Staff Videographer

About the Company

The HistoryMakers, a national 501(c)(3) not-for-profit video oral history archive headquartered in Chicago, Illinois (https://www.thehistorymakers.org), seeks to hire an experienced, ethical, and hard-working full-time Staff Videographer to videotape 150 HistoryMaker interviews per year. The HistoryMakers is experiencing tremendous growth and seeks to move to the next stage.

About the Role

The Staff Videographer will serve as a one-person crew, traveling solo with a full professional camera, audio, and lighting kit to record 4-to-7-hour video oral histories of African Americans across a wide range of disciplines (arts, business, law, religion, STEM, the military, sports, education, civic life, and more) as part of The HistoryMakers' national, interactive archive.

Responsibilities

• Completing 150 HistoryMaker interviews per year as a one-person crew, averaging 4 to 7 hours of recorded testimony per interview and frequently two interviews per day while on the road.
• Receiving each itinerary from the Production Scheduling Coordinator and confirming subject name, accession number, date, location, time, and interviewer assignment in advance.
• Checking out and inspecting the full equipment kit against the Check-In/Check-Out Form (Appendix A) and reporting any discrepancies to the Archival Assistant before departure.
• Setting up the location on arrival: selecting and arranging chairs that meet HistoryMakers' standards, silencing HVAC, phones, and ambient noise sources, and controlling daylight from windows and skylights — always with the subject's permission.
• Confirming that a signed HistoryMakers Program Participation Release Form (Appendix E) has been collected from every subject before recording begins.
• Operating the camera (e.g., Sony FS-7) feeding an external recorder (e.g., Atomos Ninja V) in ProRes 422, 1080 29.97p, audio embedded.
• Recording clean, isolated audio using wired Sony lavalier microphones, monitoring levels on headphones throughout.
• Building a three-point lighting setup using The HistoryMakers' four-light kit.
• Ingesting media on the supplied MacBook immediately after each interview.
• Completing all required paperwork and digital reporting for every interview.
• Phoning in a verbal end-of-day status report to The HistoryMakers office.
• Restoring each location to its original condition after the interview.
• Returning all equipment, media, paperwork, signed release forms, and the completed FileMaker report to the office promptly.
• Conducting every session as a professional business activity.

Qualifications

• 5 or more years of professional video production experience, preferably including documentary, oral history, or interview-based work.
• Demonstrated competence with professional cinema cameras (e.g., Sony FS-7), external recorders (e.g., Atomos Ninja V), wired lavalier microphones, headphones, and a four-instrument three-point lighting kit.
• Strong audio recording skills, including microphone placement, level setting, monitoring, and isolation from ambient noise.
• Working knowledge of macOS file management, QuickTime playback, and FileMaker (or comparable database).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office.
• Ability to travel solo two to three weeks per month with the full equipment kit.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and cultural sensitivity.
• Stamina, organization, attention to detail, and the ability to maintain rigid archival folder and file-naming standards.
• Knowledge of and passion for The HistoryMakers' mission.

Required Skills

• Strong sense of ethics and ability to think on their feet.
• Ability to work well under pressure.
• Experience and judgment to apply knowledge across various circumstances.

Work Location

This is a full-time, on-site position in Chicago, IL. when the Staff Videographer is not travelling. W

Compensation & Benefits

Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications, with an anticipated range of $70,000-$90,000 depending on experience and fit.

The HistoryMakers offers a competitive benefits package that includes:

• 403(b)
• PTO
• Health, dental, and vision insurance