We were lucky to catch up with Jason Siemer recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jason, thanks for joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
I graduated from Towson State University (now Towson University) in 1996 with a degree in TV & Film Production. My first job out of college was a paid internship in the production department of the Baltimore Orioles baseball team. I started working on the game staff as a camera operator, and performing various control room duties during the home games at Camden Yards. My real passion was editing, so they also had me producing highlight videos that were displayed on the ballpark Jumbotron during the games. At 21 years old, it was quite a thrill to see my work on the “big screen” in front of 48,000 fans each night! Within a year I became a full-time employee, and soon after became the ballpark Entertainment Manager. In 2002 Orioles Productions won the award for “Best Overall Video Display” in Major League Baseball,” as voted by our peers. I worked there for 10 years, before the long hours got the best of me. I also felt the desire to diversify my creativity and move on to produce videos that weren’t all baseball related. I left the Orioles in 2007 and worked for another local production company briefly, but I was simply burned out of working for other people. At the same time, I didn’t really have a back up plan. My only solution was to go “all-in” and try to give it a go independently. I’ll never forget the day I told the boss I was leaving. It was the scariest, yet most exciting day of my life. While I was driving home, the reality of not having a job sunk in. Then I thought to myself, “I can do this. The sky is the limit!” Keep in mind this all happened amongst the financial crisis of 2007-2008 and it was definitely NOT the best time to quit a job, or start a business! I immediately registered myself as an LLC and started hustling for gigs, contacting everyone I knew in the industry to let them know I was now an independent video producer. I definitely struggled for awhile and it was quite humbling, but I learned so many lessons about life and priorities during that time. It was an era of “fight or flight”, and heading back to the “corporate world” was not an option. I hustled filming weddings and took pretty much every shooting and editing job that came my way to pay the bills and slowly acquired more and more clients. I’ve also been a singer/guitar player since college. Around the time I started my video business, I was asked by a friend to be in a rock band he was forming. This month we will play our 500th show! Since the pandemic, I also stepped up my photography game and started booking live event, concert photography, and portrait shoots to help supplement my income as well. My clients know that they can now hire me as a photographer as well as a videographer. In 2023, Jason Siemer Productions, LLC will celebrate 15 years! For that, I am very grateful. The basic strategy has always been the same: Be nice to people, build strong relationships, and keep doing great work!
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
When I was about 12 years old, my Dad purchased a VHS camcorder to film my little league baseball games. When he was a work during the day I would steal the camera and film myself playing ball in the yard, and edit the clips together using the camera and a VCR. Editing tape-to-tape took hours and hours, but it taught me the basics of framing shots, and piecing video segments together to tell a story. My best friend and I started producing little comedy skits that were a hit when we showed them to our friends at birthday parties. Learning how to effectively tell a story visually is so important. I’ve always taken pride in producing videos that are artistic, but also evoke emotion. My work for the Baltimore Orioles was very special, because I was able to convey my love for the game of baseball, and some of my childhood idols. The best compliments I ever received was when people told me they were moved to tears over some of the dramatic emotional videos I put together for local greats such as Cal Ripken and Eddie Murray. It was even more incredible when I saw those players looking up at the video screen and watching them with a tear in their eye. I take that same approach today when producing a music video for a local band, or even a “day in the life” story for a business client. There has to be “feeling” behind it in some way. The same goes with my photography. When someone looks at a photo I took, I want it to stir an emotion in them. I want it to be compelling. I want them to stare at it a little longer than they would look at any other common photo. I always want my work to be unique, and I want my clients to be represented for their uniqueness as well.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I shoot a lot of live events for my video business. When the pandemic hit, I had to find other creative ways to make money since those events just weren’t happening. That is when I really started getting more serious about still photography. I started learning everything I could about portrait and flash photography by taking online courses. I also watched a lot of Youtube videos, and consulted with some seasoned-professional local photographers. I started booking portrait shoots with family members and friends. I also took a lot of long hikes in local state parks that I never had a chance to visit, and always brought my camera along. It was great to explore new places, while utilitzing the new photography techniques I learned, all while getting exercise. I tried to shoot as much as I could every day. Those experiences helped build confidence, and my skills have improved vastly over the past 2 years.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My creative journey is driven mostly by the desire to stay independent and self-employed. What I really live for is travel. When I decided to become a freelancer, I knew I would eventually be able to control my own destiny, which meant being able to see the world without the restrictions of a full-time job holding me back. I try to travel whenever I can. It’s also great because once you reach a place where the work is flowing, you can actually turn down other jobs that you feel are not right for you. You can also choose to not work with people who do not fit your flow of energy. As I get older, I’ve become more and more selective of the people I surround myself with.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jasonsiemerphotography.com, www.vimeo.com/jasonsiemerproductions
- Instagram: jason_siemer_photography
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/jasonsiemerphotography, www.facebook.com/jasonsiemerproductions
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/jasonsiemerproductions
Image Credits
Jason Siemer