We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Chris Terry a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Chris, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
I began my filmmaking career with a vhs camcorder and a dream. From the very moment I saw my first film as a child I was obsessed. I desperately needed to know the how’s and why’s of crafting a movie. It sounds crazy to say, but I literally have spent my whole life building this skill. Everything from filming my action figures to making short films for church and family helped cultivate my asthetic. I entered the NAACP Act-So national arts program and was selected from my state of Texas to go to Atlanta for the finals. As a kid that was huge and eye-opening for me. The energy of other creatives doing what I wanted to further solidified that this is what I needed to do. Fast forward to 2001 and I’m on my way to Savannah college of Art and Design where I would go on to earn my degree in Film and Television. I am forever grateful to my instructors and the experiences I had there. Afterwards I moved to Atlanta and co- founded Newlanta films and began the journey of a true professional. I think during the early days the most essential skills I learned was tenacity. You never have a perfect shoot or the most ideal clients all the time so it’s important to have a real iron will. An unquenchable hunger for your craft because some days and weeks, even years can be rough. Knowing what I know now, I think I would have taken time to learn more of the business aspect of the industry. It’s almost more important to be business savvy than it is to be an artist. We learned that the hard way in the trenches because it wasn’t taught to us in college. I recently married and balancing work and home is absolutely a challenge, but I wouldn’t call it an obstacle. Obstacles are all in your mind and once you knock those blocks out you have no limits.
Chris, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My introduction into the filmmaking industry began in Atlanta with our production company Newlanta films, now know as Fifteen Studios. I have since relocated to the DFW area and opened my own production company, TerryTyme studios.
We are a dynamic force in video production and music production for various genres and social media platforms. We span everything from narrative filmmaking to event and business promo, social media content, music videos ect. Our strengths lie in creative problem solving and cultivation. We don’t just take your money and turn a camera on. There is a process of due diligence and exploration before the first button is pressed. I am a firm believer in understanding the concepts and motivations behind each project and elevating them in the most exciting way possible. As a brand, we stand out because we take our extensive knowledge and apply it your specific vision. We look at every layer before everything is assembled which makes for cohesion and clarity of purpose. If clients aren’t exactly clear on what those specifics are, we help them find it! It’s always a thrill to take a shell of a concept and elevate it something beyond the client’s original dream.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
When it comes to running any film/video production, you MUST be a clear leader. There is so many unknowns on any given shoot day and you need to have the ability to make clear choices on the fly. Your team looks to the director to keep the ship right when the waters get choppy. Clear direction and planning is key! Flexibility and adaptability is also important to a smooth running production. If something goes wrong, pivot to the next plan or be prepared to formulate a new one quickly. This isn’t to say that quality should be sacrificed, but the team you have will thank your for being prepared and a true guide in the chaos.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I feel that free information is way more prevalent now than when I was in college. I wished there was more business related materials that were easily accessible back then but now it’s as simple as a Google search. I appreciate all that has brought me to the present, but I can’t help but wonder how my business could have accelerated had I had some real knowledge on the subject. There is no excuse now for not educating yourself in any field or subject. Constant learning is the key to getting ahead and staying there.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fifteenstudios.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechristerry
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/MG2PgWGKCpQ.
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