How To Get into Production And Become A Successful Professional Video Producer

Making a successful career in video production is a fulfilling and satisfactory process, an experience I would wish for every hungry creative. You will have the potential to earn a lot of income, meet great people, grow and reach unexpected heights and achievements.

You will get to understand the ins and outs of the full production process, improve your skills in people management, planning, making important decisions, and in general, you will learn how to conduct business. It's a pool of lessons that will change your thinking and perspective.

Do not worry if you do not have prior video production skills or experience, this article is intended to guide you from the basics to what you will need to do that will make you a successful business in your career.

Before you decide to start your journey into your career, here are a few things you should put into consideration. Treat these as a must-do/have a list as they are very essential to your success. Not meeting any of these may lead you to a frustrating experience. If you do not know something, find all ways to be enthusiastic and develop an open mind to learning it.

The producer’s role in the production is to oversee the film/ video production process. You are responsible for planning and coordinating various aspects of film production. The success of the project depends mostly on your decisions. 

Production is a very stressful career. You will handle contracts, and deal with people and suppliers at different levels. Be ready to solve problems on a daily basis.

Be open to being a learner every day. Every project is different with something new so get ready to learn something new every day and on every project.

You Will Need To Have Operate With A Business Mindset

Even if you are learning to be a producer, understand that the end goal is to learn a skill and use it to build a business. You will need to have a business mind from the time you start interacting with the customer to when you start negotiating contracts.

It's A People's Game. Everything Surrounds People

Everything as a producer will involve interacting with people in some sort of way. Everything surrounds people so you will need to brush up on your people relation skills.

You Need To Be Customer Oriented And Open-Minded

Customers are the main reason that you are in business, you will need to be ready to understand business development and be open-minded towards understanding what they are looking for and aim to find the solutions

It is not just an office and paperwork job, you will need to learn all the technical skills to help you make better decisions during the process.

Basic Skills Like Computer, Communication, And Organisation Are A Must Have.

You will need to have these basic skills because you will use them on a daily basis and on some occasions, help others learn them as well.

Now that you agree to be comfortable with the above, let's get started with your journey

This will most probably be your first step into your career. Before you get started, you will need to learn the basics of each step of production. This will include a background in 

. If your computer and communication skills need some brushing up, I recommend that you start with developing those before anything.

The best way to get started with learning and understanding the concepts in-depth is to find a mentor or experience to take you through. Your mentor can be a 

 in a video production company, or taking 

Below, we will go ahead to break these concepts further, treat this as a checklist for every stage:

Pre-production is the most important aspect of the production process. This is where all the planning for a project happens after you onboard a client. Planning usually involves; 

Get familiar with the following to give you a jumpstart.

To conduct effective meetings, you will need to learn how to communicate using email. The professional way of scheduling meetings is via Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, or Zoho meetings. Avoid having meetings via WhatsApp with clients as this may come out as unprofessional unless the clients insist on it.

For budgeting, you will have to understand how to use excel or google sheets. Always know how much you expect to spend at the different levels of production and how much profit you will make at the end of the project. A good example is to divide the costs into:

Pre-Production Costs (Office planning, licenses, printings, meetings, etc)

Production Costs (Filming, Crew, Transportation, Meals)

Post Production (Editing, Soundtracks, Graphics)

Operational Costs (Office space, Tax, Sales Commissions (If applicable))

: Remember to keep all your receipts for accounting purposes. Ensure that you get ETR receipts which you can use to claim and reduce your overall tax paid to the government.

Do not worry if you do not have your own equipment, you can always hire from suppliers that lease out equipment on a per-day basis. Learn how to make connections beforehand and the different prices. When you get the equipment, you will be responsible for their loss so learn how to take good care of them. Also, try to get familiar with negotiating as it will come in handy.

Scripts help your crew to understand the details of the filming. A script involves the project summary, the list of contacts, locations, equipment, interview questions, shot lists, and all the important aspects that must be covered as discussed with the client. On it, you also add the timings and scheduling plan so that the crew knows what to cover where, and when. This is sometimes also called the Call Sheet as per industry standards and is a must-have.

Practice crewing. These members will make or break your filming experience. Here are some metrics that you can follow when choosing your crew members;

Learn about the different agreements that you need t sign with your crew as required by the industry and labor laws. It will help you to avoid miscommunication after the project has ended and avoid tax penalties.

Production is where the actual filming happens. This is the stage that many people get in their minds when they hear about filmmaking and video production. It also involves a lot of interaction between the crew, clients, and the subjects being filmed. Ensure that you have a list of all the equipment carried, give copies of the call sheets to each crew member, and have release forms for the subjects to sign prior to being filmed. 

(Release forms are a must-have and are legally required)

You must be involved in learning this technical process. It will help you understand a lot bout your filming process and you will save mistakes and make better future decisions. Do not ignore this stage until you are sure of your production process. Remember that you intend to be a producer, try to work under a producer during your mentorship, and learn the following;

Experience the different equipment and how it works.

Study different crew members and what their responsibilities are.

Interview and get familiar with subjects, and ask questions

Interact with clients to understand what their experience is. Listen for input.

How to transport the crew and equipment back.

How to stick to your budget and even save more.

Most producers also ignore this stage and leave it to the editor but understanding post-production is very vital to storytelling. It will help you know how to frame your final story and review your works in pre-production and production. If you avoid learning this stage, you will always be confused leaving you with long editing times and multiple corrections that are out of your control. Here is what you need to learn in post-production:

How to handle translations and time coding.

How to use professional editing software ( Final Cut Pro X and Adobe Premiere Pro).

How to edit, pace a story and choose the right soundtrack.

How to version and keep track of edit changes.

: Even if some courses and programs take longer, you should be familiar with the above concepts in about 4-6 months. You may not be a pro at each skill but you have the basics that you can use to push you to the next stage. Mastering film production takes time and needs a lot of practice.

Now that you are ready with the basics, let's get you started with practicing. At this stage, you will need to get and do as many projects as possible. Try volunteering for other people or get your own projects by reaching out to people and organizations. Have you heard of the team freelancer? Consider yourself a freelancer now. 

Try out different projects in different categories to find out what you enjoy best. The categories can include; Documentaries, Corporate, Products, Music, Film, Education, Religion, etc. To be successful, you will need to find your niche. Most filmmakers get stuck in doing every category which limits their ability to market their services efficiently and scale. 

(We shall talk more about this later in this article).

When volunteering or offering projects to work on, do not be so keen on the budget, work with the bare minimum that you need to cover your costs and execute the work, your goal is to ut what you have learned above to practice, gain experience, and build a portfolio for yourself. The more projects that you do or take part in, the more of a professional that you become.

Creating and getting your own projects is very vital because it helps you to practice being an all-around producer which will be beneficial when you are handling clients' projects in the future. Try to be the leader, find your own crew, try borrowing equipment and build networks. Here are the projects that I recommend you personally arrange to up your skills:

The best idea is to make a 2-minute film story about your life. On this project, be the sole producer and handle all aspects of pre-production production and editing. Find a small crew of about 2-3 to help you on a few tasks but aim to handle most of the major tasks.

You can also find stories to submit to film festivals.

Make a short documentary on any issue that affects you or is happening within your area. Try to make it as impactful as possible

Find any company of your choice and volunteer to make them a corporate video or advertising video. Engage the client in a real-life scenario and try to solve all their needs.

You can also try more project ideas in different categories that interest you.

: This process should also take you about 4-6 months. Try to be aggressive and aim to complete projects fast as it will prepare you for the real production world. 

By now, you should be able to successfully deliver a project which makes you a professional. Most people will at this stage find a job in an established company. However, this article is intended for those who want to learn and establish their own companies. I am speaking to you the entrepreneur. If you feel that you are not ready yet, you can stop reading now and come back at a later stage when you are.

Based on my experience as a producer, I believe that you are ready to get going at this stage. It does not stop you from accepting work on the side or on a few projects to boost your income, but your mentality should be set to starting your own company. Do them for a short time, learn from them, and get back to your goal as you still have much more to learn. Attempting as it may be, avoid long-term gigs because they will hold you back and get you comfortable unless it is what you want at that particular time.

Market research is basically finding out what the market wants, what products are being offered, who is providing what services, and how much customers are willing to pay for them. Here are quick suggestions to get you started;

Go to google.com and search for search terms like:

Video Production Companies in ‘my_country’ (replace with your country name)

From understanding the producer’s role to learning technical and business skills, this guide shows you all you need to become a professional video producer.

How To Break Into Video Production And Build A Profitable Career As A Producer

Behind-the-scenes content is the secret ingredient that brings your video productions to life beyond the final cut. It gives audiences a peek into the action, the people, and the creative process that happens before “Action!” is called and after “Cut!” is shouted. Whether it’s for clients, fans, or fellow creatives, BTS footage can transform how people see your work and your brand.

At its core, BTS is about storytelling. You are documenting the energy, collaboration, challenges, and triumphs that unfold during a shoot. These candid moments tell a powerful story: one of teamwork, professionalism, and creativity in action.

 – It shows the smooth, professional, and enjoyable experience of working with you. It reassures them that you deliver on your promises, whether that’s speed, flexibility, or high production values.



 – It educates and inspires. Creatives see how a 

 is run, and they may be motivated to work with you or learn from your process.

When shared online, BTS content is more relatable and shareable than polished final edits. People love to see the human side of a production.

Encourage your crew to wear branded apparel whenever possible. Your logo in the frame reinforces your identity without needing a sales pitch.

Go beyond simple “people working” shots. Look for moments that convey emotion: a laugh between takes, a director giving instructions with intensity, a camera operator deep in concentration. Include busy moments, quiet moments, and even those fun, lazy in-between times.

Every frame you capture should appeal to either the client or the creative audience. Clients want reassurance and proof of professionalism. Creatives want insight, inspiration, and ideas.

BTS is your playground. Try unusual angles, unique framing, or unexpected perspectives you’ve always wanted to explore. Sometimes the quirkiest shots are the most memorable.

Your shots should be steady, well-lit, and in focus. If there is dialogue, make sure the audio is clear.

You’re there to document, not interrupt. Work quietly and let the production flow naturally without your presence affecting the action.

Ideal for high-quality interviews, stills, and b-roll. Use this setup for formal segments and professional-grade content.

Perfect for capturing technical or action shots. You can mount it for hands-free filming or get unusual perspectives that would be tricky with a DSLR.

Fast, discreet, and always within reach. If a DSLR isn’t set up, use your phone for quick interviews or moments you can’t afford to miss. A crew member with a high-quality phone can help capture spontaneous content too.

Shoot b-roll of the crew setting up equipment.

Take interactive photos of team members with the client or talent.

“What is your name and role on this set?”

Film the lead crew member interacting with clients or talent.

Focus on one main “character story” per production day for depth.

Take a group photo with the client (only once if it’s a multi-day shoot).

“What was your experience on set today?”

“What was your best moment and what did you learn?”

“What advice would you give someone joining the team?”

Client interviews are best done on the final day of filming, when they’ve experienced the full production process. Good questions include:

“What is your name and what do you do?”

“What problem were you looking to solve when you contacted us?”

“What has your experience been like working with our team?”

“What would you say to someone looking for a video production company?”

Whether you’re filming on a DSLR or a phone, keep these in mind:

Ensure your subject is well lit (preferably with natural light or a soft key light)

Position the camera at eye level for a natural, flattering perspective.

Avoid cluttered backgrounds unless they add to the story.

Capture a mix of wide, medium, and close-up shots to keep the edit dynamic.

BTS footage is more than just “extra content.” It’s a marketing tool, an educational resource, and a storytelling opportunity. By capturing the real moments behind the camera, you invite your audience into your creative world and give them a reason to connect with you beyond the final product.

Behind-the-scenes content is the secret ingredient that brings your video productions to life beyond the final cut. It gives audiences a peek into the action.

Mastering Video Production

How To Break Into Video Production And Build A Profitable Career As A Producer

Making Of… A Complete Guide to Recording Behind the Scenes (BTS)

One video production point for filming in multiple African countries.