There’s something people notice about me pretty quickly on set: I’m focused. Extremely focused.
I’ve been doing video production for a long time now, and over the years the work grew from filming around Washington, D.C. to traveling across the country and eventually internationally. I’ve been hired to film in Great Britain, across Europe, and on islands I never thought I’d see in my life. That part is exciting. I genuinely love it. But when it comes time to work, I lock in. I’m not the videographer cracking jokes during setup or trying to become everyone’s best friend while the clock is running. I’m usually quiet, moving from task to task, checking audio, checking lighting, checking timing, thinking three steps ahead. Sometimes I think people assume I’m upset or irritated, but honestly, I’m just focused on making sure nothing goes wrong.
And that mindset came from experience.
Over the years, I’ve watched other crews get overly comfortable on set. Everybody is laughing, joking around, talking instead of paying attention, trying so hard to build chemistry with the client that they forget why they were hired in the first place. Then something gets missed. Audio is bad. A key moment isn’t captured. A livestream glitches. A deadline slips. And the truth is, all the joking in the world doesn’t fix disappointment when the final product fails. That doesn’t mean I’m antisocial. Anybody who actually knows me knows I love talking to people. I’m naturally social. I enjoy hearing stories, learning about different industries, different cities, different personalities. But I learned there’s a time and place for everything. When it’s time to work, I work.
When the job is done, that’s when I relax.
Ironically, some of the strongest client relationships I’ve built didn’t happen on set at all. They happened afterward. One thing I’ve always done when traveling for shoots is arrive early, usually a full day ahead if possible. I hate rushing into productions. I’d rather already be there, settled, familiar with the area, thinking clearly before cameras ever come out. And after filming, especially on out-of-town projects, I’ll often go grab dinner with clients or crew members. Sometimes lunch. Sometimes I even pick the spot and treat everybody because I genuinely enjoy trying restaurants I’ve never been to before. It became a ritual for me over the years. New city, new food, new experience. I probably have thousands of random food photos sitting on my phone from productions all over the place. What I realized over time is that those moments built stronger relationships than trying to force chemistry while working. Clients don’t really need another friend while they’re stressed about an event, interview, or production. They need somebody dependable. Somebody calm under pressure. Somebody paying attention when everybody else is distracted.