Volkan S: What It's Actually Like to Work as a Videographer During Erasmus+

Erasmus+ wasn't just about traveling and hanging out for us. A big part of our days here was actually work. We worked as videographers and photographers for the agency that organizes our programme, visiting companies to film and photograph other Erasmus+ students at their jobs.

A Work Day

Most days, we got up around 9 in the morning to travel to a company. We always worked in teams of two. At the company, we filmed and took photos, and we talked to the Erasmus+ students working there and their supervisors. After that, we usually went to a café or a co-working space to edit everything.

The good part was that we could organize our own schedule. There was no fixed time for editing, so some days we worked on everything at once, and other days we just enjoyed our free time and barely touched a laptop. Sometimes we edited in the evening too, and got the equipment ready and charged for the next day, planning how we'd get to the next company.

What I Liked About It

Doing this while on Erasmus+ let me build my portfolio and get to know real companies from the inside. Every shoot taught me something new. I also got a lot better at Premiere Pro. I learned new effects, masking techniques, and I just got faster overall.

The companies we visited were also really well organized, and the work atmosphere there was relaxed. Everyone was friendly to us, which made the whole thing feel less like a job and more like an interesting experience.

What Was Hard

Sometimes it was stressful just getting to the companies on time. We also had to film Barcelona's sights on top of our regular work, since we needed content from the city too, so we often combined both in the same trip. It kept us busy, but it also meant our free time and our work often overlapped instead of staying separate.

Equipment and Teamwork

We had really good equipment, some from school and some our own. Working in a team of two one for video and one for photo meant that we always had everything, and when it came to editing, we usually worked together too, which made everything faster and more fun.

Was It Worth It?

Looking back, combining Erasmus+ with real work was one of the best decisions we made. It was perfect to learn skills I couldn't have learned by just traveling around. I got better at my craft, learned how to manage my own time, and saw a side of Barcelona that most tourists never get to see.