You’re a consultant in the film industry. How do you build a strong network of clients?

When people see you working hard for a client on set, they take notice. I get all of my business from word of mouth. When people see me going the extra mile for my clients, they want to know how they can get someone on my team to do that for them too!

Discovering your niche is difficult in the early days of video production or filmmaking. When work isn't exactly flowing, it is hard to turn things down - we need to eat after all. However, the faster we can find what we're really good at, and find an effective way to communicate it to the world, the faster we'll start working on projects where we can really shine and build a reputation. When you find your niche, and work on projects that fit it, the end result will be better, clients will be happier, and a reputation will grow.

How I convey myself to others that are connected to film i share I produce a global podcast to share stories from people that actually work in film in many diverse depts. I also share I am writing a guidebook to working in film.i also mention types of films worked in, I also share how I am connected to full production companies locally and globally. I also share vast knowledge of city I live in with a film studio.upcoming projects and film events I attend.

I try to be highly visible and network at many events and share my work from wide variety of events I have shot video at. I setup a linktr.ee to link to my sites to showcase the videos I shot over many years and wide variety of events. I also participate in unique film competition to display my work to key crew well known in the industry.

This is a classic chicken and the egg scenario. How do you get work, to then showcase your work, to get more work. I recommend a few things - 1. a small but great portfolio is much better than a large but mediocre one 2. A few passion projects to start your career and establish a great portfolio can be worth it. 3. Take the time to make sure that portfolio matches your niche, don't rush it.

Strategic networking is crucial for building a client base in film industry. Focus on key industry players, attend relevant events, and engage in conversations showcasing your legal expertise. Stay informed through industry publications and online forums. Personalize your outreach, emphasizing how your legal insights can benefit their projects.

The quality of creative is pass/fail. After you've passed, creatives want to work with other creatives they get along with. My company, Lightswitch Video, does great work, but more than anything we're great to work with. Join organizations in your field, attend events, and attend without the direct goal to extract monetary value from it. Just go to learn and talk with others. I'm an introverted person - telling me to "go network" is to vague and stressful for me. Try giving yourself more tangible goals like "Attend this event and ask 5 people what they are working on" "Send 5 people a message inviting them to talk about AI over coffee"

Since Covid I network virtually at many events i attend film focused ones or general ones and always seem to find a connection to ones that have a former connection to the film industry or current. Through LinkedIn I have connected to many that have worked with key celebrities. One particular event I regularly attend I connected to a producer and director who worked in over 150 films with powerful celebrities and because i took strong interest in both of them I booked them on my podcast to discuss their film. Then when I discovered the director of the film was award winner I invited him back to my podcast on Oscar day to share his story. That's how you can create a relationship with a film executive.

Communication about expectations prior to agreeing to work together is the most important part of a successful project. In the rare occasion that a project we work on isn't a success, it's because we failed to do the work up front to understand what our clients expectations are. Often the client doesn't even know what they want. Before agreeing to work together t is important for a consultant to either help the client determine what they want, or to tell them you don't think you can be successful. Determining expectations clearly, and then exceeding them is the only way to continually succeed.

I've been doing social media since 2009, so there wasn't a lot of understanding of what exactly I was doing on set in my early years. I learned to expect people to have questions and tried to give them as much information as possible to ease their concerns. I also learned to fit my entire message into the subject line of the email as often as possible!

This is everything. Sales books and sales leaders will give you all sorts of tips and tricks to present your product or services well, but if what you're selling is hot garbage you've got no hope. Focus on the quality and everything will follow. This is easier said than done, often the client's expectation of quality, and their budget are dramatically misaligned. As creatives, we need to strive to charge the amount necessary for us to feel good delivering a quality project. There's a tendency to think "How little can I do this for, to be sure I win the deal?" What we need to think is "What would I need to charge to make sure I can give this the effort and resources it needs to wow the client?"

Our world continues to become more and more visual every day. I with designers to create epic visuals that leave a lasting impression on clients.

I have been using mindjet’s Mind Manager to fashion my reports as this allows me to make changes and print with table of contents right up to the minute I hand the work to my client.