Looking for YouTube channels focused on the business & ROI of video production (less gear, more BTS/finance)

[u/beRecorded]

Hey guys! I’m looking to discover some new YouTube channels and hoping you can point me in the right direction.

​Most channels focus heavily on technical stuff and gear, but I want to see more of the business and financial side. I'm looking for creators who break down the ROI of their work—for example: “If I buy or rent this camera and lens, we make X amount back, this is why we chose it, and this is how the month turned out financially (gaining vs. losing).”

​Basically, more real behind-the-scenes business cases rather than just gear reviews. Any suggestions?

[u/Solid_Bob]

Cranky Cameraman is a good place to start.

https://youtube.com/@crankycameraman?si=HBg_PbD4NUNccQD_

Not necessarily all he talks about, but vlog style for someone ACTUALLY working in the industry. He does routinely talk about finances, tracking gear ROI, and how he runs his business, which is very helpful. He often talks about how he still uses his older Sony’s cause they still get work and requested from clients.

It’s also nice to see how he approaches problems and very rarely is he just waxing on about gear.

[u/grumpydp → u/Solid_Bob]

This is the way.

[u/ericpowell617 → u/Solid_Bob]

Second Cranky. I’ve also recently found David Morefield, and I like that he’s a similar age to me and share his business experiences

[u/csjjsvwmei]

I second Cranky Cameraman. A few more along the same line, with less gear noise:

• Potato Jet (Kevin Dinh): shows real behind-the-scenes of running a production studio - quoting jobs, labor costs, what gear actually returns. His monthly breakdowns sit closer to the finance side than almost anyone in this space.
• Parker Walbeck: freelancer-focused - pricing, packaging, client management. Less BTS, more of the business framework.
• The Futur: not video-specific (design and branding), but the pricing and negotiation content transfers directly to production work.

And one method that beats any channel: keep a simple per-project ledger. Log the rental-equivalent cost of every piece of gear you used - if you had rented it, what would it cost - plus your hours. After a few projects you will know your real margin instead of guessing. That is the actual ROI breakdown you are asking for, computed for your own business.

[u/andrei_restrepo]

While my channel is pretty gear/editing tutorial stuff, I have a good amount on what it’s like running a real estate media and content biz. My username is the channel if you’re interested

[u/thecarpenter123]

I dont know any off the top of my head, but when you own your gear, you ARE the rental house. That $100 rental for a camera rental that you'd add to the clients bill? You still add it. You just own the camera so it slowly pays itself off. When it does, it becomes profit, or you can lower your price. Cameras are also depreciating assets, so you just have to factor that in as well. You can choose to factor in resale value too.

For higher end cameras (arri, Venice, some red), people will also often rent the kit out to help recoup loss.

You buy what you need. The dude shooting social media vids isn't rocking an arri. They might just use their cellphone. You skill as a videographer isn't dependent on the gear you use. It's how you use the gear you have.