MANAYUNK

How did you get your start in the media industry?

I worked in a movie theater when I was 16-years-old and was spending a lot of time in front of a movie screen, which got me hooked on media. I was always a bit creative and bit weird watching a lot of Disney movies and playing a lot of video games that were story-oriented. Then I decided I was going to go to school for film, and from there my freshman year I was in my first production class. My professor offered and extra credit assignment and I was the only one in my class to do it. My professor had been in contact with a part-time producer and he asked me if I wanted to be apart of a project he was doing and then at 18 I was professionally in the industry.

Where are you originally from?

I grew up in upstate New York in a town called Malta that is right outside of Saratoga Springs so everyone who is from Malta just says they are from Saratoga Springs, because its the rich part of town and then I went to college at Penn State.

Why did you start your business in Manayunk?

I did some research on the town beforehand and I wanted to find an area that was similar to where I grew up because I knew how to do business in that kind of area. I knew that there was a bump in business on Main Street and I was coming at the right time because it was on the verge of exploding. I had a meeting with the staff of the Manayunk Development Corporation (MDC) to pitch the Manayunk Mornings web series, and I was thoroughly impressed by the way they were running things, they just knew what they were doing and they still know what they are doing.

What keeps you motivated you to start your own business?

A little bit of rage and a little bit of self motivation because I know I am able to do it. What really keeps me motivated though is that there is no safety net. I wanted to do videography for medium to large, small businesses. If I fail there is nothing else I would want to do.

What sets your business apart from other media companies?

Certainly the way we produce content. A lot of that comes from figuring out the way the game works. One video might do nothing but 100 videos might. My business is equipped to make a lot of content and you get bang for your buck. The video might be thirty-seconds but you will have multiple to inform your audience and keep your social media up to date. So, what really sets me apart is that I know what is best for a commercial entity.

What do you want your clients to come away with after viewing your media?

Well there are a couple different answers to that, is it meeting the goals that we initially set before I went out to make the actual content? For example, Lucky’s Last Chance is trying out a new burger so I can ask, did the video I made help him sell the burger? The second answers would be, for other media companies I work for, did their clients feel taken care of and did we meet their goals as well?

Do you have any advice for future entrepreneurs and videographers?

I would just say it's not a picnic. You have to be ask yourself, are you willing make no money out of this, for at least a year? You have to hang on, you have to survive if you really want this and it's fun on the other side. Not that I am completely there, but if you are trying to do this just be clear about what your goals are.