Ken Chu is a videographer and filmmaker based in South London, primarily working with charities and social enterprises, as well as with businesses of all sizes, from small to medium-sized enterprises (SMES) to multinationals. We interviewed him about what his work entails and what a day in his life looks like.
How did you get into videography?
I’ve been working in video-related industries for about 20 years. Firstly in broadcast operations, then when video-on-demand took off, I worked with Samsung and Google to support their platforms. Alongside this, I’ve always enjoyed using cameras and making films but I didn’t turn that part of my life into a business until four or five years ago. The technical video knowledge I picked up in those previous jobs and generally working in large corporations, has really helped with working with these sorts of companies as clients.
My aim is to solve challenges with high-quality video content. For businesses that want to create considered video that goes beyond what people make every day with the devices available to them. So that they can bring further credibility to their new business or idea, or communicate a message to convert people to action.
Can you tell us about a project you’re most proud of?
Can I have two? Firstly, I’m really happy about the body of work I’ve done for the Good Things Foundation. They are a digital inclusion charity, and they send me all over the country to create case study videos about the communities and smaller charities they’ve partnered with. It’s really amazing the work they do, and I’m really glad to frame their messaging with the videos I make. We have a really good rhythm of work now (they make excellent briefs – take note, everyone!) and I’ve probably made more films for them than any other client for a couple of years. I get on really well with all the people I’ve met there, and I’m always delighted when they call.
Secondly, I made a film for the NHS, Guys and St Thomas’, about diabetes and eye health, in collaboration with Articulate Health. Diabetes is close to my heart because a lot of my family suffers from it. I’m from an East Asian background, and it’s a prominent cultural health issue that’s plagued us and lots of other ethnic communities. Eleanor at Articulate Health is a healthcare comms consultant, and she does a lot of the pre-production and ideation as part of our collaboration. I love executing her ideas because they are always so strong and well considered. We just make a really good tea,m and that collaboration is really what I’m most proud of.
What do you like most about what you do?
Because I focus my work on the charity and social sector, I like making films that have the potential to change a situation by connecting with people’s emotions, which then encourages them to take action. Sometimes I work in the corporate sector, and at the very least, I enjoy providing a service to my clients that helps solve a problem they might not be able to solve in another way.
What do you find most challenging?
Like all freelancers, dealing with the peaks and troughs of busy and quiet times can be quite draining. But after a few years of doing this and building a good network of clients, I do have a bit more confidence that the phone will ring. When I look at the calendar and there’s nothing scheduled for next month, it’s scary, but somehow a job pops up and saves the month. It happens more often than not these days. Perhaps the universe can smell the desperation! As I’m realising this I’m learning to lean into the quieter times and enjoy them rather than waste energy on freaking out.
How do you find new clients?
The best new clients come through referrals. It’s hard to build that sort of network at the start, and it doesn’t bear much fruit at the beginning. But the longer you stay in business, keep doing good work and be a nice guy to work with, the more work comes, whether it’s a repeating client or a referral. I think this is the most solid and reliable way to build a client base.
Networking with other videographers and filmmakers has been key. A lot of jobs need more than one camera operator, so it’s good to be in the mind of those who are looking for extra hands. This was crucial at the beginning of my career. It gave me the opportunity to learn from others, and now I call on the same people to help me cover off jobs when I get really busy.
In addition to that, I try to go to networking events and combine that with LinkedIn with an aim to have as many one-to-ones as time allows. I enjoy talking to people, whether that’s in person or on the phone. I feel you stick in someone’s mind more when you’ve had a conversation with them. So, when the time comes that they or someone they know needs your services, you are a little bit more top of mind. Put that together with LinkedIn and networking events, and you keep yourself on the surface so people can see you.
Finally, this year I’m putting a lot of my eggs into SEO. It’s taken years to raise the funds to invest into something like this and I’m really crossing my fingers it works since a lot of effort has gone into setting this up!
A Day in the Life of videographer and filmmaker Ken Chu…
I get up at…
At around 7am.
I won’t get out of bed for anything less than…
The promise of working on projects I’ve chosen to work on. Or my 8-year-old son coming into the bedroom to ask if it’s morning yet…
My go-to breakfast is…
Black coffee. I don’t eat till midday normally.
My go-to lunch is…
I follow a keto diet (because of that diabetes threat again!), so it is usually eggs or a salad with some kind of protein.
A typical working day might look like…
My days vary quite drastically depending on whether I’m filming or editing that day.
If I’m filming, I wake up extra early before my family does, pack a lot of camera gear into my car and drive somewhere to film for most of the day. It could be somewhere remote, or it could be somewhere in the middle of London.
Sometimes, if the shoot is in another part of the country, I wake up in a hotel room. It sounds glamorous, but usually they are hotels attached to motorway service stations! Then I drive home in the evening, unpack all my gear and back up all the footage. By that time it’s usually bedtime! It can be quite a physical and gruelling day, but I do love it.
If I’m editing, it’s a much easier day. I wake up and take my son to school. I’m at my desk at 9am with lots of coffee and a to-do list I’ve made the day before. I might post something on LinkedIn at 11am. Then before lunch, I go to the gym or the driving range (I’ve been having golf lessons recently – a great mind clearer). Then I continue editing throughout the day and I may have some client calls – pre-production calls, one-to-ones, other meetings or a networking event somewhere in there.
I try to do a little bit of studying to break things up, which might include learning more about current video production trends, software, and technology. It’s so important to stay on top of that so I can continue to make work that is as high quality as possible. Then I end the day by making another to-do list for the next day.
After work…
I hang out with the family or meet a friend for a drink. I enjoy going to the cinema. It’s a great way to fully shut off from everything, and it can be quickly organised, especially if you go alone!
The best part of my working day is…
Delivering the videos to my clients and receiving feedback. I think people are always really affected by videos, even if they are exposed to them a lot. The coming together of music, voices, pictures and story is more than the sum of its parts, and I enjoy seeing my clients react to it.
The part I’d happily hire someone to do is…
Carry my kit. My back isn’t getting any younger!
I wish I could…
Spend unlimited amounts of money on equipment. I’m a bit obsessed with camera technology! I’d love to do more narrative work as well. I’ve been involved in a few short films this year, and I feel like I’ve tapped into a whole new world of filmmaking that I’m really excited about. Unfortunately, filmmaking that is purely an art form doesn’t pay very well.
What I’m excited about right now in my business…
I’m launching my new videography website in May. There’s been tonnes of effort from a handful of people, including my web designer, Sybil, and my marketing and SEO consultant, Emma. The hope is that this takes the business up a notch with the SEO efforts and hopefully I’ll get more inbound enquiries via Google and local search. This will enable me to utilise the capacity that I’ve built with a network of freelancers I love working with, push the business on a bit, and just get more done.
I’m also excited about embracing AI. There are so many new applications in video post-production that make new things possible. People get hung up on the parts where it makes a generic video from a prompt that doesn’t really serve much purpose on its own. There are AI-based tools that help restore old footage or clean up audio, for example, to create new possibilities in gathering footage. It ultimately helps us tell stronger and more effective stories. I’m really excited about how these tools can bring even more quality to my clients.
Words to live by on a day-to-day basis…
Do good work and don’t be an a*sehole.
