The Video Game...
What's up my peoples? Yeah I'm back and bigger than ever! I just wanted to touch basis on a few things about the video game in this issue. So sit back and enjoy some Real Talk!!!
Over the last 2 years or so, I have become 1 of the top go to guys to get a music video done in Sacramento, CA. So I would say I would know a lot about the subject. And we're not talkin about the big budget B.E.T. videos, but the local Youtube videos that most people are doing these days.
For me, it started as a way to show the people who I was. Then I decided to help others show themselves to the world while showing what Sac has to offer to the music industry. My 1st camera was a Mini-DV cam that used tapes. I've had a few cameras before that, but that was the 1st cam I used to do an actual music video. Before I started doing videos, as an artist that happened to be around another artist all the time, I figured it would be good to start capturing it on video. Because I knew 1 day, some of us would go on to do big things.
Then the memory card came along which made it much easier to download the footage to your computer. Once I saw that, I knew the future of personal video would only get bigger and better. So I decided to get into the field of video production. I watch and followed a lot of the new up-n-coming video directors, and I also started to see big name artist taking advantage of the new straight-to-the-net video craze. That's when I saw my chance to jump into something new from the ground up, and a way I knew I could make some money!!!
From there, I had a conversation with a friend of mines by the name of DJ Loon from KC. We use to always talk about the game and how we could use what we knew to make money. So one day the video thing came up. He was about to get a new camera to step his video game up, so he mailed me the pocket cam he was upgrading from. HD was just about to hit the market then, but I just needed something to get started.
Once I received the camera he gave me, I went straight to work. This would be my new hustle because I knew other artist would need the service. Everyone was rapping, making beats, or had a studio, so I figured I would pull out a few things people didn't do, and would need. One service being graphic design, because everyone needs an album cover and the next was video production. And not just music videos, but anything that can be, or should be filmed, edited, and produced.
Then I decided to pick 10-15 artists and offer them a FREE video just so I could get my practice on. Out of the 15, around 10-12 videos were produced. From there it took off. 1st video I was paid for was for $75. And now I'm up to $200 and up (per video) easy!!! Once I seen I could make 1 and how much time it took, I was able to determine how much to charge for the work. But as I get better and HD started to come around, the work started to get harder, so the price started to go up.
You see, when I 1st started, HD wasn't around just yet. So the files were easier to handle. As HD came around, the files started to get bigger and harder to edit if your computer wasn't up to par to handle the processing. So since my budget wasn't all that to buy what I wanted or needed, I figured as long as I could take a step up a bit at time, that'll be good for me. And it would also show the rise and improvement which people who follow your work would like to see. So the plan was to work with what you had, to get what I wanted.
From there, each camera has paid for the next camera I choose to get. All it took was to offer a service I knew people needed, and do the best I can at the job. I've studied YouTube so I've seen the best and the worst! And I knew I could do much better than the worst on a bad day! All I had to do was show and prove.
So shout out to the 1st 10 people who let me do the 1st few videos for FREE, because they gave me a chance to see that it could work for other artist. I had already done a few videos for myself, but I had a thought of it not always being about me. I figured I could do this for other artist to help them get on. I knew my skills weren’t up to par for big name locals at the time, but I knew I could only get better at what I do. And why not use your gift to help others? So that was my market. I went after the ones from the new generation more than any. This was my way of giving back more than the pay, because believe me, the pay was almost like FREE work.
That's when I started EMOE TVEE. My vision was to make it feel like a real TV channel on YouTube with good video production to watch. I figured I could get views from real people that would come to see their friends which would help my official numbers go up authentically. EMOE TVEE wouldn't just be about E-Moe, it would be about what & who I see in the City as an artist. I see and work with a lot of people, so this would be my way of showing my connection to the heart of the city. Not to mention the people of the world via the big platform of YouTube video.
A lot goes in to making a video, but for the locals who mostly came with no ideas, I just figured as long as we get good shots, then we'll be good. I never let it become a big thing like it was a MTV video shoot, because it was basically a video to a local song release on a local scale. So as long as it looked good, they couldn't ask for much more. Before you knew it...that became my format. That's why I was able to knock out over 100 music videos, and over 200+ videos of other things going on in the city! I now have over 1,000 subscribers, almost 400,000 total views, and still growing fast. And I'm very proud of that because those are all real views. No paid views, no fake tags, no big names, etc. So that's a big move if you ask me. I've seen people have 10,000+ on a video, but in the title it would say Lil Wayne in it. So of course people are seeing it on accident every now and then because it came up when they searched Lil Wayne. But I chose to take the authentic route. I knew that I could provide a visual that people wouldn't mind watching.
And mind you, I've done all this on a small budget and started with a FREE video editing program on the trial version. Once I found a program that was easy to work with and plus get the job done, it was on from there. So I bought the program once the trail ran out, and it has been my back bone for the last 3 years or so. And even though it's not one of the top programs like Adobe Premier, Final Cut, Vegas, or known of them, it still gets the job done. So I always think to myself, if I can do what I do on this cheaper program, than just imagine what I could do with an expensive program, computer, and camera?
But anyway, since then, everybody has stumble across the video game. Everyone has a camera and is a video director of some sort now. I've never called myself a video director, so I've always just said that I can do video production. A lot goes into being a real video director, and I respect the real ones that do it all. So I would never call myself that until I've proven myself to be such. Anyone can walk into Wal-Mart now days and buy a good Full HD camera. Even the iPhone 4 has a good HD camera in it. It just all depends on how you use what you got to get what you want.
Thanks for reading, and I hope it was informative. EMOE TVEE interview coming soon.
Check me out at:
http://www.youtube.com/emoe3000
1 Luv, and be safe. "Real Talk w/E-Moe" Radio show coming back soon!
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