As a national video production company, we are always on the lookout to hire experienced cinematographers and editors. We are sent dozens if not hundreds of reels and applications every day, and we sift through each and every one to find the best of the best. Over the years, we have noticed five red flags that signal that an applicant would not be a good fit for our company.
1. Lack of a reel
It seems like common sense, but too often do we receive applications that do not provide us with any examples of their previous work! If you don’t send along a reel, we assume you do not have any work that you are proud of. We are certainly not going to take the time to hunt it down ourselves.
2. Not enough examples
When we do receive a reel, some only feature the same few projects over and over. We are looking for cinematographers with a diverse portfolio. We want to see the footage you have shot or edited for different situations. If you really want to knock it out of the park, send us different reels for different types of videos. For example, we would love to see your separate reels for corporate, narrative, music videos, etc.
3. Providing the bare minimum (or less)
Along those same lines, always give us more information than we ask for. At the very least, if we ask three questions, and you only answer two, do not expect a response. If instead you send us your reels, resume, equipment list, and rates, we’ll be blown away. If you save us time asking you more questions or searching ourselves, we will be much more inclined to work with you.
4. Poor communication
The pattern here largely comes down to communication. If we reach out to you, and you don’t respond within a reasonable timeframe, we are not going to follow up with you. Be attentive to your email when you apply for a job. If you don’t hear back, follow up with us. If you treat every job you apply for like an exciting opportunity, you will attract more work. If you don’t care whether or not you get hired, and you don’t respond, don’t be surprised when you start working less.
5. Overcommunication
Yes, communicate well. But don’t overdo it. If you want to share multiple examples of your work, send them all in one email. We had an applicant share twenty individual YouTube videos with us one at a time. Keep your communication concise. If you want to follow up, that’s perfectly fine, but if you don’t hear back right away, give us at least a day to get back to you.
Video production companies such as ours generally don’t look for cinematographers they can use once and forget about. We want to find a partner we can use again and again. We have a list of preferred freelancers that we know will always provide us with a great result. So when you apply to a job, remember to include your reel, communicate well, and provide us with as much information as you can in a concise manner to impress your potential new partners!
images courtesy of Crisp Video Group and Fresh Coast Pro Resources
