THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF MY JOURNEY:

Here we are, I've been silent for a few weeks. Let me catch you up on a few things that have been developing in my life as of late. Things have turned around and the wheels are in motion. Finishing the first month of this year strong...

I mentioned in the last post that I was looking into a company here to possibly do promotional work for. BILLIONAIRES APPAREL is run by a really cool guy Drew Burdick, who has started up his own businesses. After meeting with him I was asked to come up with a budget and pitch my idea based off of his wants. This involved me entering into a bid against three other videographers. I wanted to be fair with my pricing and not cut myself short, but I also wanted to keep my pricing low to be competitive. I think I came up with a reasonable price that will support what I need and cover any costs down the line. The project will be recurring monthly documentaries about the lifestyle and culture of BILLIONAIRES and the people that make it possible... It may be too early to tell, but I have received a request to produce a sample project at an upcoming event. I'm confident that I will make something unique that will stand out, and will hopefully lock me in and be the foundation for a future business relationship. Plus it will gain me access to some of the coolest events in the city. wish me luck!

COMMERCIAL LIFE:

Who would have thought my first commercial job in the south would be with NASCAR?... oh wait, everyone! This commercial was easily the biggest production I've ever worked on, regarding crew at least. I'm not used to seeing so many people on set at all. The film culture in the states is much more strict and professional... don't get me started on unions (still trying to wrap my head around that one) Though I can't help think there is a lot of wasted money in these productions. I've done commercials before with the same results with a 5th of the crew. I'm not complaining, that means more work for me, though it does leave me scratching my head on how much money could have be saved for something else.

Overall, it was a good first project to get my toes wet in the industry here in NC. I was able to meet a bunch of cool people, hopefully it means more work in the future. We will see!

IT'S A HARD KNOCK LIFE:

As everything has been looking up, and that goes for my day job. Decided to turn away from the direct sales gig and turn to a solid minimum wage job. I'm now a working man at FIREHOUSE SUBS. It's a day job that brings in consistent pay, and leaves me plenty of time to focus on film until that takes off. Though for now it is a good job, that keeps me humble. If you are ever in the Northlake area In Charlotte NC, drop by and get a sub.

The only downside is the job requires me to shave my beard off... though i could have a goatee. (which i do not understand at all) So now I look like a sweet little baby faced punk!

BUSINESS AS USUAL:

As I work to keep the ball rolling and bring in more work, I have finally purchased some decent business cards that will hopefully help promote me and bring in more work in the future. That said, I have already lined up two projects that will cover a large portion of an investment I just made (more on that in a second). I will be doing a promotional video for a family friend, it's a simple and clean project. I will also be shooting my first wedding in April, and to give me practice I will be a 3rd shooter for a photography friend as she photographs a few other weddings. I'm excited... weddings bring in solid money during the spring season, and I will be looking into doing some videography as well.

In a more professional subject, I will be looking into starting my own small business soon. In the meantime I am studying all the legalities that go into such an endeavor. It may happen this year, or it may happen in 7 years. I know it is something I will want to do, but I'm taking my time to make sure I do it right.

DREAMS DO COME TRUE... WHEN YOU PAY ENOUGH:

I think it was my first entry where I said I had a dream list of equipment, well after weighing out the risks and benefits I have gone ahead and put in a small investment on equipment to get me going with future projects without relying on the availability of rentals. It's basic equipment, but it's what I need to have a solid running start. Lights, Sound Equipment, Lenses, Shoulder Rig, Good Tripod, Slider, and many more little things. I'm looking forward to the projects I will be able to film. This equipment will be great for small scale productions, documentaries, interviews, events, etc.

I will post a picture of all the boxes as soon as they arrive!

NERVOUS, EXCITED, AND BEARS... OH MY!

This will bring this entry to a close. I hope this filled you in on where things are with my life. One day at a time and hoping for the best. I am of course scared of the future, and it is hard to step out of my comfort zone, but I feel like I'm growing everyday! This year so far is looking good, lets hope it stays that way!

Anyways, thanks for reading this entry! I know it was a lot of info, but you made it through alive. Leave a question or comment below! Interact with me. I'm a real person, i promise!

(Disclaimer: I'm not a fan of RENT.... and real rent)

Here we are, early 2014! Everyone has their resolutions, promising to make this year better than the last. For some people it's the first year of their adult life. 2014 is a daunting year for myself, there is so much I want to achieve for myself, and honestly have no idea how I'm going to do it.

for me it is easy to become overwhelmed with it all. I have a tendency to distance myself from real challenges. Not to say i don't take them on when need be. I know some of my greatest and brightest moments of my life have been when I took on something so hard I thought i would never make it out the other end alive. Though here I am.

LETS BE HONEST FOR A SECOND.

I have been In NC for a few months now, and still do not have the job I thought i would have. I'm at the moment where i literally need to find anything. I've been working for CUTCO the last couple of months barely able to pay rent (direct sales of High Quality Cutlery... if you were wondering). If you know me, you know i'm not a salesman. That's the job I have for now, and I'm doing what I can to make it work. I'm looking to pick up a second job in the mean time while I continue my search for my film gig. It's hard for me to tell people that I'm not doing what I want to be doing. Things haven't really gone as planned.

NEW YEAR... ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.

But as I said, It's a new year. A scary start, but an exciting future. I know I'll be doing what I want to be doing soon enough. I'm just slower off the line. I'm not someone who gives up, not by a long shot. Sometimes I can get really close to quitting, but I always end up putting my big boy pants on and get things done.

I've had people asking me why I left Dubai, when I had so many great opportunities there. My answer is, "No idea, I must be crazy, but it just felt like the right decision for ME!"

I Love where I am, there is no place in my life quite like NC. It's not for everyone, but it's my home. The scene here is so unique... and believe it or not EDM is exceptional here. I have recently attended two events so far. Mat Zo on New Years, and an event called POW WOW. These two events have easily been the best concerts I've been to in years... and from what I've heard from the regulars "These are just the tip of the iceberg!"

(Sorry Bassworx, but you are like a toddler with a toy piano compared to the shows put on here)

WHERE IS THE WORK AT.

With this new EDM crowd, I feel it could be a good fit for where I want my style to go. BILLIONAIRES APPAREL is a very cool company founded here in Charlotte NC. I briefly was able to talk with the owner, and from what I heard matched where I aspire to be. Check out their videos, they're fun and vibrant.

Another group is SUGAR SOCIETY, from what I can tell they are the ring leaders of all EDM events here In NC. They are definitely something I'll be looking into.

Hopefully I can begin doing some promotional videos for some of these people, or possibly take a lesson from a friend and start making my own merch and selling at events!

LETS BRING THIS TO A CLOSE.

Well to bring this to an end... i'll be applying for whatever job I can find for now. Make money, do some odd film jobs, and keep looking for that big break! The Grind baby, it's the American dream!

It's a long year ahead of me and surely for yourself as well. I have a few projects up my sleeve, personal adventures to take. I don't want to give too much away, but they will be very cool and be the foundation to my future work.

Now let me fill out these applications to a few random places, and send you on your way! That is of course if you don't want to comment below and ask me questions. I'm looking for Ideas for things to do creatively. Maybe a picture a day thing? Maybe you know of a job for me? Maybe you just want to talk about stuff?

Interact with me! I'm looking for various ways to connect with you guys! I like to think we are all in this adventure together! If I end up successful, who will i want to share it with? YOU!

ANYWAYS! BYE NOW!

WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS....IN A GOOD WAY!