We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Daniel Magee. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Daniel below.
Daniel, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
Flying FPV-style drones began as an obsession during COVID-19, with plenty of time to get lost in the learning. I saw the high-speed acrobatic footage and was determined to figure it out. When I first started, entering the FPV drone world required learning how to build your own drone. Having no prior knowledge about soldering, programming, or electrical engineering, I spent a year learning as much as I could on YouTube. It was a painfully slow process and still is. You are mining the internet, and as you learn more, the information you find becomes increasingly redundant.
Looking back, I wish I would have spent time finding a mentor or at least an online community. I could have asked questions and learned from others who already had put in the work and made the mistakes.
I think perseverance has been an essential quality in this journey. The problems I have to solve are usually not apparent and can be intensely frustrating. However, each time I get to fly, it makes all the hurdles worth it. My one goal has been to see the world that everyone else does in a way that no one ever has. Having something that is undeniably worth pursuing makes everything else seem like just another investment along the way.
Daniel, 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 name is Daniel Magee. I am a drone pilot in Nashville, TN, specializing in First-Person-View (FPV) drone content. These drones allow me to capture immersive video content using a headset that lets me fly as if onboard the drone. It gives me a high degree of control and spatial awareness when I fly and leads to very eye-catching perspectives.
For clients, this is useful for capturing the speed and energy of activities or tying together unique spaces in one uncut tour. It creates video projects that would be distinctly impossible for any other equipment and gives a whole new meaning to a “birds-eye view.” I have found success flying for event venues, rental properties, real estate, museums, music videos, athletic organizations, universities, recreational businesses, roofing, festivals, construction, manufacturing, and more. The style is relevant for any business that needs to invite digital viewers into a particular space.
Though I fly often, I never get used to the perspective that drones offer. I tell people that “I get to see the world that everyone else does in a way that no one else gets to see it.” There is something simply captivating about having the freedom of a bird to move through spaces with fluidity and ease. It creates a visual hook that is addicting to me, engaging to viewers, and valuable for clients.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
I have been told many times that I should never undercharge or work for free. However, it has been my experience that the value of your offering is in the proof of its quality. That proof can come in the form of your portfolio, testimonials, experience, and referrals. But to be the best at what you do, it is necessary to put in the reps and prove to the quality of your work. The majority of my clientele can be traced back to a discounted or free job to build my portfolio and earn the trust of a client. Once I have the proof to show from my work, gaining new clients is 5x easier and begins to happen organically.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I made a shift from freelancer to business owner when I finally decided to begin hiring. I have been happy as a freelancer, but I recognized that my work was limited to my own ability and capacity. If I wanted to extend my reach and grow beyond my limitations, it was necessary to bring others in who could supplement my weak points. It was only after I hired my first assistant that I mentally registered the shift from being an individual to running a business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://flybyvid.com
- Instagram: flyby_video
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-magee-425995166
