We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Caroline Rogers. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Caroline below.
Caroline, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
I have, at times, been a full-time videographer that’s fully self-employed. It definitely wasn’t like that from day 1. I started working for other video companies, where I learned a lot of wonderful things, but also I learned a lot about what I don’t like in such a creative field. I started freelancing video back in 2014, and kept building my portfolio from there. I was terrified to start my own business at first, mostly because I was terrified to fail. Also, there’s a lot of pressure on you when you’re responsible for your own income & financial well-being. So I started small, charging very little and keeping other part-time jobs to help me get by. But a few years ago, I had a great conversation with a career coach that helped me a lot. She pointed out that I basically already had a business, but I was in denial, and she was right. So I chose a number, and once my back account hit a certain amount in savings, I’d start my business officially. I hit that number back in 2020, so I bought an LLC and officially launched a brand. Things have kept growing from there, I learned my worth and began charging appropriately, I learned how to communicate respectfully and professionally, and invested in better gear to be able to do the job. It’s still scary, but I don’t shame myself for needing/wanting other jobs when it’s necessary. Life is crazy, and things come and go, and sometimes I just want some stability. Now, I’ve grown to a place where I can work less and make more, I’m very comfortable and confident in my skillset, and I have a good system for workflow on the business end. I definitely think if I could go back, I could have sped this process up a lot more by simply believing and investing in myself, or being more willing to ask/pay others for ore help. It really wasn’t as scary or difficult as I thought it would be, but it’s been really tough. Sometimes, business is great, other times I’m struggling financially. I’ve learned to try to go along with the ebbs and flows of life, work, and money, because my situation changes constantly. But I love what I do, and I love that creativity is still such a huge part of my life. I’m lucky on that front, because I know a lot of other artists who have struggled or aren’t even able to sustain their passions. I’ve learned to love the grind and to try and have grace for myself not to be perfect all the time.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’ve been a professional videographer for about 12 years now. I specialize in filming live events, especially weddings, which is a very niche industry to work in. I stumbled into the wedding industry because I needed a job at the time, but I quickly fell in love with the fast pace of the workday and the atmosphere of a party. I started working part time for other wedding videographers, who taught me a lot, before venturing out on my own. Working weddings often doesn’t feel like work, sometimes I feel like I’m a professional party guest. I offer full wedding video coverage, including both creative highlight videos and multi-camera coverage of the formal events of the day. I offer a lot of services so clients can pick and choose exactly what they want. I love being able to give them a beautiful way to remember their wedding day forever. Most of the problems I solve on wedding days are small issues with the timeline, answer lots of questions from people, and to work together with the other vendors of the day to create something beautiful together. It can be really difficult to film on the fly, with little to no preparation and sometimes no idea what kinds of issues I’ll run into that day. My job is to think quickly and do the best I can, but also to keep my client happy & relaxed. I think there’s 3 thigns that really separate me from competitors. 1. Editing is my favorite part of the video production process, and with a background in music, I’m able to string together beautiful videos that are incredibly personal AND cinematic. 2. I try to have my clients back in a big way. Wedding days can be incredibly stressful, so I always offer to help in any way I can, rom tying ties to offering people a quiet break away from the crowd. and 3. The guest experience is very important to me. I don’t like to be in the way, or to be so obsessed with the work I’m doing that I’m unaware of where I am and who I might be bothering. I try to keep to the outside of the event, but close enough that I won’t miss anything. I will always do what I need to do to get the job done, but not if it ruins the experience for the guests. I’m really proud of my ability to string a story together for videos, to weave the music and talking together and use visuals to enhance the story. I’m also proud of my adaptability, which is KEY in working live events. I often have no clue what’s going to happen, or how it’ll be to work with the other vendors for the day, but I’m a quick learner and very observant, which allows me to make decisions in an instant if needed. If there’s anything I want people to know about my brand, it’s that I will have my client’s back in a huge way, whatever the job is. Also that there’s no one else who can do what I do: having the creative skill to film beautifully, but also incredibly personal.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
The best source of new clients for me is recommendations from other vendors. For weddings specifically, videography gets booked a little later in the process than some of the things that are seen as “more essential,” like a photographer or planner. I’d say 80+% of my work comes from wedding planners and photographers who like my work and have seen my abilities, but also trust me and know we work well together. It took some time to build up my brand, but luckily by the time I started filming weddings on my own, I had a small reputation in the industry already from working with others. I’m very fortunate to have so many people who are willing to recommend me. They have literally kept bread on my table. I don’t do a lot of advertising because I don’t need to. Most of my work comes from word of mouth.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I grew up in a very strict and traditional home, and my siblings and I were forbidden from going into any field that might result in us being “starving artists.” If I’d pursued my childhood dreams, I’d probably be a professional dancer somewhere in New York. I happened to get into a good college with a digital media & video program, and my mom encouraged me to apply on a whim. I got in, and I received a big scholarship from them, and the rest is history. But if I’d gone to any other school, I would have been a math major and who knows how my life would have turned out? It’s taken me a long time to accept that videography is a real job and it doesn’t mean I’m inferior to others with a full time, 9-5 job that comes with health insurance. Though to be honest, I often still feel silly about what I do, or I feel behind in life, or that the struggle hasn’t been worth it to do what I love, but that’s my dad’s voice and those are old ideas. In fact, as time goes on and technology progresses, especially with social media, being a videographer is more valuable than ever. I know lots of content creators, professional YouTubers, Instagram-famous locals… lots of people chasing a dream in a job that didn’t exist two decades ago. There’s a lot of old ideas out there about technology and being on social media, but the world has changed in a lot of ways. I’ve settled on this idea: the money I make is real, which makes the job real & valid. Plus, working weddings, I provide something priceless and personal to my clients, and I love bringing them joy. That’s what it’s about to me now.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.blueopalentertainment.com
- Instagram: @blue.opal.entertainment
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blue.opal.entertainment
- Other: https://vimeo.com/blueopal
Image Credits
the photo of my and the city was taken my Maiyasa Issa or @creativecandids the photo of me laughing with my camera was taken by Sara Ackermann or @saraaphotography I think I took the rest