Some may think that being a videographer is a profitable career. They are dead wrong. There is so much competition in the industry that it’s hard to attract clients and make a profit these days.

As a videographer, you need to think outside of the box and lower your expectations when it comes to accepting projects that will get the bills paid.

High school sports and highlight reels

At the beginning of the semester, approach a high school coach and ask if he needs footages of the games and even the practices. You could charge him a minimal fee since you are not going to edit the videos just yet.

By the end of the semester, senior athletes would want to create a highlight reel to apply for scholarships. Their parents would gladly pay you to make a highlight reel of their kids.

Tutorials and professorship

One of the most profitable side jobs for videographers these days is to tutor students who are studying this field. As a professional, your words are worth gold and the examples you will show them are from real-life experiences.

You could also teach in a local college or university and share your knowledge with eager-eyed teens. You can also host a seminar once or twice a month and have beginners pay for the chance to pick your mind.

Crowdfunding

If there’s a project you want to do, maybe a topic you are passionate on that you want to make a documentary about, you could turn to crowdfunding sites such as Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and GoFundMe.

These sites have generous donors, who you would have to persuade to give you money for your project. You may not exactly profit from crowdfunding but you can realize your goal of doing a documentary.

Real estate

If you have a friend in the real estate business, you can ask him if he would like for you to take photos and videos of the properties he is selling.

They need videos to show clients how the house looks even when they are unable to visit it themselves. You have to capture the surrounding area and the nearby amenities to help push the sale of the property.

Stock footage

During your day-to-day commute, you can take photos of anything under the sun and upload it to websites like Shutterstock.

When someone needs to use the photos or videos you uploaded, they would have to pay you a fee. This will be a minimal fee but the tricks is to attract as many clients as you can.