Good Neighbor Podcast: Orange County

From News Reporter to Production Pro: Jill Richardson's Journey

• Rachel Fyffe & Jill Richardson

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Ever wondered what separates professional video production from smartphone footage? Jill Richardson, founder of Living Large Productions, brings decades of Orange County production experience to answer this burning question and more.

Jill's journey from aspiring news reporter to established video production professional reveals how she discovered her sweet spot at the intersection of creativity and business. Her Orange County-based company specializes in corporate productions spanning testimonial videos, CEO interviews, how-to videos, animation, and broadcast commercials. This versatility has allowed her to build lasting client relationships across numerous industries throughout her career.

The conversation tackles one of the biggest myths in modern video production: that anyone with a smartphone can create professional-quality content. Jill explains why experience, consistency, and production value matter more than ever in a world flooded with amateur content. She shares candid insights about the challenges of finding new clients in today's competitive landscape while offering practical wisdom about marketing investment. "Do you advertise first and then get busy, or vice versa?" she asks, before emphasizing that marketing remains essential regardless of budget constraints.

Beyond business talk, we discover Jill's appreciation for Southern California living and community engagement. Her passion for helping businesses tell their stories effectively shines through as she discusses her approach to creating value for clients across various budget levels. Whether you're a business owner considering professional video production or simply curious about what happens behind the camera, this conversation offers valuable perspective on the enduring importance of quality content in the digital age.

Connect with Jill through her weekly production tips on LinkedIn and social media channels as Living Large Productions, or visit livinglargeproductions.com to learn more about elevating your brand through professional video production.

Speaker 1:

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, rachel Fyfe. Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. Now are you in need of a turnkey solution for all your video production needs? Well, that resource is closer than you think. Today, I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, jill Richardson, with Living Large Productions. Jill, how is it going?

Speaker 2:

Yay, rachel, it is going great. I am so happy to be here. Thank you for having me. My pleasure.

Speaker 1:

Well, we're excited to learn all about your business. Now tell us about your company to learn all about your business.

Speaker 2:

Now tell us about your company. Well, Living Large Productions is Orange County based. I have been around for decades, really, and what I love about Orange County it really has a lot of production value and obviously with talent in Los Angeles and all the production there, Orange County has always had a lot of work in corporations and advertising and marketing, so that's mainly what I have specialized in for my career. Really, I have had just decades of experience. I'm a casting director, I'm a location scout for Orange County, I'm a producer and really producing is, you know, obviously understanding what the client is needing and wanting. Understanding what the client is needing and wanting and then advising a budget and a crew that will meet those goals and produce outstanding production. So, Like I had mentioned, I've been around for a couple decades here in Orange County and mainly Living Large Productions is a professional production company and we specialize in corporate productions and what that is could be testimonial videos, CEO interviews, how-to videos, animation, advertising, truly broadcast radio and television commercials. That's my main specialty.

Speaker 1:

Wonderful. How did you get into this business?

Speaker 2:

Well, I have always been creative and initially I wanted to be a news reporter and um, initially I wanted to be a news reporter and um, the more I got into news reporting or just I, I actually had my own show on a cable. I produced it myself, it was called the ie and I just really realized that I worked better with as as a news reporter it was more kind of a standalone working with a smaller group. But I feel like in corporate productions you're really working with a lot of different industries and you know, kind of you might be working on a training video for myself and then a couple months later I might be working on an advertisement. So I initially started thinking I was going to be a news reporter and I felt like opportunity just opened up more.

Speaker 2:

For you know, really work opportunity didn't happen in news reporting and so, but it did happen more in production. So it just kind of I felt like production. You know it has a creative component about it, so that's always been my driving force. But really with marketing and working in the corporate video production, I felt like it was the both ends of both business and the creative. So that's kind of when I kept on working. Initially, I felt like that that path really kept on presenting itself more and more, so that's how I've arrived.

Speaker 1:

Wonderful, Well, you know. What do you think are some myths or misconceptions in your industry? So what do you think are some myths or?

Speaker 2:

misconceptions in your industry. I think a big myth right now because of technology and our phone, that people think that everyone can do a video and really everyone can do a video with your phone. Everyone could edit with your phone. Everyone could put you know, create something and put that out there. I think that the myth is that everyone can do it, but really I feel like that there is a look and a consistency with professional video production that can't be crossed over in just more self people doing it themselves, and so I feel like the myth of people saying that they can do it. Really, when you realize the time it takes for editing or involving for a really good professional shoot, it's a lot more time intensive and and focus intensive and experience than you realize.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so we know that marketing is really the heart of every business. So who are your target customers and how are you attracting them?

Speaker 2:

My, my, really my customers are more for businesses and corporations that need a professional video, that understand the value of having a professional video and what that does to their brand. I feel like it's really been challenging because technology has advanced so much that I feel like it's harder to find potential customers that are wanting that. You know, I feel that, like I don't do as well with living large productions on social media, so maybe there's an issue of not finding that with you know, potential clients, but I feel like it's. I feel like there's just so much more competition now with marketing but yet it's so important so it's really kind of hard to find clients and I find personally that when I find clients, that I retain these clients, you know, and that there's lasting relationships for years and decades that I have for that. But the new clients are the harder ones to find right now for me.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, have you ever thought about doing your own podcast? Yeah, have you ever thought about?

Speaker 2:

doing your own podcast. You know, I actually I have my, I have a couple of different projects going on and I'm a partner with Red Diamond Sisters, which is an organization about period empowerment, so I have definitely been doing tons of podcasts. We actually just interviewed Planned Parenthood, orange County and, uh, san Bernardino chapter, the, uh, the communications coordinator. So I've been doing podcasts. Um, for that I do think I feel like for Living Large Productions, I need to venture in that, rachel, because you know, let's face it, I I feel like more and more people are going to that area to learn new things.

Speaker 1:

You know, going into that channel, so, I should On the list Now, outside of work. You know what do you like to do for fun do for fun?

Speaker 2:

Ooh, that is. You know, I live in Southern California, in Dana Point specifically, and I am so grateful every day for just where I live. I feel like fun is just literally going outside and experiencing a sunset, or we're just finishing the summer season, which is my favorite, so there's just been so many good concerts. I really feel like events that community, the community, puts out. I can't emphasize enough how special I think that is and I think when you know you have concerts in the park or plays or you know little community garage sales, I always try, I feel like that those are fun and I feel like that that really is a way to just connect more. You know it's fun for me to get out there and I feel like I love meeting new people and if I can meet more people in my neighborhood it's even better then Wonderful.

Speaker 1:

Well, jill, please tell our listeners one thing they should remember about Living Large Productions, one thing they should remember about living large productions.

Speaker 2:

Living large productions I feel has a wealth of experience of production, video production experience. I really bring together crews that just have a sense of experience that can really add value to any production and I feel that you know, with marketing experience and kind of understanding, you know really what appeals to people really. That value. I think carries cross, really that value. I think carries cross.

Speaker 2:

I think it's interesting because you know money tends to be, money is tight right now for people and it's kind of the chicken or the egg, you know, do you advertise first and then get busy or vice versa? But I think that advertising, whatever your budget is, I think it, you know, truly, you know, needs to be put out there. I think advertising and just connecting with your brand and with your customers is so important. So, whatever the value or money you have, you just should find a way and I personally feel like it's so important. So I'm always willing to work with different budgets and different clients on a production because I'm passionate about helping them just, you know, achieve what they're wanting in their business. So I try to create value for customers in their productions and if budget is, I just try to work with people, also with their established budgets.

Speaker 1:

Well, how can our listeners learn more about living large productions?

Speaker 2:

Well, thank you very much. I need to do more podcasts and more kind of content. I have grown my business. I'm definitely on LinkedIn. I try to do a production tip at least one video per week. So I've been doing that for three or four years now. So I definitely you could look at my social media channels Living Large Productions, where I'm doing again video production tips at least once a week, and those are great sources. They have my telephone number, living Large Productions, jill Living Large, or my website, which is livinglargeproductionscom.

Speaker 1:

Wonderful. Well, Jill, I really appreciate you being on the show. We wish you and your business really the best moving forward thank you so much, rachel.

Speaker 2:

This has been a great opportunity and you really have motivated, have motivated me to um, to really get on podcasts and and to reach out more. I I really appreciate this opportunity, thank you.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnporangecountycom. That's gnporangecountycom, or call 714-941-8862.