We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Brian Williams. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Brian below.
Hi Brian, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
Every Christmas Texas Children’s Hospital and Denali Foundation would put an event together for terminally ill boys and girls. Every year I would volunteer by filming the event and putting a video together for them. People would come dressed as Spiderman , characters from Star Wars and Santa was even there! Seeing those kids happy brought me great joy. I will continue to film and put together fun videos for those kids every year because they are heroes in my eyes! I love to give back when I can and helping Texas Children Hospital and Denali Foundation has been such an honor and I’m truly grateful for this opportunity to put my skills to use for a great cause!
Brian, 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?
My name is Brian Williams I been a Camera Operator and Video Editor for 11 years and an Industry Standard Headshot Photographer for 4 years now. I specialize in all types of filming styles such as promotional, reality show, cinematic, biography, interviews, commericals and commercial/residential real estate. I am the guy you call when all the “Average Joe” videographers did not work out , and you need something done correctly and efficiently! What sets me apart outside of my creativity is my determination to getting the work done at a higher standard than my client is expecting! I take a lot of pride in the diverse film styles I’ve mastered in the industry and knowing that there isn’t a limit on what I can do for my client! I also pride myself in my photography, I am known as one of the best, and I do not shy away from that. My posing and direction skills give the regular person that had never took a single professional photo in their life become and feel like a super model. My photography doesn’t stop there, I also photograph some of the biggest Medical/Corporate buildings in Houston, Austin and Dallas Forth Worth area! Im basically an All-In-One Camera Operator that only has your best interest in heart!
Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?
I started my business with an old $200 Sony camera, $40 light and a $20 tripod. I worked at HEB before I decide to go to different businesses, promoters, and establishments to see if they needed video work. Every check I got I bought new pieces of equipment. I wish I had a plan before coming into my business with capital because I spent more money buying useless equipment that I only used one time! There were times I had to get a part time job just to buy more equipment, and it started to seem like an endless journey of buying equipment. Every time the market came out with a new camera that could do something spectacular, I was right there on the band wagon ready to buy it! Without a good business plan you won’t realize how expensive this industry can be until it is too late!
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
A critical pivot in my career was when I had to become a photographer and not just “A” photographer, I had to become “THE” photographer for a company called Nextstar Productions. They taught me everything I know about posing and directing subjects. My job was to photograph well over 30 subjects in an 8 hour time span. I fell in love with the challenge of how I could photograph a ton of regular people who never took a professional photoshoot in their life and make them into stunning models. I honestly got addicted to the rush and pressure that comes with the job. Being a photographer for Nextstar made me into a total beast! Within seconds, I could assess where I want to shoot the subject, the background, and how the subject will pose. For me working with models are no fun, working with people that feel awkward, shy, or think they are not photogenic is fun. Being able to prove my subjects wrong showing them the beauty in themselves, and making them happy fulfills me and makes doing photography worth wild! Becoming a photographer was such a critical pivot in my career because all my life I said “I was never going to be a photographer , there is no way I’m going to be a photographer.” I had my mind set on being a videographer/film maker , and I hated when people called me a photographer. “I’m a videographer sir!!!” Even my posing skills were nonexistent, I couldn’t even photograph a rock and now I am a photographer and I actually love and enjoy it!
Contact Info:
- Website: videoguybry.com
- Instagram: Videoguybry
- Youtube: YouTube.com/videoguybry