.

And I understand the reality of paying your bills with your camera–Sometimes you’re going to do videos you aren’t super passionate about.

But I think for the mass majority of us, we decided to pick up a camera because we enjoyed the process of making a video and/or creating that final edit and showing it to someone while watching the expressions on their face.

And I think that’s what makes any video creator unique–When they showcase their true authentic style in their work, just like an artist.

Whether you’re a fan of Wes Anderson or not, you can’t say he doesn’t have his own unique and authentic style that is immediately recognized.

Jake Frew is a YouTuber and filmmaker that has always impressed me with his filming style. His latest YouTube video was the inspiration behind this week’s topic of remembering that you are an artist.

So please understand there is a time and a place for ‘trendy’ and upgrading your filmmaking gear.

But if you want a more sustainable approach to your filmmaking, make it a goal to showcase your own unique and authentic style.

You’ve got nothing to lose👊🏻

-Landon

PS - To Watch Jake Frew’s latest YouTube video, click HERE.

CREATOR SPOTLIGHT

How a ‘Fake It Till You Make It’ Mindset Led This Filmmaker to Become His Own Boss

The story of Alex Bellini

Growing up, I had no idea I would be a filmmaker. I wanted to either be a professional athlete, an actor, or some kind of TV personality. When I got into college, I majored in Radio/TV and studied broadcast journalism and in spring 2014 during my junior year of college, I took a journalism course where I was required to find a news story, write a script/story, film and edit. The crazy part was, our professors didn’t even try and bother to teach us how to use the camcorder OR how to even edit. But that’s when I found a passion for storytelling. I was self-taught but had no problem drawing inspiration from other videos that I’d seen from various platforms. I ended up getting a lot of compliments for my videos from all the professors (looking back, they were trash) but it was the start to it all. I started watching and getting obsessed with YouTube and wanted to be a part of that world.

When I graduated in 2015, my new goal was to become a YouTuber (found out journalism paid terrible in my area). So my parents bought me my first professional camera as a graduation gift… the Panasonic GH4. I LOVED this camera… but was too scared to use it in public because I felt insane imposter syndrome and didn’t want to get made fun of. So it sat in my closet for a good year.

In 2016 I moved to Houston, TX and got a job in sales working at Mattress Firm. Moving to Houston also helped me pick up the camera again and I started making a couple YouTube videos of my car. Making vlogs was so fun and easy and people seemed to like them, but no one tells you how expensive it gets… and QUICK lol. So I stopped making YouTube videos and over the next couple years had the idea to make videos to help me make sales at Mattress Firm. I like to say that even tho I never made a single sale off of the 2 videos I made; it’s what launched my career. 

In 2018 I applied for a recruitment marketing job at the company and one of the main reasons I was hired over other candidates was because I used those 2 videos I made and convinced them that I could do the same videos, but for recruiting. I got the job and after a few months, they asked me to film some employee testimonials… that’s when I realized I didn’t really know what I was doing as a videographer. So I was on YouTube trying to find videos on how to film interview-style videos, and that’s when I found Parker Walbeck. I made a couple testimonial videos using the free YouTube videos and thought, “if I can make these kind of videos from a free YouTube video, how much can I learn from his paid course”. So that’s when I made the investment in 2019 and joined Full Time Filmmaker. I never really had the desire to really be a full time filmmaker, I just wanted to get better at videos and move up in the company. Which is exactly what happened! I got way better at making videos because of a course, so much so that I eventually started working and helping Mattress Firms PR and outside Marketing teams with some videos and other content and was becoming known for my videos within the company. Life was great. 

Then covid hit. I got furloughed for a couple months and during that time some things got shifted within the company and that’s when I started to resent corporate America. That’s when the full time filmmaker mindset really took place for me. I made a website that showcased some of the videos I made and used Covid as an opportunity to take care of some finances and in the summer of 2021 my wife and I made the decision to move and start over completely in Hawaii.

I ended up finding a full time job as a videographer for a local solar company with the plan to only work there for a few months and then try and make them a client under my company. Well, that few months turned into almost 2 years, haha. I got comfortable and lost sight of my goal of expanding and taking on more responsibilities and more clients. So the summer of 2023 I set up a meeting with Landon to talk about retainer clients, how it all works, and how I can convince my boss to transition my position to a contractor rather than being an employee. 

In August of 2023, my boss agreed to it and signed my contract, and at that point I was OFFICIALLY a self employed full time filmmaker! I’m still figuring it all out, but since then have worked with several new clients, and one of them even being a dream client, Turtle Bay Resort. 

What advice would you give to someone getting started?

My advice for anyone getting into filmmaking and looking to go full time, is to stop worrying about how much to charge and start practicing. Take every opportunity to hone in your skills and learn how to talk to clients. I’ve made more connections and more money with clients because they enjoyed working with me and not so much because of my video skills. I have insane imposter syndrome to this day when it comes to my videos, but the one thing I know I’m good at, is making a connection and building a friendship/network, so that’s the skill set I always try and lean on when finding new clients. I also recommend finding a retainer client. You can use LinkedIn and Indeed to find companies looking for videographers. I would reach out to those companies and try and pitch to them the idea of hiring you/your company as a contractor. That’s what my approach was with the solar company and even though I initially got influenced to take on the job as an employee, the owner always knew I would eventually have that conversation with him to become a contractor instead of being an employee. 

To check out Alex’s work, click HERE.