Name: Jess KendrickCompany: SMART ProductionsThumbs up: “I...

Name: Jess Kendrick

Company: SMART Productions

Thumbs up: “I like the satisfaction of preserving and recording events for people and seeing them enjoy the finished product. I do my own editing, so I have control of the project from start to finish, which I enjoy. This profession also allows me to use both my technical and creative abilities.”

Thumbs down: “I am establishing my own firm, which requires a lot of hours. People don’t always realize that filming the video is only about 10% of the time and effort that goes into the finished production.”

Next step: To expand my client base.

Advice: “An artistic sense is important, but so is technical knowledge. By understanding your equipment, you can make your own repairs, which saves money and can prevent a shoot from being ruined by technical problems.”

Salary range: Independent videographers in Orange County usually charge $500 to $2,500 to shoot a wedding or special event. Those with experience and established reputations are able to charge more than those just getting started in the field. Videographers employed by corporations or public relations firms earn about $25,000-$45,000 per year.

Hours: Evenings and weekends are usually spent shooting footage at events. Weekdays are utilized for editing, production, picking up supplies, maintaining equipment and handling billing and marketing aspects of the business.

Educational and training requirements: A majority of videographers are self-taught or have worked as assistants to someone already established in the field. Community colleges and photographic professional organizations offer training courses, as do art and technical schools. A background in art, photography or telecommunications is helpful. Business acumen and the ability to work well with people are essential.

Size of work force: Small. In Orange County, about 2,600 people, or 0.2% of the labor force, work as professional videographers.

Expected demand: Steady. Businesses and individuals are becoming more and more visually oriented and more inclined to use the video medium to market products, distribute information and document events.

Job description: Videographers capture weddings, special events and corporate functions on tape for clients. Some shoot the footage and turn the unedited tape over to another professional for editing. But most edit their own productions. Editing requires an eye for pace and sequencing to make the video interesting, informative and enjoyable.

Major employing industries: Large corporations and public relations firms hire in-house videographers. But most form their own companies, occasionally hiring several assistants to help film large events. Working for an independent videographer as an assistant is one of the most common ways of learning the profession.

For information: Contact John Goolsby, seminar director, Professional Photographers of California (714) 685-5530.

Researched by JANICE L. JONES / Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times