"Video quality is powerful but it's not the whole thing." Paul Xavier speaks about how the message of your video is more important than the gear you are using.
I like this video a lot because it's true. Years ago, I was on a different boat and thought quality was the one thing I needed to be creative. If I had the better camera, I could do this or if I had better quality, I'd be able to edit in a more creative way. However, this actually had nothing to do with the work I wanted to create. Whether the work was good quality, okay quality or bad quality, I found ways to deal with it as I learned more about what it was I was actually trying to do. Create aerial photography and videography that I personally enjoyed.
Through this process, I was able to create an image or video that could express something to someone else. Since it was for me, I only had the pressure of myself and not my client. When I started to work with clients more and more, I realized that this whole "quality" thing was more of a gimmick than anything else. Every camera is advertised to shoot this glorious 4k file, yet a lot of people still don't know what 4k is. It's not better quality, it's more pixels. With the ability to shoot quality like that, you still aren't guaranteed to unlock all the Hollywood clients and be a successful videographer. You need to know how to use your gear to your benefit and provide for the client or yourself.
When Xavier talks about "amplifying" he mentions you can deliver a more powerful message through your video depending on how you tell your story. Quality is obviously an amazing tool when it comes to being a creative and it allows us to push our work further. Through time and experience in our crafts, we use these tools more and more to make the most of them. Through that, we can add to our story telling just a little bit more in post production by being able to scale in, move the clip in unique ways and perfectly align the composition. However, a good story can still be told despite all those extra pixels.
In the end, it is the message we provide through our videos that matter, not the equipment we use to shoot them. How many clients honestly care about the gear they pay a trusted professional to use on the job versus the final video? Story is something that we must constantly work on and take time to understand. You can own whatever gear you want, shoot with whatever gear you want, and deliver the unique value that you provide.
For more from Paul Xavier, check out his website and Instagram.