After 15 years of doing television under the safety net of a major corporation, I am stepping out to see if I can make it in the world of freelance production. It’s a step I did not know I was taking…but over the past few months seems to have presented itself as more and more of a viable possibility. I’ve thought about this for years, but never really dreamed this moment would come to pass.
It all started one day when…
I met a 48 hours crew working a story in Alabama. It was about 2 brothers who had been released from prison after DNA evidence cleared them of a false conviction. It was probably 13 years ago.
If I remember correctly…they had been in prison for over a decade, and they were innocent. Their story was a big one, but what captivated my attention that day was not the 2 guys reuniting with their families, it was the 2 guys shooting the story for 48 hours. The sweet betacam, the big boom mic, The wireless packs hanging from the port-a-brace bag around the sound guy’s waist. Coolness oozed from these guys. They were bouncing around the southeast in a big blue suburban covering news magazine stories for important network shows like Dateline and 60 minutes. They were my hero(s) that day. I asked them tons of questions, I think I was all of 24.
Years later I met a few guys during my time Detroit who were (in my opinion) living the dream. They were Stagehands, Sound tech’s, DP’s and Steadicam Operators. These guys worked hard, but had a blast in the process. I always felt like the high school freshman around the cool kids when I got to work with these guys Some of the most talented and creative folks I have come across in my career. Each time I had the chance to hear their stories, drag boxes of gear with them, and see their work, it made me more and more want to figure out how I could do this on my own.
Then…
12 days after arriving in Philly ( 8 years ago ) I walked into Shooter’s Post and Transfer. This is The High End post house in Philadelphia. As I walked down the hall, the creativity in that space ricocheted off the walls. I said to myself…this is where I want to spend my days, why am I working in local TV? After working with them a few times, I discovered that the guys who were shooting the projects I was producing…were the guys who owned the company. 2 camera guys and a soundman. They were local TV guys who decided to try their own thing…and it really paid off. They’ve grown to be one of the premier post production facilities in the region, and they even hired James Cameron’s visual FX guy away from him to start an entire VFX division. At this point the 3 guys who own the company hired a guy who runs the business…so they can still go on location and shoot. These guys really are my career heroes!
So…
I am setting up shop in Breckenridge, Colorado. I know, not a hotbed for video production services, but this is where the family wants to be, and this is where the home office is going to be based. Of course I’ll start out small, but who knows one day I may need to hire someone to handle the business, so I can still play with all the cameras…
Mike
