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What The Telly Awards Would Like To Know
Bio: I started in the industry when I was 14 and have since worked across many different rolls, settling into the camera side of things as a DoP, and most recently transitioning into Directing. Most notably as of late, I spent nearly 4 years as the DoP and Head of Camera for MrBeast. I finished out my time there as the Series Director of Photography for Beast Games S1 on Amazon Prime Video. I have since made the move into Directing and working with other content creators as well as co-developing an education course for YouTube specific videography.
Tell us a bit about your specialty is in the film and video space. What is your ethos and how does it set you apart from industry competitors?
My personal specialty is being able to really understand a content creators vision and apply that to the real world. This may sound simple, but many in my position try to take that same vision and fit it into a traditional filmmaking mold, missing the point, heart, and soul, of the general content creator universe. In addition, I have a unique skill set that enables me to be a translation of sort between both the traditional and content creator industries. This was especially valuable for Beast Games S1 as it was absolutely critical that the show was a hybrid of the two worlds. My personal ethos would be to always put my best effort forward – no matter if I don’t fully understand some content or may believe that it isn’t feasible to create. I’ve found that by always keeping an open mind and giving genuine effort, I am often pleasantly surprised at what can actually be achieved.
What was your first job in the industry? What did it teach you?
Cable wrangler. It was my entry into the industry and was my first exposure to the business, allowing me to see the team structures and learn a lot about the inner workings of a shoot. This is in addition to personal skills such as how to care for equipment, hard work makes a difference, and understanding when and where to be, as well as why to be there. Lastly it was a jump start things like developing my personal drive to grow.
Do you have any advice to other people in the industry based on your career or your team’s approach to work?
A good work ethic and personal attitude will take you farther than any skill set. You can be the best in the world at your craft, but if you’re terrible to work with, no one will want to hire you.
Complete this sentence: ‘Great video storytelling is…’
… understanding that no individual thing or person is the key, but rather the totality of a project when all parts come together in harmony.
What initiatives or projects are you working on now that excite you?
I am currently working on a number of things that excite me, including working with several large content creators on some really amazing upcoming projects. I am most excited though, about my course that my business partner and I are developing where we aim to educate the next generation of content creator videographers as well as raise the bar for videography in the space as a whole.
- Developing an education series/course on filmmaking for YouTube & social media
- Pursuing more directing opportunities
- In development as Executive Producer on an unannounced Netflix competition series for one of the world’s largest creators
Clients include: Samsung, Mercedes, Netflix, Fox, Panasonic, Bravo, History, Cinemax, OWN, truTV, Tastemade, Brookfield, Caesars Entertainment, PokerGO, Sunbelt, UPS, Steve Harvey Global, and more.
What ProductionHUB Would Like To Know
Beast Games blends massive real-world builds with fast-paced digital storytelling. How has working in MrBeast’s ecosystem shaped your approach to designing high-impact visuals for both YouTube and streaming platforms?
That it is in-fact possible to tell genuine & entertaining stories in real time when it comes to reality and competition TV or even IRL content…and most of all, that the process is indeed worth it. This of course can sometimes be fairly difficult or costly, but oddly enough, I have gotten so many reps in that I have developed a bit of “psychic” ability to know when and where the best content is most likely to happen and can prepare shots accordingly. This “connection” with the audience has given me a much better understanding of what they actually WANT to see based on the platform, allowing for a more tailored and impactful experience.
When you’re shooting for an audience that lives online, what production or editorial decisions do you make differently to maintain retention and momentum?
In this space, retention and delivering on promises is EVERYTHING. I could go on and on with this, but essentially every single shot, every single scene is developed with this in mind. A full understanding is needed of where in the video a scene will go, and as such its timing is greatly thought through. This has a wild domino effect on many things throughout the production, so very careful consideration is taken when planning. Translating to on set, these pillars are always on our minds and we will often “shoot for the edit”. In many cases, this can save you an immense amount of time and money, both during filming and during post.
What did you learn from overseeing the scale, logistics, and pressure of Beast Games that you now apply to more traditional commercial or long-form projects?
That trust in you team is absolutely PIVOTAL. Every person in the industry has got to where they are by honing their skills and becoming deserving of their tittles. Trust in those people to get the job done. Micromanaging will only hurt a project. If my team struggles, I now reflect inward to better my communication and vision. And on this note, I say it all the time, but I am so grateful for the team I had on Beast Games S1. They beyond stepped up to the task and kept an open mind, believing in the project and my part of the vision. I was actually surprised by this but also so happy to see. The professionalism, creativity, and dedication from those folks is top tier.
You’ve been building courses and educational content around your experience. What are the top misconceptions emerging filmmakers have about shooting high-budget YouTube productions?
I believe the largest misconception is that any YouTube production is just randomness and not really thought out in a way similar to traditional projects, or is just being produced by a bunch of “kids’ who don’t know what they’re doing. The truth though, is that these productions are often meticulously planned with a great deal of data analysis taken into consideration. What you see on YouTube or other social platforms generally comes across as amateur, low effort, or playful, when in fact it’s created that way on purpose. “Amateur by Design” is how I always describe it. Behind each one of those videos is a hard working team of actual professionals creating well thought out content that still looks and feels relatable to the viewer. In other words, YouTube (especially the high-budget side) is far more “well oiled” than it may appear. I suppose that the future of content creation may also be greatly misunderstood or seem pointless to more traditional filmmakers. I see opportunity and a new world of creativity where anything is possible and viewer feedback is nearly instant.
For creators looking to transition from YouTube to broadcast/streaming work (or vice versa), what key technical or storytelling adjustments should they be prepared to make?
The best adjustment here is understanding the platform. There is plenty of data available to research, but ultimately the viewer chooses a particular platform based on the type of content they want to consume. Wherever you go, take a moment to consider the viewer, consider the platform itself, and make the right content for that platform. Just don’t forget to “keep your ear to the ground” as everything is constantly evolving. What works now, won’t work forever. Change is good, just see the change and adapt.
