How to Survive a Career in the Local Television and Video Production Industry

I am a native of Salinas, a relatively small city in California, with a current population of about 150,000 people. Salinas is not near any media center. San Francisco is about a hundred miles to the north, and Los Angeles is almost four hundred miles to the south. Still there are media employment opportunities in Salinas if you know where to look, and if you approach it with an open mind. I reside in New Mexico now (yes, in the USA) and chose to relocate close to Albuquerque. One reason is that Albuquerque media serves the entire state. There are sister stations to the south, but this is New Mexico's center of the media industry. Every state in this nation has several affiliate television stations. I am sure there is one near you. You do not have to move to Los Angeles to have a career in this business. You can start your career locally. It all depends on how you approach it, and determining the difference between aspiration and expectation. In other words, what do you ultimately want out of it?

If you aspire to be a Hollywood director, then go to college, get a degree, and join the Director's Guild. Just about every big screen director you can think of went through this procedure. There are exceptions to the rule of course but in most cases, it is the reality of this business. Very few hopeful directors have the opportunity to emerge and direct major films. Thousands of graduates apply to the Guild each year, only about a hundred are accepted. This has become an institutionalized industry, and there are certain protocols and requirements to attain this level of creativeness. So you need to ask yourself, do I want to be a big time Hollywood director, or do I just want to earn a living directing? This question can be applied to any aspiration you may have in this industry, be it animation, audio recording, camera operation or anything else. Inspiration usually influences our aspirations. Our inspirations are those who have attained fame and creative freedom. They are the reasons why you chose this career in the first place. Aspiration also is why many people get frustrated in this business if they do not achieve the same thing. They wind up quitting and going back to the safety of their day jobs.

Is it so awful directing the news at a local TV station? Directing a jury orientation video may not sound like glamorous work, but the same creativity, the same artistic techniques are very similar to directing a film. Some may find directing a three-camera lecture at a university dull and uninteresting work, but I utilize the same skills and intensity I use when directing a live call in show. Will millions of people see it? Is it a national broadcast? Of course not, but I still get the satisfaction and joy of directing a production. Remember, it is the difference between your aspirations and expectations. We can't all be famous Hollywood directors, but that does not prevent us from earning a living doing what we love. It matters not what you want to achieve in this field, what only matters is if you can make money doing it. So how much do you think your time is worth? It really boils down to skill, ego and self-perception. I have a lot of professional experience, but I have to be realistic if I want to eat. Having an understanding wife who is willing to work full time has a lot to do with it also. Our kids have grown with children of their own, so it is easier for us to get by these days. I could say that my time is worth $100 an hour, maybe more. Okay, so who is going to pay it? There have been only three clients so far, and they have not called back in months. Depending on the employer, my time is most often only worth 12-18 bucks an hour as a camera operator, or even as an editor. They have enough directors right now. Work is work. You cannot turn it down, and you cannot let it get you down.

Another thing to remember is diversifying your skills. You may prefer operating a camera, but do not rule out computer audio or graphic skills. Once someone asked how he could earn a living in video on a local level. The guy had some semi-pro equipment (switcher, cameras, etc.) and he wanted some advice. My answer was to think out of the box. How do you keep working in this industry? It is not so much about the technology you possess. It is more about adaptation, lowering earning expectations, looking for new opportunities, and hustling. Everyone knows that the technology is available, but most do not know how to use it, or want to take the time to think of ways to use it. The bigger local production companies have a lot of money tied up in their equipment. They charge high prices because they have to, in order for their investment to turn a profit. It is why they do not do weddings, seminars or lectures. This market now becomes a niche, because the client does not want to pay much, and does not care too much about the quality. And most of the time the client has no idea how to go about it. This is where a clever entrepreneur can make a supplemental living, and you do not have to do weddings. A potential client will not know until you give them the idea. The office manager does not realize that it is more cost-effective to orientate a new employee with a video, instead of paying another employee to teach them standard procedures. The small business owner does not know how inexpensive it is to create a web site with video, or create an interactive promotional CD. The schoolteacher may not be aware that a school play can be a way to raise field trip money. What parent would refuse to buy a professionally edited video of their child's play? The local community center may not realize that a variety of instructional classes can easily be video taped and distributed to homebound seniors.

It requires moving with the times and learning new skills. It is not just about video anymore. To put food on the table an individual must make new adaptations. Writing, web-design, graphic arts, CD & DVD authoring, all are tools and skills to make money with. Best of all, it can now be done on just one computer. It depends on how many ideas you can come up with. You may not create a multi-million dollar business, but you can make supplemental money if you look in unlikely places. The important thing to remember is that the more skills you have, the more opportunities will become available. We will now turn our attention to the overall process of a production, and the various employment positions and skills needed to create a final product.