We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Bonnie Keith. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Bonnie below.

Bonnie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I learned my Craft by DOING. As I was pursuing my professional acting career when I first moved from New York to Los Angeles, producers & casting directors asked me, “Do you have any film on yourself”? Basically, they wanted to see my charisma and my previous work in TV & Films BUT I had never done any TV or film work, only theatrical work back East and Touring.

So, my husband Rob and I decided that the best thing to do was to BUY a video camera and film myself performing a “scene”. At least, then I would have, “film on myself”.

Now, please remember, and I am sure that I am “dating myself”, but this was back in the late 70’s, before video was a known commodity. As a matter of fact, when we started RBK Color Video, Inc. in 1977, we were the first and only small independent video production company outside of the major studios in Los Angeles. Video was just NOT a Thing yet. This was the time before VHS tapes, digital cameras, pagers, cell phones, Fed Ex, fax machines and The INTERNET (and Youtube, etc).

Friends from an acting class asked (once they saw the TAPE I made of ME), if we could tape them doing a scene. We did, for fun . Unbeknownst to us, one of these actors, submitted their tape to an Acting Contest and they Won. the following year, that school called us and wanted to refer everyone to us to tape them that year.

And, thus RBK Color Video, Inc. was born.

Video cameras in the late 70’s were huge and had no internal accessories. Therefore, lights, microphones, battery packs were all separate and big and heavy. My husband became the lighting and sound engineer and I took on the roles of Camera person, director, producer, and eventually editor.

We would film actors doing their scenes as if they were on a movie set. We first filmed the Master shot, then the close-ups and the over the shoulder shots. I knew about this from my own professional acting experience. We did need to purchase a piece of editing equipment which was a huge reel to reel unit, allowing you to work with two tapes connected to two monitors. You would stop one tape and start the other tape at the point that you wanted to insert the “cut” or “transition”.

We learned about boom mics, lavalier/body mics for sound quartz lighting (no LED lights at that time) for lighting.

Many of our projects required us to film on location so I learned to be a mobile video production company. We also filmed In house, and learned how to change a very small area into almost any type of “setting” we needed.

As our business grew, we knew that we needed to expand and move into a studio and hire assistants. But, just at that time, there was a writers strike, a directors strike and an actors strike all at the same time which considerably slowed down our business of filming actors and performers.

Also, I recently discovered that I was pregnant with our first child.

We made the decision to hold off on any expansion and RBK Color Video eventually became non existent.

However, I had the video bug, a passion for the video medium. I bought every new consumer video camera that came onto the market learning about each new digital memory card and technology that came into existence.

The early lives of my Two sons are captured on video forever. I always had a video camera in my hand and recorded everything wherever I went. I was consumed.

The years went on, and in 2008 (after owning and operating several other businesses), I started VideoMagic Productions. This, again, came out of a NEED for some of my business associated needed a video to share their product or service to their customers. So I went from filming entertainers to filming small business owners.

And, I was forced to teach myself a new world of technology. From everything being hands on and analog to this new world of Digital creation and marketing. With everything changing so rapidly, I jumped in with two feet .

I started by knowing that I need to take the same concepts I used to have with my editing on a reel to reel machine into a piece of software. Once I began exploring different software programs, studied their tutorials, and worked trial by error. I learned. BUT, my first mistake was wanting to show how much I knew and what I could do, so I added too many effect and transitions to every video.

I have since learned that the secret is to Keep it Simple. Tell the Story, Share the Message. All the other tools are only needed if they enhance that vision,

Friends from an acting class asked (once they saw the TAPE I made of ME), if we could tape them doing a scene. We did, for fun . Unbeknownst to us, one of these actors, submitted their tape to an Acting Contest and they Won. the following year, that school called us and wanted to refer everyone to us to tape them that year.

And, thus RBK Color Video, Inc. was born.

Video cameras in the late 70’s were huge and had no internal accessories. Therefore, lights, microphones, battery packs were all separate and big and heavy. My husband became the lighting and sound engineer and I took on the roles of Camera person, director, producer, and eventually editor.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Reputation is everything in business and in Life.

You are only “as good as your word”. This means that you must fulfill anything and everything that you offer and promise your clients.

Never promise a service that you are not absolutely sure that you can fulfill. Ego has no place here.

Over Deliver every single time. I always feel that I give my clients many bonuses which were never discussed or charged for.

The end result of a creative project is NOT Your Vision, it is your Client’s vision. You are hired to turn their vidion into a magical reality.

Your customer /client is just a person, treat them with care and understanding of whatever they are experiencing and feeling.

A large part of my job is playing “psychologist” to assure my clients that they look beautiful, to help them relax, to have fun in front of the camera.

Consistently work on improving your work. Learn about new technology in your field. Never settle. for just doing “okay” work. Always strive to be the best you can.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.videomagicpros.com
• Instagram: @videoprobonnie
• Facebook: facebook.com/yourvideopro
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/bonniekeith
• Youtube: bpkvideo.com
• Yelp: https://biz.yelp.com/home/ZgXZ1WNhUwADX5v_N-CUBQ