Well,
It’s been nearly a month since our last post. Normally, this would be a result of laziness/forgetfulness, but, in this case, it’s been a result of how busy we have been in the video production world. Since the last post, we’ve had at least 9 video shoots (one of which was a televisin commercial shoot that spanned 3 days in Midland and Odessa, technically making it 12 shoots).
If, one year ago, you had told me that the video production would be as busy today as we are, I probably would have had a wishful smile come across my face and responded with, “Yeah. That would be nice.”
I’ve always known the potential was there, but, when starting out a business, it’s hard to be encouraged by the potential and not discouraged by the slow rate at which things seem to naturally progress. I have been working on this video production business for 4 years this month. Jacob joined me in a more full-time capacity last year and we both started looking at options for how to supplement our income at the beginning of the summer. He decided to move home (with our parents) and find a job (probably in the oil-field) and do video production me on the side. Business was just not moving at a pace where we could both survive, yet the jobs were big enough that I couldn’t do them by myself.
The hardest part about it was sitting down and discussing with my dad that I knew, in my bones, that things were about to go crazy. Being a good father and trying to protect his kids from doing something stupid, he response was something to the effect of, “I sure hope so, but, you had better start executing on a ‘Plan B’.”
It was very discouraging, but, I knew he was right. Now, don’t take this the wrong way; I’m not complaining about my dad or saying he did anything wrong. He was just trying to protect his children and HE WAS RIGHT.
As beaten down as I felt from working hard and feeling like we were making no progress, I wasn’t ready to give up. I’ve heard that the mountain of success is really just the victor standing on an enormous pile of failures and it could not be more true. Most businesses either succeed or fail in the first 5 years and we were just over half way and it looked like it was going to go into the graveyard of dead ventures.
The moment of satisfaction came a couple of weeks later when I had finally scheduled a few jobs and had to call my dad and tell him, “I’ve got to pull Jacob off of his job hunting. He officially won’t have time to work anywhere else.”
This month has been testimony to that. We’ve averaged 3 shoots a week in August, and I’m sure I’m missing a few. Starting September 2nd, we will have 5 shoots in 7 days. Quite the turnaround from 1 shoot every 1-3 months. Most of the shoots have been down in Odessa and Midland.
The best part, for me, is hearing my dad say that he is proud of me. I’m almost 30 years old and that still means the world to me.
As far as what we have accomplished, we have completed our first set of television commercials for the Sewell Family of Companies in Odessa, TX (those should go live today). Big thanks to Ashley Brooks for helping out (again) and we hate that she is moving away 🙁 Also, big thanks to Reid Miller. He shot our behind-the-scenes photos and video and was a great extra pair of hands to have on deck.
We’ve also finished up a TV commercial for the West Texas Food Bank, also in Odessa. They are auctioning off a Shelby GT in a few weeks so, we got to take that out and have some fun (more on that soon).
We’ve done some contract work for a few places where we just shoot and turn over the footage. Landtroop strategies had us come out the the Food Bank in Odessa and shoot a press conference where BHP Billiton donated $650,000 to two different causes.
We really couldn’t be more grateful.
Coming up, we are going back to Carter’s Furniture to start work on their fall and holiday TV commercials. We’re also starting work with an attorney in Lubbock who wants to put out some TV commercials that will shake the paradigm of local attorney ads and we will finally have something on air in Lubbock.
Hopefully, within the next few days, we will get some of our completed work up for all the world to see. In the meantime, enjoy these behind-the-scenes photos
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