Grow Your Video Business with Ryan Koral

We've talked before on the show about how to start landing high end weddings and corporate clients, but I don't know if anyone has ever laid out the strategy in such simple terms as today's guest, Caleb Lee. Don't be fooled by Caleb's age, he's been doing this for a long time and knows a thing or two about not only filmmaking, but running a successful business. At 16 he sold his landscaping business to invest in film gear before traveling the world for a year helping a charity produce videos of their projects. His first film? In the Himalayas in Nepal, no big deal… He now primarily focuses on high end destination weddings and shares with us how he was able to break into the world of celebrity, politician, professional athlete, and Fortune 500 company events and weddings. His secret? It's all about networking with the right people, and he shares exactly who he was able to network with and how he approaches working with wedding vendors to keep booking big budget weddings, and getting to travel the world while doing it! How do you approach working with other vendors in the wedding industry? Have you found a way to leverage those relationships to help you book larger weddings? Or do you feel like there's a missing piece in there? Let us know in the comments. In this episode: How to approach working with vendors to create a cohesive final product for the couple Caleb's simple approach to buying new gear Why you absolutely need to network with others in the industry if you want to land better jobs How Caleb draws inspiration from photographers, and how he shaped his style by studying their work. Some of the standout locations from Caleb's destination events Quotes: "For me, my story changed when I started working with planners. That's almost my whole business model now. I don't book clients directly very often, almost always I'll have a list of 20 to 30 planners across the country that know and love my work, and when they think I'm a good fit for a client, they bring me along." [11:17] "I think the industry always makes room for talent" [20:10] "I had a bucket list when I was a kid, and so many of those locations that I always wanted to visit have been knocked out by wedding clients, shockingly. Anyone looking to get into the industry early on, I think if you put your values out there - the things that you appreciate - I think those clients come and find you, they're looking for people who they have shared values with." [23:29] Find the original post at: https://studiosherpas.com/category/podcasts

Have you ever thought about moving past the solopreneur, one person band, or maybe husband/wife duo business model and build up a team around you? Those of us who have made the leap to hiring a team often only realized that we needed one after nearly working ourselves to death trying to do it all ourselves. Part of the reason is that most of us have absolutely no idea what makes a creative team click or how to hire a team where each member complements the skills and personalities of the others. David Aguilar of Archaius Creative, a SoCal post-productions house, started in the same place as many of us, wearing a ton of hats working first as a filmmaker before moving to a freelance editing role. He quickly realized however the drawbacks of doing it all himself, including backlog, stress, and a resentment of the work he once loved. Since then, David's put a lot of thought into how to structure and hire a successful creative team, and the post-production house now has a staff of 11. Today he shares with us how he thinks about hiring, his "less is more" approach to both editing and shooting, the test he gives all of his new hires on day one, and a TON more! Are you currently operating as a solopreneur or freelancer, or as a part of a team, including running one yourself? Leave a comment and let us know! In this episode: How to hire to ensure your team works well together as a creative group The importance of knowing the strengths and weaknesses of yourself and your team members The "less is more" approach to shooting and how it can benefit your films How to determine which tasks you should be outsourcing, and how to take the leap into hiring someone on Quotes: "One of the best things we've done has been to build people from the ground up. A lot of my first hires had very little to no experience, and now they're the project managers and really honing in the final product. Really what was more important than editing skill, were some of the intrinsic traits of being humble, moldable, open to critique, and just hungry for always knowing that there's a better tier of their skill set that they could get to. [7:17] "It's not about promoting me or my successes. It's about the team and what we do collectively. My role here is not for the team to push me up, but for me to really elevate them, and provide them resources for how they can best execute their job." [23:04] Find the original post at: https://studiosherpas.com/category/podcasts

Let's face it: It can be hard being a self employed filmmaker. Not only do we have to worry about how to run our businesses better, find new leads, and keep the lights on, but we also need to continuously improve our craft and the finished products we deliver to our clients. Oh, and don't forget that many of us have families and lives outside of our work, as much as we may love it. My conversation with Matt Thompson on the podcast this week took a bit of a turn from where I thought it might go. But Matt being Matt, he delivered some incredible insight as the theme of managing our relationships emerged over the course of our chat. Matt is the CEO of Blade of Grass Holdings, an umbrella company for SongFreedom, Fyrfly, Luna Music Group, and U Management. As you can imagine, with this many companies straddling the music and film worlds, Matt knows a thing or two about the importance of working with, and learning from other people. Furthermore, he's proof that if you master this skill, success will find you in whatever field you're in. We talk broadly about how we balance our businesses with our home and family lives, collaborating with other artists and creatives, the one essential skill to successful business partnerships (and all of our other relationships), and how to find time to recharge our batteries while juggling all of our other responsibilities. How do you manage to balance your business with the rest of your life? Are you able to find time for yourself to recharge and stoke your creativity? Let us know in the comments! In this episode: When to say "no" to projects that might be good ideas but don't play to your strengths How to balance your business with the rest of your life -- including your family Why don't we as video producers collaborate with each other on projects like in the music world? How Fyrfly is going to change the way we host our videos online! The single most important factor to which Matt attributes all of his success Quotes: "There was a period of time in my life where I was afraid and I made decisions based out of fear, and I was afraid that we wouldn't get the job and I was afraid somebody might steal my ideas. But that idea of abundance is just more overpowering in my life today. I don't want to approach life with clenched fists, I want to approach it open handed." [27:45] "I think having a little bit of humility - it can be difficult at times for sure - but we're talking about collaborating with other people, and you want to go do that, not only because it's fun, but also maybe, just maybe you can learn something from somebody else." [42:46] Find the original post at: https://studiosherpas.com/category/podcasts

We might not realize it, but a lot of us waste a huge amount of our client's time - and money - on set by being impractical in the way we approach our gigs. Dennis Abad is a Manila, Philippines based filmmaker, educator, and co-founder of Shoot Practical Videography. He and his partner founded the school after witnessing novice videographers botch jobs again and again, and deciding to do something about it. They place a heavy emphasis on the practical, what new filmmakers need to know to get started in the world of video and run a profitable business. A past student of our own, with our Selling Like A Sherpa Course, Dennis has seen how defining processes and systems have affected both his shooting and sales results, and heavily preaches the same approach to his own students. Today he shares some of the biggest mistakes he sees beginning filmmakers making, and gives us some tips on how to be more practical when it comes to our own work. When you look back at your own progression as a filmmaker, what were some aspects of your process that were impractical when you started out? Let us know in the comments! In this episode: • How to allow yourself to focus on what you're best at during a shoot • The 3 selling points that are most attractive to corporate clients • Why being the best filmmaker doesn't equate to running a successful business, and what you need to focus on instead. • Some common mistakes Dennis sees from novice filmmakers Tips on how to be more practical with your videography Quotes: "For corporate, you really want to be able to focus on what you're best at...I think it's more important when you're doing a corporate gig [than at a wedding]." [22:07] "You want to be able to have a complete package. You want to be efficient and you want to create content for your client that they can be proud of." [35:06] Find the original post at: https://studiosherpas.com/category/podcasts

So many of us work primarily as corporate or wedding filmmakers - and love what we do - but have dreams of doing more. Of pursuing passion projects and making a living from them. It can be hard to know where to start, however. How can we set up our businesses in a way that allows us to expand and grow beyond our current client base? Abraham Joffe is an incredibly talented wildlife and travel filmmaker based in Sydney, Australia whose work you may have seen on a little network called Netflix with his show, Tales By Light. He's traveled all over the world and filmed some of the most incredible cultures and creatures to be found on Earth. But Abraham didn't start out this way. In fact, he had an established wedding and corporate film business before he was presented with the opportunity to pursue something bigger. Today he shares with us how he had already set up his business to allow him the flexibility to take his chance and run with it when it came. He also talks about how pursuing unpaid passion projects allowed him to gain skills and make connections that ultimately resulted with him traveling the world and filming exotic sights for a living. What's your dream film gig? What steps could you take to prepare yourself to take a smart risk on that dream when an opportunity presents itself? In this episode: - How Abraham set himself and his business up to allow for smart risks - How he took an opportunity presented to him, and then through his own initiative turned it into something way bigger for both himself, and his client - Some of the practical benefits to having a series picked up by Netflix - Tips to streamline your experience when traveling with a lot of gear - Some of Abe's most insane wildlife experiences! Quotes: "No matter how good you think you are, it's just so hard to capture spontaneous moments. You're trying to be cinematic, but when sh*t goes down it's often the time that you don't have the camera up, or you can't have the camera up." [10:04] "I feel like every good thing I've ever done, in my personal life and my professional life has always taken a bit of a step into the unknown. I think if you're comfortable, you'll just swim in the same pool forever." [17:52] "I think if I'd purely made financial decisions then I'd probably just still be doing weddings, and probably doing fine - I mean we were running a successful studio - but you know, I'm in a much happier place now, and I think you've got to give yourself those opportunities." [28:32] Find the original post at: https://studiosherpas.com/category/podcasts

Most of us didn't get into filmmaking in the first place to take on clients and run businesses. When we picked up a camera for the first time and were captivated by what we could do with it, it was because we ourselves had something to say. Our own story to share. The deeper into the world of film we dove however, the more we realized that it seems all but impossible to bring our passion projects to life in a sustainable way. Sure, we could invest thousands of hours and vast amounts of money to complete a project, but most of us will never see enough return on that investment to justify ever undertaking another one. This sucks. For all of us. Patrick Moreau is racking up his Studio Sherpas frequent flyer miles and returning to the podcast to share how he and his team are bringing their new original content series The Remarkable Ones to life. Patrick knows a thing or two about heartbreak and failure when it comes to creating original content and putting it out there. His feature documentary Stand With Me - despite touching deeply pretty much everyone who viewed it - was a commercial failure for the team and made them question whether there was a way to create original content that they were passionate about in a sustainable way. Today Patrick shares what they learned from the failure of their last project, and what they're doing differently this time to make the most of the series. Do you have a passion project that you've released or are wanting to create? What are the biggest obstacles in your way? In this episode: - The 80/20 rule applied to content production, and how most of us get it backwards - How a project can be incredibly powerful and moving to viewers, but still be a failure - How The Creative Bias keeps us from making the most of our creations - The specific budget and scheduling details behind The Remarkable Ones Quotes: "If you keep the dream, and you always say 'I'll do it tomorrow' then the dream can never die. Actually putting the skin in the game and going out there and doing it is the moment you can truly fail. And that causes so much paralysis for so many people." [28:43] Find the original post at: https://studiosherpas.com/category/podcasts

As filmmakers, most of us spend the majority of our time thinking about how we can best tell the stories of our clients. When it comes to our own businesses however, we often neglect to think about the stories that make us unique and might help us connect with new prospects. Bill Baker is the Founder and Principal of BB & Co. Storytelling, a company that helps brands—and the leaders, teams, and organizations behind them—work smarter by leveraging the timeless power of strategic storytelling. Bill encourages brand leaders to look inward, defining their vision for the world, their point of view, and the story that brought them to where they are today to help them introduce more meaning to them, their workforce and ultimately, their customers. This episode is chock full of actionable steps you can implement today to help clarify and convey to clients who you are as a brand and what you stand for. From website tips, to how to boost your sales process, to how to use story to move your own business forward, Bill shares some crazy valuable wisdom with us on the podcast. In this episode: - How to use strategic storytelling to improve your sales process - Why you need to define and be proud of your unique point of view as a brand - The most important element of your website (Hint: It's not what you think) - SO many valuable tidbits. You really just need to listen. Quotes: "We have found that when properly practiced and strategically used, storytelling is one of the best ways to bring meaning to work and to a workforce." [5:30] "Storytelling used in a sales process is going to be used in the same way for a small studio versus someone for a big pharmaceutical company… The fundamentals of sales I think are relatively the same regardless of what category you're working in and how big your business is." [18:47] Find the original post at: https://studiosherpas.com/category/podcasts

A few years into my video career I got a big time scare. Not one, but two filmmaker friends of mine were sued by big record labels for using unlicensed music on a couple of videos that happened to go viral. I'm ashamed to admit it now, but during my first few years making videos, I didn't even know what music licensing was, let alone pay for it. I wanted to support artists, but I couldn't afford to license mainstream bands like Coldplay or the Black Eyed Peas and the royalty free music that was available… Well, let's just say it was less than inspiring. Artlist is one of the most exciting of a number of music licensing companies that have sprung up in the wake of a spate of lawsuits against filmmakers in recent years. They feature incredibly high-quality music at a seriously insane price, and their interface is designed entirely with creatives in mind. My companies and I use them constantly and they've been a godsend for our business. Artist Manager for Artlist Jeremiah Benzion is on the podcast today to talk about how Artlist is able to benefit both filmmakers and musicians and offer such value to everyone. We talk about how to best go about selecting music for your projects, the film and music pedigree of the company, and how they're hoping to make life even easier for us as video producers in the future. Find the original post at: https://studiosherpas.com/category/podcasts

Have you ever come across a tool that makes you business run so much more smoothly that you would gladly pay 5x the price for it and still feel like it's a steal? Yeah, me too, and for me, Wipster is one of those tools. Wipster is something of a "Google Docs for video", allowing for commenting and collaborating right on top of the video, where it makes sense. You can even export those comments into your Premiere timeline to keep them front of mind when doing a round of revisions. It makes collaborating with clients and other members of my team SO much easier than it was in the past. Seriously, this tool couldn't have come around sooner for me and my business, it's that good. Not only does the Wipster team have an amazing product (they actually don't feel like they even need to sell to customers), they are deeply in tune with the pulse of the industry and where it's headed. Content Marketing Manager Hayley Jordan and Partnership Marketing Manager Andre Van Den Assum join me on the podcast today to talk about what trends they're seeing in the world of video, where we're headed, and how Wipster can make your life easier. Find the original post at: https://studiosherpas.com/category/podcasts

If you're anything like me, when you first started your creative business, literally the last thing you wanted to be spending your time on was selling. For me, it was all about creating emotional films that moved people, but as I took on more work and got busier and busier I ended up spending less time shooting and more time selling. Besides the fact that I wasn't spending as much time doing what I loved, the problem was that I had no idea what I was doing when it came to sales. No way to guide potential clients to the conclusion that my work was worth more than what somebody else down the street was charging. I had always assumed that my work would speak for itself, but was realizing that this was not the case. Matt and I (Ryan) got together this week to discuss how building out a defined sales process has changed our businesses, and how it can do the same for yours. For each of us, the moment when we actually put a sales process in place was a pivotal turning point for our businesses, freeing up our time to focus on other tasks, helping land bigger clients, and overall making life less stressful on us. I know you might think the term "Sales Process" sounds heartless, like it takes the personal touch out of your client interactions (I thought the same thing). In truth however, your process can be as simple or complex as you want it to be, and simply allows you to have something to fall back on when dealing with potential clients. This allows you to be more at ease, natural, and attentive to their needs. Find the original post at: https://studiosherpas.com/category/podcasts