We recently connected with Jonah Paulhamus and have shared our conversation below.

Jonah, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard.

One thing I do that’s probably different from the industry standard is, work for free. Now when people hear this, they often think, “You’re going to get taken advantage of” or “You shouldn’t undervalue your work.” And I get it. As a freelancer, the idea of giving away your time and expertise without pay is a hard sell. But for me, offering my services for free turned out to be one of the most effective strategies to build my career.

As a videographer, I know the pressure of managing multiple projects, navigating an ever-changing industry, and covering high business costs. The thought of adding “work for free” to the list sounds really dumb. But offering my work for free wasn’t about undervaluing my skills,, it was about getting my foot in the door and proving my worth.

When I was starting out, I wanted to figure out a way to get my name out there faster. I decided to offer my services for free in exchange for the opportunity to prove myself. I pitched businesses, offering to shoot a campaign or music video for free, with the agreement that if they liked the work, they’d hire me again or refer me to others.

And it worked. It showed clients that I believed in my abilities so much, I was willing to take the risk. By doing this, I wasn’t just delivering a product, I was offering a chance to see what I could do without any strings attached.

Of course, offering free work has risks. There’s always the chance a client will take the work and never come back. So before you agree to work for free, evaluate the opportunity. Is it a chance to break into a new market? Gain exposure? Build a relationship? If so, it might be worth the gamble.

Offering free work also demonstrates your commitment, passion, and work ethic. Qualities that clients are drawn to. When you show that you’re willing to do whatever it takes to make a project succeed, you stand out. This approach is especially useful when you’re trying to break into a new niche but don’t yet have the portfolio to back it up.

My first music video was free. I wanted to break into the music video space but didn’t have anything to show for it. I offered to shoot an entire music video for free to prove myself. After completing it, I used the video as marketing material to land more paid gigs. Today, I’ve shot six paid music videos, with two more booked for the coming year. All of that started with one free project.

Working for free is an investment, just like buying a camera or software. It’s about building credibility, gaining exposure, and showing clients what you can do. Even if it means no immediate paycheck.
Offering free work isn’t always the right approach, and it comes with risks. But when done strategically, it can open doors, build your portfolio, and lead to future opportunities. For me, it has paid off with returning clients and a growing body of work. So if you’re just starting out or trying to break into a new niche, consider taking the leap. It might just be the investment you need.

Jonah, 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?

I’m Jonah Paulhamus, a passionate, self-taught filmmaker and creative storyteller. Bringing stories to life is what I do best, whether it’s through a wedding film, campaign for a business, or a music video. I’m driven by a love for narrative filmmaking and a deep belief in the power of emotional connection.

A little about me, I grew up in upstate PA and bounced around from New York to California and back, following opportunities in the film world. I’ve shot with X Games gold medalists, national household brands, famous tattoo artists, international professional cooks and more. All of which has lead me to running my own business today. I’ve got ADHD which I’ve found actually gives me an advantage in creative brainstorm sessions, keeps me hungry for getting better and better at my craft and helps me think outside the box when it comes to problem solving. I am recently married as of June 2024 to my incredible partner Jane, who’s in the clinical psychology field and whom I could brag about, all day. I’m a sucker for a good breakfast sandwich, soft room lighting and anything with a motor.

Though I explore other creative outlets like photography, tattoo design, and even sewing my own clothes, narrative filmmaking has always been where I shine. It’s the medium that most excites me, and where I’ve found my true artistic voice. I picked up my mom’s point-and-shoot camera at 13, and that moment changed everything. I was hooked. From then on, I spent every free moment experimenting with my camera, developing my personal style and refining my creative ideas. After high school, I was doing odd photo/video jobs while going through college. Then, 3 years into a business marketing degree, I had taken on so much side work, I evaluated everything and decided to drop out. I decided to take the leap, skipping school to start my own business. Now, at 28, I’m proud to say that filmmaking is my full-time career, and I’ve never looked back.

Everything I know today about filmmaking has been self-taught, whether through hands-on experience, endless research, shadowing mentors, or what I learned most from, trial and error.

I create work that speaks to the heart. My goal is to evoke real emotions, love, joy, pain. And leave a lasting impact on those who experience it. I think that when a story resonates on a personal level, it sticks with a person, sometimes even inspiring them to reflect on their own lives. By blending my style of filmmaking with a client’s vision, I can elevate a story into something unique and meaningful, giving it a fresh perspective.

As important as creating things that feel real, I also aim to build real connections with every person I work with. I want them to genuinely feel seen and understood. Taking the time to really listen to what their goals are for the project, idea of life moment they want captured. By doing this, I can truly capture the idea of things, visually.

My services include creative directing, camera operation, director of photography, wedding videographer and social media content creation. I own my own camera packages and tend to shoot and edit everything myself.

At the end of the day, I want to create art that leaves an impact. Whether it’s telling a brand story, capturing a special moment, or crafting a campaign that resonates with your target audience, I bring passion, creativity, and a personal touch to everything I do. Because I believe the work should reflect who you are, just as much as it reflects your audience.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

This is a great question and honestly, the first thing that came to mind was kindness and relatability. Coming into a job opportunity or first sit-downs with a client of any kind, I try to disarm power dynamics, awkward tension or just the fear of not knowing something as the first thing I do. I do this by reading the room and just trying to be relatable. I’ve seen a lot of interactions between a client and a business, where there’s this feeling of having to seem cool, tough or like they know more than the other person. Leaving out the emotional vulnerable out and option for deeper connection with whoever you’re connecting with. This can leave people feeling like they weren’t cared about and that they’re just dealing with another cold, business machine.

By dropping the power plays and giving the other person, the benefit of the doubt, I’ve found that guards go down and genuine conversation goes up. Resulting in more genuine business relationships and most of the time, information you may not have received otherwise. Starting off with something as simple as “I take each project as its own thing, so I don’t have a set way of solving this problem. But as excited as I am to share my ideas and thoughts on this. project, I’m more excited to hear what your ideas are and see what we can create with both of our skills together!” always creates an open environment that feels collaborative, safe and memorable to the client or business your trying to connect with.

This has brought me so many referrals from clients over the years. Building a reputation of trustworthiness and kindness has never gone unnoticed. And in a business where it seems everyone is in competition with each other, it’s a breath of fresh air for people and helps you stand out in a great way.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, it’s two things: One, being able to create for others and watching their excitement when they see the final project. That first watch through, or the final presentation, being able to capture the attention and awe of a room through your art, is a priceless feeling. And two, knowing that I’m leaving something behind. Obviously, we don’t last forever, so I like the idea of creating things that will live on past me. As a videographer, that means something that people can watch and experience. And even more so, the people that knew you can remember you better by having that unique piece of work, available to them anytime. So leaving a part of myself behind after I’m gone, through art, is one of most rewarding aspects of being an artist and creative.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jonahpaulhamusmedia.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonah.paulhamus/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JonahPaulhamusMedia