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Staking your Claim

I often think about where I am at and the bridges I have crossed to become a small part of a growing trend. The outdoor market is flooded with men and women trying to stake their claim and find the nitch that sets them apart from a thousand others wanting to be the next Lee and Tiffany.

There are many wanna bees through out the industry. For some reason everyone seems to think they can be a movie star overnight. WRONG!! Even the most well known names in the industry had to start sweeping the floors and washing windows somewhere. You have to be willing to listen and understand those who are more knowledgeable than yourself and follow through on the commitments you make.
As the owner of a production company, Great Outdoor Pursuits, I started by picking up a video camera in ’98 and continued to take critiques from family (mainly my father) and friends. One thing you can almost always count on, from family, is honesty. Sugar coating will not help you in this industry. Put away your pride and pay attention to the details that make your photos and videos stand out. Absorb all the information you can and continue to advance all of your techniques. Grow as an outdoorsman or woman and understand the game you pursue. You must constantly improve the way you transfer the beauty that mother nature provides through the art of videography and photography.

Having a production company you have to find staff members who are like minded in your goals. Staff members will come and go, some losses you see coming and others smack you in the face. If you do not have a team that stands behind you, you will become very discouraged. Out of every 6-8 guys you may find one that is truly committed to the goals of the team. It will seem helpless at times to continue a quest to make it in the outdoor industry. Being committed to outdoor videography and photography you will have to make sacrifices. Passing up game because of low light conditions or because the camera is not on target will be common. This is the life we live and the direction we have chosen when becoming a part of a production company. These sacrifices are a requirement in this industry. I’ve even used the following phrase with the guys and gals with team GOP: “If you cannot accomplish the goals of this team, then I would ask that you don’t waste the teams time.” Putting together a team I would say has been the most difficult part of the entire process. I am a friend to everyone but sometimes difficult choices have to be made in the managing of your production.

Editing: You have photos and footage of success in the field, now what? How are you going to make a product that your fans want to view? You have two choices, one costs a lot of money, the other costs a lot of time. You either hire out the editing or you learn to edit. Editing is like everything else in life that you have to learn. To get good at it, you have to practice, practice, practice!! You will not become an editor overnight. You can cut the learning curve by taking classes at your local community college or sit down and start playing around with editing programs. If you are editing your own show be prepared to spend several hours a week to produce episodes or shows on a regular basis.

Sponsors: Companies that pay you for advertising through product or financial compensation; are becoming increasingly difficult to come by. Why is that? Fly by night outdoor productions are a dime a dozen. There are hundreds if not thousands of startup productions throughout this country. What’s happening? These fly by night productions make promises to advertise through television, commercials, and social networking promotions. Companies are giving product or in some cases money for these advertising avenues when suddenly the production company disappears for reasons unknown. Companies have lost faith and find it very difficult to trust new productions. It takes many years to gain their trust. You have to prove that you are legit and then you may be fortunate enough to finally gain some financial compensation for your hard work.

It’s taken 15 years to get to the point I am at now with my outdoor career. My fame or lack there of, came from many years of hard work and learning from many others who have made and continue to make a living in the outdoors. I am far from making a living in the outdoors and still attempting to find my place in it. Surrounding myself with many friends in the industry, you find out many things about them. They are outgoing and offer helpful suggestions and encouragement. One thing they will NOT say, ‘It’s Easy’!!

You keep reading this thinking where is the light at the end of the tunnel. I’ll let you know when I find it! There is very little recognition for this type of work. So what keeps one going and continuing on with the dream? Faith!! I have faith in God that he will lead the way for the path that he has chosen for me. I rely strongly on the support of my family, friends, and colleagues. Have faith, work hard, and let God show you the way!!