Back in February 2016, I released my personal video project (storytelling). In this blog post, I’d like to share what it took to pull something like this off.

This project didn't come together on its own. It took a great deal of consideration and collaboration to get things started. When I am passionate about something, I want to make sure I give it all I have. I poured my heart and soul into this project and I really enjoyed the process it took to create it. I'd like to walk you through my journey of how this became a reality and provide anyone with similar interests with some great insight into the process I used.

I was fortunate enough to know a previous colleague who knew somebody in the film industry. After finding out this information and making a connection, I found that his contact, Cory Cross, was willing to take on this project of mine. I've always been a true believer in networking and that belief definitely paid off. It truly pays to network with as many people as you can because you just never know when you might need help.

Writing the script

I found that writing the script was the hardest part for me during this whole project. I've never been great at talking about myself in front of others. My fear was that I would come off as someone who thought that they knew it all and are better than everyone else in this industry. My intent was never to mislead someone into thinking that I was a "Mr. Know It All". Trust me, there is so much in this industry that I wish I knew.

Developing the script was fairly simple once I finally sat down to write it. I felt that I needed to start out with a very simple core concept. So I structured the script around three personal questions:

1. Where did it all start?

2. What am I most passionate about?

3. Where is my career leading me?

This simple step was the foundation I needed to propel me through the rest of the developing process. I was able to focus on past and present experiences along with my future ambitions.

Being in front of the camera

Let's just say that this was a new experience for me. I've never found myself in a situation like this before where I was in a room talking to a camera with someone behind it. I was definitely nervous at first, but after a few takes, it just kept feeling more and more natural. However, that doesn't mean that I didn't trip over my words or found myself tongue-tied. Repeating sections over and over became really strenuous and water was definitely helpful. Below you'll find a short video of some of the outtakes during the interview. 

Working with Cory Cross

Cory Cross is the Owner and Founder of Dotti. His company focuses solely on creating films, branded content, and strategic planning. And more importantly, captivating others through it. Cory works enthusiastically with the client, brand, or agency on creative ideation and the production process. He maintains cordial and professional relationships with everyone involved within the production. Cory even gave both my cats attention during the video shoot as they would randomly find themselves on camera.

Working with Cory was such a great experience. His energy during the video shoot was so refreshing and passionate, it's easy to understand why his work is so amazing. He really took the time to listen to my vision and carry it out with so much effort. 

I urge you to take a look at some of his work at wearedotti.com and consider him for any video production work that you might need.

The Final result

This project turned out better than expected and I owe a lot of the credit to Cory Cross (the man behind the camera), my loving girlfriend, and my close family. I still watch it from time to time to remind myself of how far I've come and what it really means to love what you do. If you haven't seen the final result, feel free to check out the finished video below.