When you specialize in one field for any length of time, it becomes easy to spot trends in other people starting out in that same field.
For example, a martial arts instructor will see people always making the same mistake with kicks. A chef will see people making the same mistakes in a kitchen. Or a golf pro will see people making the same mistakes with their swings.
In my field…video…I see the same types of common mistakes. But one sticks out above all. And ultimately, it’s the biggest reason why people fail to find success with online video.
What is it? Fear. Fear of making a mistake. They want everything to be perfect from the get-go…they want to make sure they have the perfect camera, the perfect script, the perfect equipment setup. And as a result, they rarely end up ever actually making a video. How can you find success if you never show up for the game?
By comparison, the people who do find success with web video always dive right in, make a thousand mistakes, learn from those mistakes, make corrections and keep moving forward…constantly.
And that’s the exact mindset you must have to be successful with web video. You see, web video is never perfect. Never. Things go wrong all the time…lights suddenly flicker, microphones cut out, cameras go haywire, computers lock-up…or that masterpiece you envisioned comes out looking ridiculous.
In fact, just last week, an unexplained technical glitch ruined 2 hours of video footage for me. But rather than spending half the day trying to figure out what went wrong (or spending the other half of the day being mad) I just said “that sucks” and re-shot everything. It seemed the simplest way to achieve the end result I was after.
And that’s the attitude you have to have with web video. You have to understand that you are not going to become an expert overnight, you’ll rarely get what you want on the first try and yes, from time to time even the best equipment money can buy will fail you. It’s like that for everyone (there’s a reason why a 90 minute Hollywood movie can take a year to make).
So if you want a guaranteed recipe for success with web video, here it is; stop worrying and start doing. Then never stop. This is the same recipe followed by everyone who has found success with web video. They simply start making videos (regardless of fear, time or experience)…then never stop.
That is VERY true. Just as you said, most people – rather often including me – get annoyed and disappointed far too easily.
I could mention a couple of areas e.g. language learning, online business, business models etc.
My greatest enlightment was understanding that you have to keep to the point. If you do so, you will succeed. If not, you must always start from the beginning.
oliveR