They don’t. According to statistics, the majority of people who work in the most difficult business sector—video production—are unable to maintain any form of business.
Music videos are no different, and even though they can be very expensive, the great majority don’t generate revenue for anyone. It’s possible that you have a director, a camera operator, and an editor working part-time, but the truth is that the majority of music video directors—99 percent of them, anyway—have another employment. And the video industry is like this in general.
Thus, it is nearly hard to work as an editor “purely” for music videos, for instance. Excellent editors work on a variety of tasks, and music videos may be one of them. It won’t be their source of income. In the same way that a director of photography may one day do business videos while also fitting in the odd music video.
Here’s how I would phrase it. There’s a good chance that someone who studies accounting will be able to pay their rent and get employment in the field. Rent payment is a very far prospect for someone studying video production. It’s highly unlikely, but not impossible, and the music video industry is no different.
You require funds and equipment. Better still if you can shoot in a large room. Having cameras, sound equipment, a room, editing supplies, lighting, and a small crew makes you self-contained.
My pal was employed by a San Francisco-based corporation. He oversaw the stage.
The business possessed editing booths. A large studio for filming. Cameras and lights. a crew of people who were either paid minimum wage or went unpaid but were allowed to use the space for their own purposes.
Some bands record live, so you can’t have echoes bouncing around. The room must be quite dead. Thus, you require floor-rolling rugs. When the walls or live sound are needed, flameproof theatrical drapes on the walls can be opened.
You must have lights. There are LED barn door floods and soft lights.
A transportable stage or one that is easy to assemble and disassemble is required.
A full-time receptionist secretary is a minimum requirement.
You need somebody you can call in for lighting. You can reach camera operators by phone.
Get some 4K Go Pros, please. I would get several 4K dedicated cameras, such as the $4,000 Black Magic Design 4k Ursa Minis (discontinued, but still available in stores) or the $6,000 Panasonic AG-CX350 body only, or the $10,000 Canon XF-705 or the $10,000 Panasonic AG-CX350 body.