Videographer – Job Description

Job Title: Videographer

Reports To: Principal or Her Designee

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt (Pays Hourly, Overtime Eligible)

Salary Range

$52,000 – $60,000 plus benefits, commensurate with qualifications and experience.

About Tripepi Smith

Tripepi Smith is a California-based marketing, technology and public affairs firm that serves public agencies, non-profits and for-profit organizations. Its unique mix of marketing and technology prowess provides a competitive advantage to organizations seeking to execute marketing in a digital-dominated world. The firm provides full content creation services, including: ghost writing, collateral development, photography, video production, animation, search engine marketing, search engine optimization, email marketing campaigns and website design and execution. Additionally, the firm has deep local government experience, including work on capital projects, community choice aggregation, economic development, crisis communications, emergency communication and revenue measures. 

The Tripepi Smith team is comprised of 35+ members, with diverse skills of writing, video production, graphic design, animation, project management and policy expertise. Although we are California-based, Tripepi Smith has no office and offers a purely work-from-home environment with occasional onsite client visits and in-person networking opportunities at industry events. This work-from-home setup also means we offer flexibility for team members to work from remote locations, depending on the nature of their work. The videographer position is likely limited to working remotely within the State of California given the nature of the work.

Our clients range from City of Newport Beach, CA to City of Washougal, WA on the city side. We also work with private companies like Climatec Energy Services and West Coast Arborists. Additionally, we work with non-profit associations like Municipal Management Association of Northern California, the League of California Cities and the California Contract Cities Association.

About Tripepi Smith Culture

Tripepi Smith is best suited to the intellectually curious and fast-paced learner. We cover a wide range of policy areas and mediums and it demands quick thought-switching capabilities to deliver across platforms. Team members are focused on seeing each other succeed and our growth curve offers ample career opportunities – especially with a priority placed on promoting from within. Employees identify Tripepi Smith’s “Always Be Learning” mantra as being a key feature of their experience at the firm, and they value the learning opportunities, online classes, UC extension programs and other opportunities to expand their skills or understanding of the world. People who like routines, feed off in-person interaction or who take a win-at-all-costs attitude will not do well here.

Also, we have an awesome song: #TripepiSmithLife Check it out: https://www.tripepismith.com/tripepi-smith-releases-first-single/

Titles and Roles and Work – Oh My!

Tripepi Smith has an escalating seniority structure that follows this nomenclature: Junior Business Analyst, Business Analyst, Senior Business Analyst, Director, and Principal. Special creative skill titles such as Graphic Artist, Senior Graphic Artist, Videographer and Senior Videographer also exist in parallel to this spectrum of titles. While titles provide some sense of organization and drives hourly bill rates, titles are secondary to our culture. We don’t even put your job title on your business card. It is possible for any person on the team to fulfill a role that will ensure we deliver for a client. A Principal or a Junior Business Analyst can write a press release. A Senior Business Analyst or a Business Analyst could lead a client call. A Junior Business Analyst can make a city council presentation.

Every member of the team is on the front lines day-to-day creative and strategic work. Junior roles tend to focus on social media posting, social media monitoring, drafting stories, assembling agenda, conducting primary research, assembling presentations, developing client dashboard reports, or staffing video productions. More senior roles tend to be more involved in strategy decisions, project management, client presentations, people management, recruiting, directing resources, contract negotiations, and business development.

Upward Mobility

Tripepi Smith is expanding and remains focused on growth. There are several motivations for this: 1) it creates more opportunity for every member of the team, 2) the bigger our team the bigger the projects we can tackle and the more impact we can have in the market, 3) there are a lot of needs in the market and we feel an obligation to be helpful where we can add value, and 4) we might end up making more money.

A growing firm can promote people or add senior talent that enhances the overall quality of the team and increases wisdom. The career path to increased responsibilities occurs through demonstrated capabilities and self-direction, application of strong writing skills, success in new business development, expanded knowledge of the local government market, consistent delivery of work product on time and within expected hours, evidence of strong project management skills, evidence of strong account management skills, familiarity with economic metrics associated with assigned accounts and demonstrated leadership within the team.

A Day in the Life of a Videographer

Within the first few weeks at Tripepi Smith, a Videographer will start gaining valuable hands-on experience producing outward-facing communications on behalf of our clients. In a typical week, a Videographer may serve anywhere from six to twelve different clients, performing a variety of tasks ranging from council meeting video production to editing short format videos for social media.

Maintaining intellectual curiosity is key as every day and every project will provide new learning experiences, especially in the first year at the firm – no matter your seniority. The ideal candidate will be able to learn new technologies, skill sets and processes quickly while meeting deadlines with minimal daily supervision. Above all, a Videographer will exercise discretion and judgement to protect the professional integrity and intellectual property of Tripepi Smith and our clients.

Typical Job Responsibilities

• Content Production – You will have ample opportunities to show off your video skills by producing a range of content for clients. Content may include, but is not limited to: social media posts/Stories, state of the city videos, brief on-the-street interviews, special event recording and council chamber video production.
• Full Cycle Video Production – You may be tasked to be a one-person show to execute on a client video shoot. This work will involve scripting or storyboarding the shoot, recording quality video and audio, editing the footage and collaborating with the client on the edits. Fundamentally, video production is more efficient with one set of hands on the wheel, so the artist in you can own the whole result. Senior videographers are available to mentor you, teach you techniques and offer feedback on your work product.
• Event Streaming Support – Come clients want to go “live” from public spaces via YouTube, Facebook or Instagram. In these cases, you will be called upon to have the technical chops to make this happen, whether you are using a gimbled iPhone or a tripod-mounted DSLR.
• Dominating at Zoom – Many of our clients are using Zoom to conduct public meetings and host town halls. Quality community experiences require a “Zoom engineer” who knows the ins and outs of the platform and can both configure it and manage it throughout an event. Often this may include integrating Zoom into city council meetings.
• Council Chamber Video Production – You will be onsite at city halls, usually in the evening, executing on the recording of council meetings. This work will including testing prior to the meeting, reviewing the agenda to prepare lower-thirds, executing camera cuts and audio management throughout the production process and generating the video files that will be used to share with the public. This work can also entail managing the scheduler for cablecasting and assisting with various city clerk related agenda management platforms. Additionally, you may be called upon to evaluate the chamber production equipment and make recommendations on how to new hardware and related solutions to improve the overall production process.
• Other duties as assigned by your Project Managers, Account Managers and Principals.

Needed to Succeed

• Tech-Savviness – Intermediate to Advanced 
• Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere – Advanced
• Zoom Management – Advanced
• Written Communication – Intermediate
• Verbal Communication – Intermediate
• Social Intelligence – Intermediate
• Computer and Smartphone Literacy – Intermediate
• Social Media Management – Beginner to Intermediate
• Access to reliable transportation and a valid Driver’s License

Extra Consideration Given For

• Experience and/or personal interest in the local government sector: civic engagement, public administration, public policy and/or civic technology.
• Comfort with the full array of Sony DSLR Cameras
• Familiarity with audio and video switching gear and a demonstrated desire to constantly learn new platforms or solutions
• Graphic design experience using tools such as the Adobe Suite, Canva, etc.
• Professional photography and/or videography experience using equipment such as Sony, Canon, etc.
• Foreign Language fluency (especially Spanish) beyond just a conversational level: writing, reading, listening and speaking.

Preferred Education Level

• AA or BA degree in Film, Videographer, Audio Production, Multimedia Arts

Preferred Experience Level

• No prior professional experience necessary.

Technology Tools Provided

• Apple laptop
• iPhone (full time staff)
• 34” external monitor
• External keyboard and mouse as requested
• Sony DSLR Camera(s)
• Full lighting and audio recording setup
• Wrist rests as requested
• Various dongles, charge cables and such to ensure connectivity
• Stipend for home internet access
• Full Microsoft Office Suite
• Adobe Creative Suite 

To Apply

Please email your Cover Letter, LinkedIn profile and example video projects to Tripepi Smith’s CFO, Nicole Smith, at nicole@TripepiSmith.com.