The E-Myth in Video Production

corporate video behind the scenes
Corporate Video – Behind The Scenes

Michael E. Gerber’s business book The E-Myth is now over 30 years old. Much if not all of it is still relevant for those who own businesses today.

Part of the book involves systemising and documenting your processes, as if you’re going to franchise your business. To write these manuals you need to have experience in all the roles. In photography that’s relatively simple.

Video Production has many roles that can scale from a single operator on a corporate video to a Hollywood production with a crew of hundreds. You’ve seen the credits at the end of films: producer, director, writer, camera, sound, gaffer, editor, etc,. As a small video and multimedia producer for corporate communications with a degree in film production I began as a production supervisor at a regional TV station. The advantage of these opportunities means I’ve gained professional experience in all the main roles.

This helps inform my decisions when quoting on making videos for businesses: what roles to do, delegate or eliminate if need be. And what to expect from those professionals I need to outsource to. The video community in Australia is small enough to know people who specialise in key roles, or know who ask when I need a recommendation. While not as unionised as the USA, the local film industry still has demarcation lines. Whether it’s in writing or not crew members know their role in the production.

Of course there is a lot more to Gerber’s book than documenting business roles. If you’re interested, in 1995 it was republished as The E-Myth Revisited as a book, ebook and audiobook.