What do you think is the biggest difference between a pro and an amateur?And what can i do to make a more professional video by myself?Taking some relevant lessons, experience more , better equipment or something else?
DJI's OSMO is a real fantastic product which let amateurs like me to better shoot videos, and is there any another videography equipment which enable us to make a difference?

Time and commitment!!  all pros started off as amateurs (including me.) Then what happens is you get really interested and start studying other pros work. There are many books on filming and video techniques covering all aspects of cinematography, including lighting, framing, focal length effects, exposure, storyline, etc etc. Read and practise these techniques and your work will perpetually improve.

I have been a professional for many years and when I started initially in photography I joined a photographic club.  I wanted the latest Pentax slr and the club president gave me my first lesson in life:  He said, It won't make you a photographer, that comes from within.  And forty years later I am still learning.

So to sum up:to become a pro you need 100% passion and commitment. Equipment is 10%- THAT IS ALL! so don't get sucked in to the equipment thing it won't make you instantly creative anymore than a ferrari will make you the best driver in the world. It is all about understanding the craft of visual engagement, interest and storyline.  Just a few thoughts from an old dog (and the not so old cat.)

Rod and the cat

rodAndTheCat Posted at 2016-5-16 06:55
Time and commitment!!  all pros started off as amateurs (including me.) Then what happens is you get ...

thanks for replying.
and can you advise some equipment which are suitable for newbies?
there are too many products of videography and i'm confused indeed!!

rodAndTheCat Posted at 2016-5-16 06:55
Time and commitment!!  all pros started off as amateurs (including me.) Then what happens is you get ...

thanks for replying.
and can you advise some equipment which are suitable for newbies?
there are too many products of videography and i'm confused indeed!!

rodAndTheCat Posted at 2016-5-15 17:55
Time and commitment!!  all pros started off as amateurs (including me.) Then what happens is you get ...

You have some info, been using a ozmo to shoot the inside of houses for realtors, any soft that I can use to edit and upload to a website for them to get. copy /paste.
Thank Brad

Hey Brad..  We film a lot of different projects and use FCPX for most projects, but we do use iMovie for some projects, when we are traveling and get good results.  The following video was done with iMovie, which is a lower cost solution.

If you're have apple devices, iMovie can help you edit quickly and publish for your client.  We host videos on Vimeo Pro and create portfolios for each real estate agent.  

I think the difference is obviously on all fronts!

Rod had some good insights. The more time you invest in your craft the better you will become. The more seriously you take it, the faster you will get there. And just like reading books has built the best writers, watching great videos can help build the best cinematographers and editors. We live in a day and age where so much is available to us, just on youtube alone. You can watch someone who has been practicing their craft for decades and immediately have access to the information they've collected throughout the years. Such a valuable resource.

And I'm with Rod again on the equipment: While new toys and gadgets are fun and can add great value to your production, they can also distract you. I suggest starting off putting together really small and simple pieces with the least amount of equipment. Great photographers capture a single image that tells a story, causes a mood, captures one, or does all of this and more. With video we have the opportunity to do all this with more than 1 frame while incorporating audio, music, movement, and so on. Get really good with the tools you have, no matter how simple they are. There are always work arounds and cheap ways of pulling shots off. Once you master the art of story telling with what you have then you can start to add on gear and really start to dive deep.

I also highly suggest editing your own footage. There is no better way to see how you can improve yourself than watching your own work. You'll quickly see while editing things what you  would have changed or done differently. You can build on this and then the next time you shoot, you'll remember specific shots/movements/DOFs/FOVs/ and a 100,000 other things that will help improve your eye/skill/storytelling.

The last thing I'd suggest is find someone local to you that does great work. And offer to work for free/cheap or do some sort of internship so you can study what they do and how. By showing someone of a higher level you're dedicated they might potentially take you under their wing and offer many valuable insights. Obviously, do not get taken advantage of.

Yes to what they said above. But...you should become addicted to DVXuser.com. Check out the Cinematography forum and many of the others. Learn the most popular cameras from these sites such as the Canon C100, C300 Sony AS7, Sony FS5 & 7, so you can be useful to the pros who own them. This is one well paid profession which you don't even have to have graduated kindergarten to make it! So start a new bookmark folder and spend a hour each day on:

• Nofilmschool.com
• Lynda.com   video lessons
• Phillipbloom.com
• Creativecow.net
• Newsshooter.com
• Productionhub.com
• Eriknaso.com
• Zacuto.com

Those 8 plus DVXuser.com, that's as good as a film school. But beware, this is a hard racket to make a regular living at. Any chimp who is halfway creative and technical can make a decent video nowadays but very, very few can make a sustainable living at it and survive.

At least one uninterrupted hour a day, maybe two, drill down and watch the tutorials. And the best way to make it in the biz is to be the assistant to someone twenty years older than you who is successfully doing what you dream to do. Oh! And very importantly: Marry a girl from a wealthy family!

Good luck,

Ned
Chicago Videographer
www.nedmiller.com

Thanks for all of your participation and valuable information.

rodAndTheCat Posted at 2016-5-16 01:55
Time and commitment!!  all pros started off as amateurs (including me.) Then what happens is you get ...

Couldn't agree more!

I too started out in photography and talked my way into video.

One great way to learn that I found was to hire crew with MUCH more experience than me.  I learned from them, I didn't con them, I was open, told them I was new and knew what I wanted but not how to achieve it.  They were brilliant.

All that Rod (or was it the cat?) said is perfect,sound and true advice.  Just remember one thing though - the word "professional" doesn't always have a bearing on ability or quality!  I've known so called "professionals" who I wouldn't trust to polish my shoes! Then again, I've known amateurs who turn out fantastic work.  The only difference is  that professionals get paid, amateurs do it for love, and that is sometimes the greater reward!

As the old saying goes - choose a job you love and you'll never have to work a day in your life.  Not entirely true in the filming world but almost...  (except for THOSE shoots... Rod knows which ones!)

So basically I think what I'm saying is, don't lose sight of the fact that you're doing it because you enjoy it, that's your motivation to study and get good and being good is the motivation for others to hire you!  

But honestly, people in TV and Film are really willing to share their experience with someone else who values it. Find them, Meet them, listen to them!

Good luck!

Davidaw Posted at 2016-6-8 23:14
Couldn't agree more!

I too started out in photography and talked my way into video.

Upvote x100!

So many great answers here.

The beautiful thing with photography/videography, unlike so many other skills, is that people are so willing to share.

I started off as an amateur, and still consider myself one. I get paid for a lot of work, but use that money to fund my private endeavours. still create what i like to in my own time...short films, with maximum four or five actors, as that is what i can afford.

I still work full time, as my day job pays well, but if it came to the point where my filmaking was consistently earning more, I'd be out of my day job in a heartbeat. In the same vain, if i never got a paid filming job for the rest of my life, I'd still consider it the best hobby in the world.

Everything's pretty much covered here, but I'd like to add the crazy FilmRiot family to the list, if you are into filmaking on a budget, as they show you how a lot of tricks in Movies are done, really adding value.