Overview
My name is Kris. I’m from Cherry Hill, New Jersey. I love working with video, writing stories, producing, editing, etc. I hope to be a director one day. I have always wanted my own video production company, so for my project I started my own, Origin Productions. On our site we also have behind the scenes and guide content that can help you start your own business, too!
Creative Challenge
Going into this project I believed that I could prove the viability of starting your own content creation business out of college. This COVID pandamic forced me to adjust my goals. I would have liked to have sold commercial videos to real businesses over the course of the semester but that wasn’t an option. Instead the situation provided me the time to focus on more creative pursuits. I was still able to create videos that I am proud of. I knew that coming out of this project I would either have a viable business to keep building or I would have a failed business with a lot of content that I could show to potential employers.
Process and Tools
Going into this I already had a Sony a7iii camera, a tripod, monopod, a Rode microphone, lav mic, A DJI Mavic drone, lights, and I got a DJI Ronin stabilizer along the way. Over the course of the semester I worked with my partner, Dan McCloskey, who is the camera operator within our business. When I wasn’t able to operate the camera, like when I was acting, he would get the shots that I wanted.
The process to become legal was pretty simple. I went to a small business lawyer in Philly and told him what I was planning on doing, what type of company I wanted to form, an LLC, whether I had a physical location, if I was planning on having employees, etc. He took what I told him and registered my business with the state. From there it has been a matter of creating the website, making content, and getting set up and ready to go for when the lockdown ends.
Professional Goals
I know that I want whatever I end up doing for work to revolve around video. This is where my project stems from. It has given me the opportunity to pursue video further, develop my skills, and learn so much that I didn’t before I started this. I hope to continue to operate my business coming out of TCNJ and hit the ground running. I’m looking to start off with smaller jobs and work my way up eventually producing content for bigger companies. When I am able to fund my own creative freedom I am looking to produce feature-length films.
Adapting to the COVID Pandemic
I had to adapt my project in several ways over the course of the semester. I wasn’t able to produce videos for other small businesses because of the lockdown, but before that I was able to schedule jobs for the near future. This showed to me that my work was professional enough to sell with, which means I will have the same success coming out of the lockdown. I also realized I would not have access to actors to shoot short films with. I adapted to these problems by getting more creative and shooting footage without the need for actors, and then shooting a short film with myself as an actor, with my dad as the other actor.