We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Matthew Kennedy a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Matthew thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
I’m sure at some point, whether it be from someone on social media, on TV, or someone you’ve ran into, you heard the phrase “everyone has a story.” As cliche as it may be sometimes, I fully agree with that statement. It can be big or small, but we all have one. That’s what got me into videography in the first place. Being able to not only to flex my creative muscles in terms of getting a good looking shot, but taking it a few layers deeper and intertwining story into every project that I work on. With weddings, it’s almost like a mini documentary to me. While a lot of wedding days have a similar structure, every single one has a different story from the couple, their families, and their friends. I strive to capture and tell those stories with every couple that I work with so that they can cherish those memories forever.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’m a freelance videographer based in Cincinnati, Ohio who specializes in wedding videography.
I know I relate to a lot of other creatives when I say that doing what I do now was never my plan earlier in life. I started college at Northern Kentucky University studying Computer Information Technology in 2014 with every intention to go into that field. I loved computers and I knew that it was a very lucrative industry to get into. Unfortunately, my love for that didn’t hold for very long. 3 years into my degree, I decided that it just wasn’t for me. Over summer break, I met with my advisor and decided to switch my degree to Electronic Media and Broadcasting, which is a fancy way of putting video production. Early on I only wanted to edit, not film anything. That was until I got my first camera. I bought a cheap Nikon to shoot with so that I had footage to practice editing, but I got hooked. Being in a field related to computers for so long had my mind stuck in a type of “there is only one answer” type of thinking. Being able to take a camera and capture whatever I wanted was so freeing because there was no right answer. You and your audience determine what one of many right answers can be. Not too long after I got that camera a buddy of mine who worked in weddings doing video said that he needed a second shooter. He didn’t need anything crazy from me, just a second angle of some events. I’ll be honest, I mostly agreed just because it would be the first thing I’d get paid for to film. Here we are 7 years later and I run my own wedding videography business.
Being able to capture one of the most important days of a couple’s life is nothing short of a blessing. Providing them with highlight films to show off their day, or even relive it from time to time, is such an amazing feeling. Even I go back and watch highlight films from some of my favorite days, not for the edit, but because I get a kick out of the memories too. I get very connected to each wedding day and to each of my couples and their stories.
I keep mentioning story. I’m like a broken record when it comes to that, but it really is why I love doing what I do. Being able to work with all different kinds of people with different backgrounds and stories keeps me so engaged and really keeps me on my toes. Even more than that, having couples trust me with capturing one of the biggest days of their lives is such a satisfying feeling. I know 18 year old Matt would be proud of where I am today.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
There are a lot of things that go into making a good reputation in any market. Some value technical skills while some may value the information that you provide. In my industry of being a wedding vendor, having a good reputation is key to getting more bookings and I found out very early how to maintain that. You might be prepared for me to say deliver quality work, which is very important for sure, but I don’t think it’s the most important thing for building a good reputation. This may sound so simple, but it’s being a nice person and being easy to work with that is the key. Unless you’re some big Hollywood hot shot, if you’re unpleasant to work with, you won’t get a lot of work. It doesn’t matter how talented you are, how many followers you have, or even who you know. A lot of my bookings come from photographers and planners in my area recommending me to their couples. Of course they praise the work that I provide, but couples always mention how I was recommended because other vendors they have booked simply love working with me on the day. I think just about anyone getting into any market would be surprised just how far you can make it by being someone who is pleasant to work with.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding thing of being a creative is that no two days are the same. My mind is always all over the place, and because of that, repetitive tasks drive me insane. Some of the jobs that I had through college were some of the most mindless and repetitive things you can imagine. They were easy as can be, but it wasn’t about how difficult or taxing on the body they were, they just weren’t rewarding in my mind. Being able to wake up and work with different people in different places every day is something that I will never take for granted.
Contact Info:
- Website: MatthewKennedyMedia.com
- Instagram: MKennedyMedia
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MatthewKennedyMedia