Sunday, July 05, 2009

Market Those Documentaries

Everyone has a story to tell, right? Probably just about everyone of you independent professional video services providers also have a story, read "documentary" you want to tell and produce. It doesn't HAVE to be a labor of love, or just something you produce simply to get it out of your system.

You might not make a killing, create a huge following or generate a name for yourself in the documentary industry, but you can certainly earn a few extra bucks, perhaps even cover the costs of what was originally to be that out-of-pocket labor of love simply by making it available to others.

With the bountiful resources available for self-promotion, distribution, producing and delivering your documentary, there is no serious reason for considering your work a closet shelf video. The viewing public is starving for stuff, and a significant number of people "out there" will invest in a copy of your production if they know it, and you, exists.

With such a diversity of interests, with the whole wide world at your disposal, with literally billions of eyeballs scouring the web, folks doing the Stumble Upon routine, checking out DealMac, Amazon and a myriad of other resources; with social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, and a host of others; with the availability of hundreds of video viewing sites on the web (see "Video on the Web" May 24, 2009 - E.C. Come, E.C. Go ) you have a marvelous opportunity to produce, market and make money off your documentary video production.

People such as Jay Michael, of In the Viewfinder, are not only performing standard commercial and event video production services, but also researching, developing and producing valid documentary video and selling their work to the consumer. Like special interest videos (see the blog article "Make Money in Special Interest Video" March 28, 2009 - E.C. Come, E.C. Go ) you are developing product while also pursuing something in which you are personally interested, and willing to invest your time into creating. How rewarding!

You have invested the time, energy and money into pursuing your documtary, planning it, obtaining the content to create it, editing it, perhaps even sharing it with a few interested friends and fellow video producers. So, instead of putting that production on the shelf and occasionally pulling it out to peruse, market it! Get some income out of it. Don't expect a million seller with each and every one of your productions, but you can, over time, develop a following that will result in a lucrative, perhaps even full time, video production and marketing business.

Always remember: If you market, you will make it! © 2009, Earl Chessher

1 comment:

Phrenzy said...

Hello! I find your information here very useful as someone who is looking to become involved in independent video production. Thanks!