We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tony Rushing a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Tony, appreciate you joining us today. Has Covid resulted in any major changes to your business model?

I am a full-time photographer and videographer. COVID-19 negatively impacted my ability to generate revenue due to Mecklenburg County’s stay-at-home mandate from 3/25/20 – 5/22/20. During March 2020, I had (4) conferences, (1) wedding, (1) video shoot, and (1 )photoshoot to be either canceled or postponed indefinitely due to COVID-19. To avoid depleting our savings to pay household bills and monthly business expenses, I obtained a job as an Amazon Driver. After the state-at-home mandate was lifted, business was extremely slow due to social distancing and the restricted number of people who could attend a wedding, conference, or social event. As a result of the restrictions coupled with the need for my clients to scale back financially, some of them opted to forego photography and videography services, thus impacting me financially yet again. Scheduling new gigs was also challenging due to the unpredictability and fear of contracting COVID-19. To stay afloat and adjust to such unprecedented times, I made the following adjustments to my business model:

Offered a New Service:
With the exponential growth and need for virtual events/conferences, I purchased refurbished live streaming equipment. Purchasing live steaming equipment and offering this service to prospective customers created a new value proposition for new customers and an additional revenue stream. Live streaming offered my customers real-time interaction and engagement with their audience and the ability to remain in compliance with COVID-19 restrictions and requirements. Alleviating the need for a physical venue, travel, and other related expenses without the concern for governmental changes with social gatherings made offering this service a win-win. I have since purchased state-of-the-art live streaming equipment and use it primarily for conferences, corporate events, or large galas. Having done so has positively impacted our bottom line.

Adjusted Price Structure:
Due to the financial devastation suffered by many, I created a pricing structure for video production that included Good, Better, and Best. This pricing structure allowed customers to have a more customizable package based on their current financial state without compromising on quality.

Leverage Additional Resources:
Since the inception of COVID-19, I obtained my NC Historically Underutilized Businesses(NC HUB), NC Small Business Enterprise(NCSBE), NC DOT Small Professional Services Firm(SPSF), Disadvantaged Business Enterprise(DBE, and
Minority Business Enterprise(MBE) certifications to be more competitive in the corporate/government arena. Having the aforementioned certifications have allowed me the opportunity to apply and be awarded grants and contracts for my business that I wouldn’t have otherwise had access.

Work-Force Shift:
Securing larger-scaled contracts prompted a shift in my employee structure. I now have a team of sub-contractors that I use for larger projects. The greatest benefit of making the shift is my increase in productivity and reduction in time with deliverables.

Customer Base:
Having experienced significant financial loss during the height of the pandemic, I have shifted my customer base from B to C(business-to-consumer to more B to B to B (business-to-business. I initially felt uneasy about this decision, however, I had to focus on my end goal and lessons learned during the height of the pandemic. Soliciting and bidding on more corporate and government contracts and less on weddings and social gatherings has not only provided me with more peace of mind, but financial stability.

Tony, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Tell our readers about yourself and how you got into photography & videography.

I have worked in sales the majority of my career. I love working with people and seeing them smile. I figured out early on that the best way to make someone smile is to provide quality customer service and make their experience with me a pleasant one. Approximately 10 years ago, my wife started a haircare line. Photography and videography services were becoming increasingly more expensive as her marketing needs grew. I became her photographer and videographer to save money and positively impact her bottom line. In 2018, after a company layoff, I decided to do photography and videography full-time. I obtained additional equipment, took additional classes, and launched 180º Productions, LLC April 25, 2018.

What type of products/services/creative works you provide?

180º Productions, LLC is a full-service videography and photography company that provides support in all areas of production including in-studio shoots, on-location shoots and scouting, aerial photography and videography, concept development, equipment, production support, and post-production editing. Our services range from corporate headshots, editorial, branding, and event photography, to cinema-style productions, commercials, corporate video production, branding and marketing videos, mini-documentaries, and live broadcasting/streaming. We also create video content for event promos/highlights, social media posts, stories, or reels, and public service announcements.

180º Productions, LLC has enjoyed continued growth since its inception in 2018 and has established relationships with videography and photography professionals across North Carolina. 180º Productions, LLC has a strong team of loyal and expert photographers, videographers, and technicians capable of covering small, mid, or large-scale photography or videography needs. Our core team of Videographers recently expanded and collectively has more than 19 years of experience and our Photographers have 28+ years of experience.

What problems do you solve for your clients?

Whether a customer wants to obtain professional videography or photography services for a private event, special occasion, or conference, or create professional marketing and advertising content to heighten awareness or boost sales for a business, it can be a daunting task. 180º Productions, LLC alleviates the challenges faced by providing the pre-production(location scouting, vision discovery, creative development, virtual and in-person planning sessions, and scriptwriting), production (professional photographer/videographer(s) on-site, lighting, cameras, drones, and sound equipment), and post-production services(color-correction, cropping, audio clean-up, addition of music and graphics with industry-standard editing software) needed to positively reflect the purpose, tone, and message their customers desire to convey to their target audience/viewers.

If a customer’s project requires one professional staff person or a production team, 180º Productions, LLC has established relationships with professional photographers, videographers, and technicians across the state of North Carolina and brings together the most appropriate professionals with the expertise to complete the project effectively, efficiently, and on budget.

What do you think sets you apart from others?

DIFFERENTIATORS

-We own instead of rent State-of-the-Art production equipment to handle in-studio and on-location shoots. Equipment includes, but is not limited to 4K, PTZ and HD cameras, cine lenses, drones, lighting, confidence monitors, teleprompter, green screen, sliders, tripods, etc. Owning the equipment provides significant cost savings to our customers.
-Utilize the industry’s leading post-production software including DaVinci Resolve Studio, Photoshop, Lightroom, Adobe Creative Cloud Suite (Premiere Pro, After Effects, Illustrator, InDesign, Audition), Final Cut Pro X, Cinema 4D, and Element 3D.
-FAA Certified Commercial Drone Operator on staff

180º Productions has the following Certifications:

NC Historically Underutilized Businesses(NC HUB)
NC Small Business Enterprise(NCSBE)
NC DOT Small Professional Services Firm(SPSF)
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise(DBE)
Minority Business Enterprise(MBE)

Our devotion to providing quality imagery with precise technical execution is matched only by our excellence in customer service.

What are you most proud of?

We are most proud of the work that we do with nonprofit organizations. We love capturing professional imagery that will not only support more equitable social, racial, and economic environments, but also serve as a conduit to connect people to the resources, tools, and organizations they need to live and flourish. It’s so gratifying to show how people can connect to a shared humanity.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

My co-founder/business partner is my wife. We met in church and became high school sweethearts. Though we lost contact during our college years, we reconnected years later and have been inseparable ever since.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Word-of-mouth by previous clients continues to be the largest factor in building my reputation as a professional Photographer and Videographer. It establishes credibility for potential clients seeking my services and has often given me a competitive advantage.

I make it a priority to attend industry events and conferences to network with other professionals in my field. Building relationships with other Videographers, Photographers, and Producers has also led to new opportunities and referrals.

Investing in state-of-the-art equipment and editing software has allowed me to create high-quality work. Showcasing such professional imagery has helped me to build my reputation as a skilled Photographer and Videographer. I continue to attend workshops, online courses and practice consistently to stay abreast of the latest software and equipment and constantly improve my creative abilities.

It’s important to brand myself as a professional Photographer & Videographer. I strive to exhibit professional content that reflects the services I offer via social media platforms and on my website.

I make it a point to ask for feedback from clients. I am constantly looking for areas I can improve upon to ensure that I am meeting or exceeding their expectations. Honest feedback helps me to grow and excel in my profession.

Lastly, I dress and conduct myself professionally. This includes being punctual, communicating clearly, and delivering projects on time, and on budget.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.180productionsgroup.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/180productionz/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/180productionz/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-rushing-4a0404245/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@tonyrushing180