The Specialist
If videography is your goal then you are about to learn how to do everything. You will likely have to work on studio shoots, in the great outdoors and to specifications that can stretch you as a creative and professional. You are often responsible for the filmmaking process in its entirety solely responsible for any lapses in the production.
Better idea then to clue yourself up before you get started. Here are some key characteristics and things to remember.
Organisation
You are your own producer. If you can’t organise or prepare yourself and others for a video, then there will be no video. The first step is the most important, the better you plan a project the better the result.
Communication
Even if you work alone, you are working with others. You may be a team of one but you are almost certainly working to somebody else’s timetable, or brief or with their product/workplace. You job is to hear what they need from the product you are making for them and to tell them what you need in order to make it happen.
Technology
Be efficient. You will most likely be working with your own kit. Take the time to become familiar with it. By all means experiment and perhaps hire/borrow extra kit if necessary, but all that can take time to set up and become a potential hazard. If you are just starting out only take what you need and stick to the essentials; Camera, lenses, tripod, light.
Common sense/Pragmatism
Be honest to yourself and your client. Don’t set yourself insane deadlines, retake problematic audio tracks, manage your time and ALWAYS back up your work. Set yourself targets that you feel comfortable with and by all means be creative, but do not jeopardise your time and the clients money.
Resourcefulness
The sister attribute to organisation.You are going to be working with less, you will often need to push your skills as far as they will go. Sometimes a shot is unobtainable but essential so it will fall to you to think up either a solution or an alternative that will allow the video to work. There are always limitations but the trick to overcoming them is to either anticipate or adapt.
Of course you may just want to jump in at the deep end. It will be likely that you take a number of jobs (or a great number) for no charge. This is a good way of giving yourself a safety net while you establish your practice. Those fresh out of film school will still have lots to learn before they can become fully fledge videographers. Time and effort is all that is required.