From Sports to Commercials

This episode of the Production Prism podcast features a discussion with creative Jaylen Powell about her professional journey in the production industry.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

What's up, everybody? My name is Torrance Hill, and welcome to the production prism. Today we're talking with Jalen. She's going to tell us about a career path into this industry. We're going to touch on the importance of storytelling, gear, niching down, and a lot more. So tune in and enjoy. So now I just want to introduce you to our guest, Jalen Powell. Jalen, introduce yourself. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

SPEAKER_03 0:24

Hello, everyone. My name is Jalen Powell. I'm a creative out of Raleigh, North Carolina. Do all parts of creative, a lot of corporate work, a lot of brand work, a lot of sports stuff. Yeah, just your average girl in the industry.

SPEAKER_00 0:46

I feel like a lot of my purpose as a creator is to introduce other creatives into like the fold. You know what I'm saying? Like helping them understand like there's many ways to get to the point that we're at where we're, you know, we're full-time professionals in this industry. Um and so, you know, this this won't be like the first episode or the last episode of doing this with with creators, but uh, ever since I started working with you, I always just kind of admire your story because like it's different from mine, you know. Um and and it's not as traditional as I guess my story is. Um like if you looked at my childhood all the way through college, you knew what I was gonna do. Um and I think that that's kind of different from you. So um without me trying to tell your story without you saying anything, let's just like let's just start off like um just tell us a little bit about you know how you started in this industry.

SPEAKER_03 1:50

Yeah. Um, so um how I started in this industry. I've always been interested in photography, videography. It started out as photography only.

SPEAKER_05 2:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:02

Um since I was young, high school, maybe a little bit of middle school, but um, as we all pretty much know, if you're watching this podcast, I would assume you know that cameras are very expensive. Yeah. Um, so I never got one. And also my background is basketball. So for the most part, I grew up chasing, you know, college basketball and doing that whole thing. I wasn't too much on my or professional basketball wasn't too much on my mind. It was more so just college. And then um, while I was in college, I got my degree in marketing. Um, but I had a fifth year of school um for COVID. So I went down to South Alabama, University of South Alabama, and um I got my master's in sport management. But during that time, my parents did get me a camera for undergrad for graduating. That was my graduation gift. Um what was the camera? Nikon D5600. Um, as some people like to call it, a potato. But yeah, so Nikon D5600 was my first camera, and I had a kit lens or whatever, maybe two. But um, you know, when I was down in Alabama, I was just taking photos of everything I could. I would go to, you know, the men's basketball games, football games, tennis matches, soccer, and still sports, all sports for the most part. Um, and then I did a couple graduation shoots, made like $1,000 in a week at one point. And I was like, you know, at that time, $1,000 in a week is a lot, a lot of money for a college student. That's paper. Like, and I didn't think about no taxes, no nothing. I'm just thinking like this money just for me to play with. Yeah. Um, but yeah, that's pretty much how it started. Like, I made that money and I was like, okay. And mind you, I was terrible. Like, I was terrible back then.

SPEAKER_04 4:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 4:01

Um, like if I look, none of that work you, I hope you can't find it.

SPEAKER_00 4:05

I hope you can't find my first work. I hope it is gone.

SPEAKER_03 4:09

I might come into that. But um, you know, so I started making some money. Yeah. And I came back home to North Carolina, and um I started just shooting more sports. You know, my best friend's brother played football, started out going to his workouts, and people would be like, Hey, what's your name? You know, can you take photos of my son or whoever? And it was just a snowball effect from there. Um, and that's really how my journey started. It started in a sports world, just photos. Then people would be like, Well, can you do a video like this? And I was like, Well, I can try, and then I can charge you more a little bit, you know, because it is a video, it's longer. That's what that was my mindset. Um, and that's that's how I transitioned into doing some more video. And then Snowball just kept growing. Um, met more people, got on set for my first job on set, like a bigger set was I was a production assistant with what company? Advanced Auto Parts. And that's when the door kind of opened because I I was like, oh, like, look at all this. Like, this is uh this is crazy. Like, like was that the click moment, right? Yeah, that was because I didn't even know. Like, if my mom, my mom and I used to like talk about this because she used to like kind of like cameras at one point. And um she was like, you don't want to be like a photographer. Like, and this was like when I was growing up.

SPEAKER_04 5:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 5:36

And I was like, uh like what the only thing that was in my mind as a photographer or a videographer that I seen was people who did the news and people who would video like games or like broadcasts. Like, that's in my mind what the job was. For some reason, I never thought about like movies, film, commercials. Um, and even when I went to college and I got my degree in marketing, it was in my mind, but I just didn't know what the actual career path was. I was like marketing and like advertisement, that's what I like. And I didn't understand like what I liked for it for me. Like I didn't know what I wanted it to be, but now I do. Um, but so when I did that advanced artist parts job as a PA, that's when like my eyes opened. I was like, oh, I was talking to people, I was like, well, what do you do? I was talking to DIT.

SPEAKER_04 6:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 6:30

Come like nobody, if you don't, if you're not in the film where you have no idea what that is. So it's like it's important for people to get um to you know get those experiences so they can just learn and ask questions.

SPEAKER_00 6:42

Yeah, because I'm I'm assuming at that moment you you may have you may have gotten paid for like the sports work.

SPEAKER_05 6:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:50

But at that moment, it probably felt like this ain't just a hobby. This ain't just like something slight anymore.

SPEAKER_03 6:57

Well, at least, well, for what I was doing, I was like, I don't know how much money I can make doing this.

SPEAKER_04 7:03

Like, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:04

Like if I think about now versus back then, I'm like, okay, I could. I don't know if I thought back then I could make a living with the sports stuff. You can in a way, like it just depends, connections, all that stuff. But when I got on the advanced auto parts job, and then I got into some more jobs, and like I did uh what is it called? I was an art assistant for Under Armour.

SPEAKER_04 7:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:28

And that's when it was like, it was sports, it was advertised, like it was everything. Yeah, like if y'all see the commercial that's like with New Balance and Coco Golf, Sydney McGaw McGaughlin, like I was on set with those people who did that commercial. And that's that commercial has been rolling for at least two years. Like I still see it.

SPEAKER_00 7:47

Yeah, um, I've seen it recently.

SPEAKER_03 7:48

And we've done, like, we did a job very similar or set very similar to that. And that's when, like, I think that's when I was like, okay, I can I can kind of see it because the cinematographer was a woman too. Yeah, um, I can't think of her name right now, but I like I remember research researching her while she she's right there. I'm researching her.

SPEAKER_00 8:09

I'm gonna Google you.

SPEAKER_03 8:10

I'm like, oh, this is cool. Like, I'm looking at her work, I'm like, oh, like, this is what I want to do.

SPEAKER_00 8:14

So that's it for me. Cause when you said like the cinematographer was a woman, I'm thinking in my head, how many times have I seen a woman cinematographer in the flesh on a set of a major production?

SPEAKER_03 8:33

In the flesh? Yeah, in the flesh, not often.

SPEAKER_00 8:36

Oh, yeah, I know. I know it's women out there, you know what I'm saying? Like, like mad props.

SPEAKER_05 8:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:43

But that's the like that's part of the issue I have with our industry, is like I don't feel like we're giving everybody a fair chance not to like cloud your story. But that's that's a part of why I think your story is unique. Because like when I was when I was an undergrad at Howard, there was a handful of women that I worked alongside. And like, and if I dropped their names, they they some heavy hitters. Well, at least in my eyes, they heavy hitters. But the thing I always I remember trying to be like, one time trying to be like a gentleman on set. And I remember my friend, her name was Sierra, like she she pretty much like slapped my hand, was like, hey dude, like, no, I got it. I carry my own like kid. You know what I'm saying? I carry my own tripod. Yeah. Um, but I mean, that that's a part of why I I admire, you know, what you do and and what you're doing in your story. But to even just hear that on that, because I I didn't know that on a commercial, like that's where it clicked. Yeah, yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_03 9:41

Yeah, like I still like like I said, that that commercial still circles around, and I'm like, I can't believe we shot that right here in Raleigh. And now it's not the exact one I was on, but it's copy and paste. Like it's the same job. It's just different, different people. Um, so yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:02

So let's um let's shift gears now. In this time period, you know, you're this is probably the first time at that commercial, you're on that commercial set, or maybe the second time. Um at this particular time, are you starting to look at other people's work? Was it anybody you were looking at that you're kind of like looking up to?

SPEAKER_03 10:24

Um the first person that comes to mind, his name is Danny Gavertz. He's a YouTuber, cinematographer. I think he's based out of Philadelphia. A lot of people know him. He's not um he's and I still I'm inspired by his work. Um a lot of focus in the health and wellness space, sports. I think he he has a sports background. He comes from like cross country and track.

SPEAKER_04 10:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 10:49

Um, but you know, I think I think something that I'm interested in far as film and just content overall, because that's a lot of times what we call it. We call it content, is like the storytelling. Because you can shoot content, anybody, anybody can shoot content for real. Like, yeah, you got these phones now that got 4K, all this great camera stuff. Um, but when it comes to like storytelling, because like that's why we sit down for two hours and watch a movie because of the storytelling, not because of what camera they shot it on.

SPEAKER_00 11:30

Nope.

SPEAKER_03 11:30

Not because it's a Ari that cars costs, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:34

It's story.

SPEAKER_03 11:35

The whole thing is you know, a $300,000 package, like it's because of story that they're telling. Um, and that's when I was like, oh, okay, I don't just want to shoot content either. You know, I don't want to just pull up, and that's still why I don't call myself a cinematographer, because to me that's the difference. I think like cinematographers are very intentional about, you know, the things they're shooting, and like they're thinking of the lighting, they're thinking of you know, the entire story versus somebody who's just a videographer, which I'm growing out of it. Um, I just think I need to, you know, do more.

SPEAKER_04 12:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 12:14

Where right now I kind of just pull up. I'm not gonna say I just pull up, but like there's just more to do.

SPEAKER_00 12:21

Like, there's you want to be more intentional.

SPEAKER_03 12:23

Yeah, I just want to be more intentional about the work I put in.

SPEAKER_00 12:26

Because I feel what you're saying. Like, if you had to compare yourself to a cinematographer, you would just be like pulling up. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? Like, cause it's is maybe it's a little bit of pre-production work you're doing, but it's probably not as as extensive. Yeah. Um, and then dependent on the kit that you bring in as well. Um so you know, with with it within your story, you you know, you you talk about storytelling and how you're getting to this point. I mean, I agree with you. Storytelling is is as old as a campfire. I remember uh we we did that that one that one uh film with um they're not called the Unity folks. Um and I remember Earl was telling us that. You know, that's what that's what makes the outdoor special when they're around that campfire. The the all the barriers are removed. And that's with storytelling too. If you think about this the content that we look at, you look at like films and TVs and move um television shows and movies, you're not at that time, you're not thinking about barriers. Yeah, you're not thinking about what you don't have, you're not thinking about differences, you're just you're in the story. Right. Um and so as you as you start to grow towards that storyteller, let's talk a little bit about gear. Because we know you talked about the Nikon. You know, I ain't seen a Nikon in your hand ever since I've known you. Nothing against Nikon, folks, but you know I mean I like Nikon now. You know, Nikon now.

SPEAKER_05 13:53

Nikon red.

SPEAKER_00 13:54

Yeah, Nikon red now. So you know I like dog, Loki. You know, so uh but yeah, you know, as you as you were making that progression, I know you started in sports, you're probably like gearing up stuff for sports, yeah. But now you're probably changing your gear more towards where you want to be. Yeah, talk a little bit about that.

SPEAKER_03 14:12

Uh so yeah, I started off, like I said, Nikon D5600. That was just uh that's what the camera store recommended. Great camera too. Um, it was a great starter camera. Um, and while I was at South Alabama, guy I still talk to all the time. And I shout out to Dylan, that's my guy, Dylan Bali, out um at Mobile, Alabama, great photographer, videographer, does it all out there. Um, and he was really a mentor to me, um, you know, starting out. But he shot on all canon stuff. So that's what I saw. Yeah. I saw that, I saw that, and I saw some Sony stuff. Sony, I was Sony just didn't hit for me. I ain't gonna lie. It kind of look, I'm not gonna say it had a look too. Yeah, what it is. But yeah, Canon, especially then because I was more focused on photo. Yeah, um, it was like I it looked more real to me versus Sony just looked a little cartoonish. So that's the word I want to give it.

SPEAKER_00 15:12

That color signs. Yeah, something about it.

SPEAKER_03 15:14

And I didn't know that. I didn't even know what color signs was back then. Um, but yeah, so then I got the Canon R6, which I still have. Um I just bought it from I still I bought it from Dylan. Yeah so yeah, I got that Canon R6, and it was it carried me for about two years till recently. Uh last year I bought the C80, which I love. I hope to, you know, sorry. I gotta take a breath. But um I have a C80 now, and I got that camera because what why did I get that camera? I I got the camera because I felt like the R6 wasn't doing the job I needed it to do anymore, and I think that's when you should get a new camera, not because it's new specs or it's the latest version, because like I said, this is all about storytelling at the end of the day. Um but I felt like the R6 was hindering from hindering me from telling a story I wanted to tell for a lot of projects I was doing.

SPEAKER_04 16:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:17

Um and that triple bass also, that does it for me. You know, I'm always in a a low light situation, so I wanted something that that could kind of combat that um without having to do a whole bunch of stuff in post, you know, because I'm not the best editor. Like I'm just trying to I'm getting I'm trying to get from point A, point B, point C in the fastest way possible.

SPEAKER_00 16:41

Oh, you're actually a great editor, but I'll let you have it. I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_03 16:45

But um yeah, so I got the C80. And even now, um I'm looking at other cameras and I'm trying to figure out what I want to get next because like I mentioned last time, um the R6 doesn't have, I don't even know what you call it, but long form recording, if that's the name, you know. Um, so I'm looking at other options where, you know, I could have a two-camera setup, something that's easier to put on a gimbal, and something that I can set up and kind of leave without having to think about, oh, we got 15 minutes left before this one stops recording.

SPEAKER_00 17:24

So yeah, yeah. It's all about like the tool to get the job done.

SPEAKER_03 17:29

Right.

SPEAKER_00 17:30

Um, and I and I know it's it's a lot of it's a lot of folks that's out here that's preaching that. And it's a lot of folks that's out here just preaching and get gear.

SPEAKER_05 17:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:37

You know, I mean you go on YouTube. I swear YouTube is it's formulated for if you want to buy something, go to YouTube, it's gonna convince you to buy it. YouTube not gonna talk you out of a lot of things. Yeah, if anything's gonna talk you out of one thing, but to go buy another thing. But um, I do think our gear talk does have to become more like purposeful.

SPEAKER_05 17:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:56

Like how you're saying, like, hey, what do I need this piece of equipment for?

SPEAKER_05 18:00

Right.

SPEAKER_00 18:00

And what does what is it gonna help me achieve? And if I already have that, how am I growing out of that? Um so you know, like with your so with your path into this video world, um, I'm sure as you started to do this more, the business aspect started to like become a little bit more apparent, more clear. Um, so how did you how did you deal with just going from like videographer to like business owner? Because that's what you are.

SPEAKER_05 18:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:35

You know. Um how how are you dealing with that?

SPEAKER_03 18:40

Yeah, I mean, I I think credit to credit to you, first of all. I just want to, you know, give you props and give you your flowers, but you've helped me a lot on the business side of things. Um, I remember our first shoot together, um, and you were you were always willing to like answer my questions about whether it was cameras, whether it was about the business side, you know, you know, whatever questions I had. Um, but I think for me, as you know, becoming like a business owner and legit thinking about taxes, all the all the things, you know, business expenses, business purchases. I think that kind of, I'm not gonna lie, I think that really got instilled to me by my mom because she's very, she's very savvy in that way. She's from New York, so she's a hustler, you know, that's just in her. Um, but she's always taught me like not necessarily about business, but even just about finance, like as much as that she as she could. And I always, you know, at and in the day, I really just get on YouTube a lot. And I I ask YouTube questions. I ask the people I'm around, and I ask YouTube, Google, and you know, I take everything with a grain of salt. Because how not what works for one person doesn't always work for everyone else.

SPEAKER_04 20:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 20:00

Um, but the things that like I'm focusing on right now in my business is you know, how to get the most profit. Because, you know, I made, I'll just talk about this year, I made pretty decent money. Um, but okay, it's like, all right, how do we actually make more money? How do I keep more money in my pocket? Because, like I've said before, and I'll probably say this a hundred times, however many times I own this podcast, camera gear is so expensive, y'all. Um, and that's for clients too. I hope y'all heard me when I said that. Like, y'all probably clients listen. That one's for you. Like, stuff is expensive. Um, but you know, that's part of just being like a cinematographer in the whole aspect of things because I'm not the cinematographer that doesn't shoot with my own gear. Like I shoot with my gear a lot. So I have to think about that when I come on the set. If I'm coming on set and I'm bringing my equipment, I have to think about the wear and tear that I'm putting on my gear, you know? Um, because at some point I'm going to have to replace it.

SPEAKER_00 21:15

You are.

SPEAKER_03 21:16

Like something's gonna break.

SPEAKER_00 21:18

And this is this is for this is for the crew members out there. Yo, treat the gear nicely, man. Yeah, like I know sometimes we shoot on our own stuff, and you might treat your stuff a little rough, a little raggedy. But if you're using somebody else's kit, you on set with their stuff that they paid their hard earned money for, be gentle with it. Yeah, be be aware. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's it's been too many times I've been on locations where I might find it'd be the smallest things. I got a shotgun mic in my lens case. Yo, you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_03 21:54

Like, it needs to go back here. You know, like it's not $15, it's three. $350, y'all, like for a microphone. Like.

SPEAKER_00 22:03

And it's sitting in my lens case. And it's like, but why?

SPEAKER_02 22:07

But something say about that. Like, okay, y'all. I was on set one time.

SPEAKER_03 22:12

This was for a passion project.

SPEAKER_04 22:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 22:15

And I've told you about this before. We were shooting, I didn't even know at the time. These lenses are like, these are cook lenses. I don't even know what they call. I just know they call cooks. This is way above me.

SPEAKER_00 22:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 22:28

Y'all, these lenses are like. How much are they? They're max.

SPEAKER_00 22:32

They're I don't even know.

SPEAKER_03 22:34

The set is like, we're just gonna say upwards of $85,000. It's set.

SPEAKER_00 22:39

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 22:40

You know? And we lost a lens cap. And my DP said, oh guys, we gotta try to find this lens cap. You know, lens cap is about $500. And that's when I was like, what do you mean?

SPEAKER_02 22:54

What do you mean by that? Like, what do you mean the lens cap is $500? What? And I'm like, I went on a deep dive. Back, I'm back on Google.

SPEAKER_03 23:04

You know, looking the lens cups. The lens caps is are $500 because the lenses by myself are $20,000, $30,000, $40,000. And I'm not saying I shoot with that, but all this stuff has value to a person. Um, and that goes for, you know, your people you're shooting with, the people you're shooting for. Yep. Um, like everybody who's around this equipment, like y'all, please like treat it with the utmost respect. Like it is so expensive, and we it takes time to get these things. Like, some people don't have insurance. Like, I'm not one of those people, but some people don't have insurance. So, like, their stuff goes away, it gets stolen, it breaks. It's like you might destroy their whole business. Yeah. Because of that. Yeah. Um, but that's just a some that's just one thing I got about gear. We can talk about gear all day long.

SPEAKER_00 23:55

I don't know. Um, but let's so speaking on like some of those, like, those grievances while being in the industry, yeah. What's um what's I don't want to say the biggest lesson. I hate when when questions are shaped like that. But what's a what's a lesson that you've learned from, you know, from the days of starting doing sports, videography, photography to what you're doing now?

SPEAKER_03 24:22

Um, and this is something another mentor has uh taught me. This is back when I was in college, Kelsey Harris. Um, back when I was marketing, sport management stuff, but before I even got into the camera world, she always used to tell me, you won't know if you don't like it until you do it. You know? So when it comes to sports, music, entertainment, corporate, doctor, like whatever it is, I wouldn't say I would definitely tell people don't shut it out until you try it. Because you never know. Like you may love the corporate work, you may love going to the doctor's office and just shooting an interview. Um, you may love entertainment, you may love sports, and you won't know until you go out there and do it. Um, and I'm not just saying one time, sometimes you got to try it several times and figure out like, okay, maybe you love doing this, but maybe this is just not gonna pay your bills. So that's when you got to supplement with other parts of the industry. Um, so I think that's one of my like that's one of my biggest lessons. Something I still take with me now is like I don't wanna niche down too much to where I'm just saying no to opportunities that I've never even done before. Like, I won't know until I try.

SPEAKER_00 25:44

So yeah, that's now for let's talk about niching down briefly. For like, you know, let's imagine that somebody is watching this that they they haven't been in our industry.

SPEAKER_05 25:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:54

They have no idea what we're talking about when we're talking about niching down. Um, touch on that just a little bit.

SPEAKER_03 26:01

Uh well, for me, niching down just comes to the type of work that you do. Um, whether that's you do sports, you do corporate, you do documentary, you do narrative, or you do it all. Um, you know, or you do ports, you do some things. Um man, I am very indifferent about niching down because I see how it works for some people, but it doesn't, like I said, everybody doesn't have the same experiences, and we're not all living the same life. Um, so there's some people who will say, Oh, you need a niche down, you need to specialize in in this part, like because your clients are looking for specialists, and they are, you know, but there's also in value, there's also value to being versatile.

SPEAKER_04 26:51

It is.

SPEAKER_03 26:51

Um, which I've I've thrived my entire life being versatile in basketball. I play every position on the court.

SPEAKER_01 27:01

Balling. No, but I just want to talk about Jalen was balling, yeah. But um still balling, let me not say was.

SPEAKER_03 27:09

A little bit, a little bit. But yeah, there's so much value in being versatile um because you see things differently.

SPEAKER_00 27:18

You do.

SPEAKER_03 27:19

Um, there's another photographer, she's from Elon. She um used to work for the Carolina Panthers, Chanel. Chanel, I can't think of her last name, but I think she works for Watson right now.

SPEAKER_04 27:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 27:33

Um, but when I was really heavily into sports, I, you know, watched her work a lot, you know, watch interviews she did. One thing she said that stuck with me is, you know, she worked for Carolina Panthers, was a great photographer, and didn't really like sports, which is like crazy. Because most people get into sports, photography, and videography because they love this player, they love this team, or they they just love sports overall. But something she said about her not loving sports is like like she loved the story of it. Like she loved, you know, what she she captured, like, or what I love about the the work that she captured is it wasn't it looked different, and that's because of her not liking sports for real.

SPEAKER_00 28:19

Um it wasn't the typical sports photo. Yeah, yeah. It wasn't just like, hey, this is what you would expect.

SPEAKER_03 28:26

Like she was real deal with like doing art out of sports photos, and um like there's it's one image that pops up in the minds, like national anthem is playing or whatever. And this might be like why black lives matter and all this stuff is happening, but just a real beautiful shot, black and white, and it's kind of like kind of where this mic is to me. Like, that's kind of like where it looked like the camera angle was taken from of a player just like shedding a tear, and it was like I was like, I still like I have that image in my head, like it's locked in, that's how good it was. Yeah, and she probably took that at least four four years ago. Um, so it's some images that just stick with you, and that's because of the story that told they told in that image. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:13

Um Yeah, and I'm I'm I'm kind of with you. You know, um, I will always I always tell people, especially when they're first getting into this this industry, is like I would say avoid niching down out the gate. Um I would say kind of much like you, like look at other people that are doing this work, see what you like about the work that they're doing. Yeah in whatever industry that's in. Um and then I also even tell folks that are like at our level, be careful with niching down. There's there is a there is a advantage to being hyper-focused. But what I like to tell people is you need to look hyper focused. Like if you look at our website, our website is mainly like corporate and documentary. But you know, we film with musician groups, we film, um, we film other things with broadcasts and things like that. But to the client looking in, it looks like this is all we do.

SPEAKER_04 30:18

Right.

SPEAKER_00 30:19

But just because, you know, you have a website that shows that doesn't mean that that's all that you can do.

SPEAKER_02 30:24

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 30:25

I I like and and it's it's not the conventional at our level, it's not the conventional thought process. Most people say, hey man, if you're a sports photographer, you need to just eat, live, breathe, sports photography. Okay. But a lot of sports photography gear can be great for like um nature photography. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? Yeah, like so why can't you do both? And why can't you be great at both? I'm I'm never gonna tell somebody only do one thing and then totally mess out on something else.

SPEAKER_03 30:56

Yeah. I mean, I agree with that 100% because, like you said, you can have a sports photographer and even looking at Nore Prism's website, like it shows that you do this type of work. But at the end of the day, if you got a client who says, I want to, can you do this for uh $80,000? They're gonna say no. Right? Like, I don't do, I don't do ballet. Like, you know, you're like, let's say it's a ballet. Oh, we gotta get ballet competition. Can you do this for this much? Okay, yeah, actually, we can. For that budget, yeah, we can do that, you know.

SPEAKER_00 31:32

And the funny thing is, like you're saying on a site, so one thing that that we don't promote on a site is photography. You still get hired for it, and we get hired for photography.

SPEAKER_03 31:44

Yeah. I haven't posted a photo, and I don't know, La La. But somebody called me and they need this and the budget spray, okay, cool.

SPEAKER_00 31:54

Yeah. So I think that's a big thing. Um, I think we rap with something like I'm always thinking about like the the young person that's possibly watching this. Like I started this industry maybe when I was, I don't like to say I started an industry. I started an interest in videography and photography when I was about 11, 12 years old. So between that age gap and maybe however 20s, 30s, whatever, what's some advice that you can give to someone that's either wanting to get into this or that's or they're starting out? And it can even be like just a word of encouragement.

SPEAKER_03 32:35

Yeah. Let me think. I don't want to give the typical answer.

SPEAKER_00 32:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 32:41

Somebody starting out. Don't be afraid to ask questions. No, I feel like that could be a typical answer.

SPEAKER_00 32:51

But uh I mean it could be, but it's good. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 32:53

Uh yeah, don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't be intimidated. Yeah. Um, because this this industry can be intimidated. I'll give you that. Because first of all, it's tough. From my point of view, there's not a lot of women set women on set. A lot of times, there's not a lot of black people on set. Yeah. Um, so just from that standpoint, and then just the levels of it. Like there are so many levels to this industry. Like, you got people starting out, you got intermittent, you got expert, you got extraordinary, you know. Um, but there's value at all of them at every level. Like, not not every customer can afford extraordinary.

SPEAKER_05 33:34

Nope.

SPEAKER_03 33:35

So there's like there's a reason that, you know, you still have your Nikon D5600, like, you know, it's still valuable to somebody.

SPEAKER_02 33:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 33:43

I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_00 33:44

Yeah, they're gonna get that and be like, yo, let's get it. Exactly. Exactly. It's in my budget, it looks, it's good, it's good to me, you know.

SPEAKER_03 33:51

Um, so yeah, don't be, you know, don't be intimidated, don't be afraid to ask questions. Um, and I would say, what else?

SPEAKER_00 34:04

I mean, you kind of touched on on being like a black woman in an industry. Like I know what it is to be a black man in an industry, but I have no no clue, no experience of what that is.

SPEAKER_02 34:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:20

Um and it maybe, maybe it it it takes some sort of grit and determination, maybe a lot of noise canceling.

SPEAKER_03 34:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:31

Um I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 34:33

I think all of that um and confidence, um, but be very weary of like confidence and arrogance because uh I think a lot of people are confident or confident without work because like I I mean me personally, I cannot stand that. Like if you are because to me that's arrogance, like if you don't have a portfolio or if you don't have experience or you haven't done anything to get that experience, how can you be confident and you know talk like you this and that? Um so for young photographers, young black female photographers, if you're you know eager to be in this industry and learn um and be make a business out of it, get your reps in, um, get your reps in by yourself, get your reps in with whoever will give you opportunity, um, and seek out those who look like you. Because a lot of times those will be the people who help you first. I'm not gonna lie. Um send people a DM on Instagram. Like, do not be scared of that. Like, like you don't even understand, like that is a good thing. You know, if I'm a per like me personally, if somebody sends me a DM on Instagram saying they admire my work and they want to ask me questions, you understand how good that makes me feel? Yeah, like I know you ask me a question, but that boosts my head so much.

SPEAKER_04 36:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 36:15

Um, and if you have the like ability to inspire somebody, I saw this on TikTok yesterday. Like, if you have the ability to inspire somebody, like never stop. Because it takes a lot to inspire somebody. Um, but you know, for any young photographer, videographer, just young person in general trying to pursue something, just keep at it, get your reps in and be confident in the work that you put in. Trust the work that you put in.

SPEAKER_00 36:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 36:42

Um, because work will always show.

SPEAKER_00 36:45

Yeah. I like that. I like that. Because it's more like like show, don't tell.

SPEAKER_05 36:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:51

You know, especially if if once you get to that point, your portfolio's built up, you know, like, yeah, have that confidence, but show it.

SPEAKER_06 37:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:01

You know, I've always liked creators working alongside creators that like, yeah, you know, we we all we all think we that, but everybody keeps it, you know, kind of mellow, kind of chill. We all confident. But at the end of the day, you know, their work shows shows it. And I'm not just talking about work like or what I see on a monitor. I'm saying like work ethic, yeah, you know, timeliness, um, you know, willingness to to get in the dirt and you know, be it be in a struggle. You know, we we've been on stuff together where it's like we look at each other like, man, are we almost done? Are we almost done? You know, it's that. Yeah. So yeah, I I I love that. I love that perspective.

SPEAKER_03 37:43

Um, ooh, God, I got something else to do.

SPEAKER_00 37:45

Go ahead, go ahead.

SPEAKER_03 37:46

And this is not just for ladies, this is for everybody, or mostly for people starting out. Um, don't look, don't look down upon certain jobs. Yeah, because I don't know many people who haven't started from like PA. Like, that's just my experience. But like every job on set is important. Um, and that's why they have them.

SPEAKER_05 38:14

No.

SPEAKER_03 38:14

Even though like some people get paid more or whatever, like there is a reason why you're on set. Like you're making the day easier. Uh, whether it's just handing out snacks, people, getting water, doing coffee, whatever, like you're very important. Um, so don't look down upon anybody. And that's even for when you get better and you take on a higher role, like if you're a DP, director, whatever, like that used to be you, you know, or that could have been you. Um so looking down upon people just because of like the position that they're at or whatever, not cool.

SPEAKER_00 38:55

So I think. And can I be real for a moment?

SPEAKER_03 38:58

For sure. Always.

SPEAKER_00 38:59

I'm the type of cat, I've been a producer, I've been whatever. I don't, I don't like to brag about stuff I do. And I was still to this day go and be a PA on somebody's set. So you really don't know, you don't know who that person is.

SPEAKER_04 39:15

Right.

SPEAKER_00 39:15

You may just assume, oh, this is just a PA. You never know. Because I, if if it's my homie's production, I'd be like, man, I'm gonna take the dirtiest job that you can't find somebody to do.

SPEAKER_05 39:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:25

And I'm gonna do it.

SPEAKER_05 39:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:26

You know what I'm saying? And you just never know. So you always, and I I love that because I I grown up that way.

SPEAKER_05 39:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:34

You know, I've always taught, you know, the janitor at the school, you treat the janitor with the same respect you treat the principal. You know, because at the end of the day, if you really need to get in that school, principal ain't gonna come let you in.

SPEAKER_02 39:46

You know what I'm saying? He the one with keys. Principal at home. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:50

But the janitor is it, but that's the same way in our in our industry. I love that you mentioned that because like you don't know who's in that role. Yeah, and even if that person isn't somebody that could be sitting in the director's seat, still a person.

SPEAKER_03 40:02

Could be, but they could later on, later on. You don't know, you never know.

SPEAKER_00 40:06

You know, you here acting, you know, like this and that.

SPEAKER_03 40:09

Bougie bad bougie, but that could be the next whoever. That could be the next whoever.

SPEAKER_00 40:16

Maybe next next, you know, artistic director for uh for Nike or something.

SPEAKER_03 40:20

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 40:20

So and they remember, oh I remember when I was a PA and you was mad cool. So yeah, I like that. Hey, I just want to take a moment just to thank y'all for tuning in uh to the production prism. Um, if you're liking everything that that we've been talking about, if you want to see more, please like, comment, subscribe.

unknown 40:40

Um