Before I became a full-time videographer and amateur filmmaker, I worked in the fast food industry…and I was pretty miserable.  I mostly worked nights and every day was pretty much the same.  It started with clocking in, working for about 3 or 4 hours, taking a thirty-minute break (unpaid, but we got a “free” meal), working a few more hours and then clocking out for the night.  Rinse and repeat.  The toughest part about working nights was being often understaffed and, when the late-night rush hit around 10pm/10:30pm, you scrambled to reopen those grills.

And really, the only good part about the job was getting to meet and interact with some really good people, some of whom I became friends and still keep in touch with.   Plus, it gave me the basic experience of being in the workforce, being held accountable and understanding what being a team player is all about.  But, after nearly 5 years of coming home all greasy and smelling like a human french-fry, I decided it was time for a change and I was ready to kick off my career.  That’s when I knew it was time to pursue my passion, which led me to Kent State University.

During my time at Kent, I tried to keep (somewhat) active in making films outside of my general studies.  During one of the summer semesters, I worked on a “student-produced” feature-length film as an assistant editor.  This is where I really fell in love with being an editor.  During winter break of that year, I had the opportunity to spend 21 days in Costa Rica making short film documentaries about a group of biology students.  This was the first time I was able to shoot my own content, as long as it fell within the guidelines of the class, which was great experience for working with clients.  I co-produced and shot a short film with some of the students that went on that trip to Costa Rica.  It took us nearly two years to finish and has a lot of technical issues that we could never really fix, but it was really the first film I can call my own.  And I learned a ton about problem solving and editing while making that film.

Now that I have achieved my goal of being a full-time videographer and an (amateur) filmmaker, I can’t imagine doing anything else for a living.  Every day is different.  I get to travel all over and meet a lot of really awesome people.  I get to work with some really interesting clients from a variety of industries.  And I work for a company that supports my ever-increasing (sometimes annoyingly so) addiction of buying new camera/production gear.  I have become the biggest gear-head that I know.

But really, I’m lucky to have found a career that I don’t consider “work.”  To me, this is a hobby that I get paid to do every single day.  I’m grateful to everyone who has helped me achieve this dream of mine and who continues to support and encourage my future goals.  And the only time I come home smelling like french fries is when we have a heavy lunch break at my old stomping grounds.

Tyler Loves His Job