Introduction
Building a portfolio when you’re just starting out can feel overwhelming. Nobody knows who you are. You’re not confident in your skills yet. It seems like there’s so much to learn. But here’s the truth: it only feels hard until you break it down into smaller steps. Once you do that, you’ll see it’s absolutely doable. This simple guide will help you get started. Let’s dive in!
Learn to Record and Edit Videos
This is your first and most important step. There’s nothing worse than trying to do something completely blindly. Start by watching YouTube tutorials, borrowing books from the library, or checking out free online courses.
You don’t need a college degree to succeed in video creation. Focus on learning how to shoot quality footage. If editing doesn’t excite you, that’s okay—you can delegate it later. For now, it’ll be a one-person show, and that’s totally fine.
Focus on One Type of Video
Your videos will look far more professional if you specialize in one niche. Are you into social media? Create Instagram Reels or TikToks. Want to go a different route? That’s fine too—just don’t try to cover 300 topics at once. For example, our focus is wedding videos.
Consider an Internship
Another great way to gain experience is through a paid or unpaid internship. Look for websites that list internship opportunities, or go old-school: visit local businesses and offer your help for free as an intern. Who knows—you might impress them enough to land a paid job.
If You Don’t Have Clients, Go Get Them
Yes, it’s an obvious tip—but it’s essential. Without real clients, it’s hard to grow. Courses and books can guide you, but you’ll only truly improve by regularly recording videos. Don’t have anything to film? Time to actively seek out opportunities.
Where to look?
- Facebook groups
- Freelance platforms like Fiverr (though beware—these can make you overly dependent)
- Niche job boards
- Reddit communities
- Go bold: toughen up and pitch your services directly to local businesses
I did this myself, and it worked! I remember it like it was yesterday. I was out shopping and noticed an empty nail salon—no customers at all. I thought, “I can help them!” I walked in, asked how business was going, and offered to create a promo video for them.
We made a deal. Sure, the pay wasn’t great—but small money is better than no money, and I gained real-world experience. I simply developed “teflon skin” and went for it. So can you.
Work for Free—But on Your Own Terms
Here’s what I mean: when you’re just starting out and lack experience, people might not be willing to pay right away. That’s okay. But if you’re going to work for free, choose who you work with and set your own conditions. Otherwise, people will walk all over you—and you don’t want that.
Here’s an example of what you can offer:
“I’ll create one free Instagram video for you. If you like it, you agree to refer me to three people or offer a service in return.”
This way, you gain experience and build credibility—paving the way to paying clients.
What’s Next? Build Experience and a Portfolio
Start promoting yourself actively. Create your own YouTube channel. Share your videos on Facebook, X (Twitter), and other platforms.
This will not only help you improve your skills but also build your personal brand. You won’t be “just another beginner”—you’ll be someone who knows what they’re doing.
Once you earn your first few payments, consider getting a simple website or at least create a professional Facebook page.
Instagram is great too—but don’t stretch yourself thin. Better to focus on one platform and do it well than to manage three badly.
And if you ever get overwhelmed or don’t enjoy editing, reach out to us—we’d be happy to help you with the post-production!
Conclusion
Starting out is always tough when you have to learn everything from scratch. But it’s not rocket science. Just begin. Improve as you go. Learn constantly, shoot as many videos as you can, and the results will come.
Ideally, also learn a bit about business and marketing—so you don’t end up as a well-paid slave. But that’s a topic for another day.