You’ve been laid off from your video production job. How can you keep up with industry trends?

FREELANCE FREELANCE FREELANCE. After being laid off, freelancing in video production is so important, not matter the monetary gain, keeping freelance jobs coming in allows you to keep your finger on the pulse. It offers exposure to diverse projects and innovative techniques through various clients.

Showcase your best work and highlight any new skills or projects you have completed. Tailor your portfolio to reflect current industry trends and standards.

Laid off? It's your chance to shine. Update your portfolio with your top-tier work. Show the world your skills, style, and successes. Platforms like Vimeo, YouTube, Behance are your stage. Detail each project - your role, the tools used. Add testimonials, awards, feedback. Remember, this isn't just a showcase, it's your narrative. You're not just a former employee, you're a proven professional. Own it.

It can be advantageous to break your showreels into different themes or styles. Utilise your best work across all areas to provide prospective employers/clients with an almost personalised demonstration of your abilities.

Honestly you can never stop learning. In video production, learning new skills is so important. This world moves fast. Mastering emerging technologies and storytelling techniques can open new opportunities, improve your work quality, and enable you to meet the changing target of audiences and clients, ensuring career growth and sustainability.

1. Continuous Learning: Stay updated with the latest tools, techniques, and trends in the video production industry through online courses, tutorials, podcasts, or blogs. Platforms like Udemy, Coursera, or LinkedIn Learning offer a wide range of courses on software like Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, or DaVinci Resolve. 2. Exploring New Technologies: Explore emerging technologies such as 360-degree video, virtual reality (VR), or live streaming to expand your skill set and stay competitive in the field. Understanding these technologies can open up new creative possibilities and opportunities for your video production projects.

Video production is an ever-changing landscape. Stagnation isn't an option. Stay ahead by seeking knowledge - online courses, tutorials, podcasts, blogs. Don't just learn new software, master it. Don't just use effects, transitions, animations - innovate with them. Dive into emerging areas - 360-degree video, virtual reality, live streaming. It's not just about keeping up, it's about staying ahead. Be the trendsetter, not the trend follower. Now's the time to level up.

Take online courses, attend workshops, or participate in training programs to learn new techniques and technologies. Stay updated with industry blogs, websites, and forums to learn about the latest trends and developments.

The most important thing is to keep creating. It can definitely be hard, especially if moral is low, but your skills will only improve by doing. Some of the best work can come out of creating within constraints, so do what you can to stay creative during difficult times.

Attend industry events, conferences, and networking mixers to meet other professionals and stay connected. Join online communities and groups related to video production to share knowledge and experiences.

1. Online Communities and Forums: Engage with other video production professionals by joining online communities, forums, or groups such as Reddit's r/videography or specialized Facebook groups. Participate in discussions, share your work, seek feedback, and exchange tips and tricks with peers to stay updated on industry trends and best practices. 2. Attend Online Events and Workshops: Take advantage of online events, webinars, and workshops organized by industry associations, companies, or platforms like Vimeo or Adobe.

Networking is the secret sauce in the video production industry. Join online communities, forums, groups - these are your classrooms. Share your work, exchange tips, find opportunities. Attend online events, webinars, workshops - these are your stages. Meet experts, mentors, influencers - these are your connections. Networking isn't just about expanding knowledge or building reputation. It's about staying on the pulse of innovation. So, let's connect, collaborate and conquer.

Building a personal brand and creating content on social media can be one of the greatest ways to find and build a community of people with shared interests.

Personal projects are your secret weapons in video production. Use them to push boundaries, test new ideas, styles, genres. Let your passions guide you, let your interests inspire you. Your personal projects are your unique selling points, they show your skills and personality. Create for fun, for charity, for profit - it's your call. Remember, these aren't just projects, they're your creative expressions. So, dare to create, dare to innovate.

1. Creative Exploration: Embark on personal projects to experiment with new ideas, styles, and genres, pushing the boundaries of your creativity and honing your skills in video production. Whether it's trying out a different editing technique, exploring a niche topic, or storytelling in a unique way, personal projects provide a platform for creative exploration and growth. 2. Professional Showcase: Showcase your skills, creativity, and personality through personal projects, which can serve as a portfolio to attract potential employers or clients.

Use your free time to work on personal projects that allow you to explore new ideas and techniques. Share your projects online or with peers to get feedback and stay engaged with the industry.

Don't be scared of doing free work occasionally still. Find the work you WANT to do and offer your services out for free/reduced rate, to either keep your creativity thriving or to build the showreel around where you'd like to find work.

1. Diverse Feedback Sources: Seek feedback from various sources including peers, mentors, experts, and online audiences to gain different perspectives on your video production work. Each source can offer valuable insights and constructive criticism that help you identify areas for improvement and capitalize on your strengths. 2. Continuous Improvement: Embrace both positive and negative feedback as opportunities for growth and learning. By being open to feedback and actively incorporating it into your workflow, you can continuously refine your skills, refine your techniques, and elevate the quality of your video productions over time.

Feedback is invaluable, it's the catalyst for growth in video production. Seek it from peers, mentors, experts, online audiences, even yourself. Review your work critically, objectively. Embrace feedback, whether it boosts you or bruises you. It's not about being perfect, it's about progress. Feedback isn't just information, it's transformation. So, stay curious, stay hungry for feedback. Your journey to mastery starts here.

Solicit feedback from mentors, peers, and industry professionals on your work and areas for improvement. Use feedback to refine your skills and stay relevant in the industry.

Stay adaptable and open to new opportunities, even if they are outside your comfort zone. Stay informed about industry trends and changes by following industry publications and news sources. Consider freelancing or contract work to gain experience and keep your skills sharp.