Stand on your tippy toes and reach as high as you can! Taller!
Now belly on the ground, worm! Stretch those hands out!
It's 7am, and my workout is already halfway over. Holding a gimbal while bent in half and tracking a shot of an insect in the sand before he decides to hide again is making me sweat. Whatever it takes to get the shot!
Being a commercial videographer can often feel like being a competitor on American Ninja Warrior. You never know what challenge is around the corner. One client might seem like you're climbing a rope one knot at a time. The next client might just feel like riding a zip line into a pool. I'm an out-of-the-box-head-in-the-clouds type. I don't do well cooped up in cube. So I've learned that I can always keep it interesting and challenging if I stay in commercial video production.
My video work has taken me to fascinating places over the years. I've been in the secret back halls of casinos and escorted privately through major sports stadiums to film. I've seen some of the most inspiring speakers and performing artists. I've had private access to an electron beam MRI machine and run my camera through the scanner to get a POV shot. I've climbed mountains, dodged marathoners, and been up at all hours of the day to get the shot. I've taken my camera to ever corner of the state and beyond.
Not only is commercial videography always interesting, but you have to be good!
In a $100,000+ commercial production, you can be a one-trick-pony, because there are 100 people on the crew, one to do each specific job. But being in a mid-level production company means you have to know your shit! You have to be good at macro product photography and sports photography. Then you might be called on to do astro-photography and slow motion filming. You need to be a director, a camera op and 1st and 2nd AD.
Each client's brand will need to evoke a different set of emotions, so not only your photography, but your language and marketing skills need to be as diverse as possible. You should be able to sell cars and convince someone to get their medical scan done. You need to be able to present a loving family story and immediately produce a dark, sinister mini-film. This mania of commercial video production is what I live for.
It's not all a run in the park. There will be obstacles and competitors along the way. You'll get to dark and empty places where all your inspiration and drive is gone, and you'll have to somehow find a way to press on toward the finish line. There will be times when your body and mind are on the verge of failing you, and you have no one to help you besides yourself in that moment. You might find yourself setting your camera down for a few breaths to muster up your inner ninja warrior. You can do this. This is what you were made for. Go!
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