We were lucky to catch up with Melissa Dale recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Melissa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. 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 was always drawn to photography and the idea of capturing or creating a moment in time. I loved magazines as a kid and started taking photography classes in high school. This led to me majoring in Studio Art (with an emphasis in photography) and getting involved with some experimental video projects.
I found traditional schooling to be somewhat lackluster, full of busy work and not a large enough emphasis on what I actually wanted to do. I took it upon myself to take online classes to learn the ins and outs of digital photography, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Photoshop, etc. I learned more on my own.
10-20 years ago, creating videos was much more cumbersome and we had to go through a lot to even make something fairly basic, so while technology has brought some issues, I am glad to be in this new era. The major barriers in terms of cost and accessibility have been (somewhat) eliminated and the newer challenges center around capturing and maintaining attention.
If I had to give a piece of advice to new editors, I would say to spend time learning about the art of storytelling, as it is probably the most important aspect to any project in terms of making an emotional connection.
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.
I am a photographer and video editor that primarily creates content for social media.
I have had a slight career change recently, as I’ve been shooting less, and editing more.
I started out as a portrait photographer, but my love of music and storytelling has organically led me down the path of video editing. Through editing you can create a perfect trifecta of visuals, sound and story- and dramatically change the impact through nuanced changes in pacing and sound. The possibilities still intrigue me.
Through my instagram account, @itsmelissadale, I offer free editing tutorials and software recommendations. Moving into the educational space keeps me aware of all the new styles, trends and apps. My professional services include social media management and content repurposing. This month I’m specifically working on helping podcasters repurpose their longer form videos to short form for social.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I wish I would have taken the time to connect with people in my niche. Inherently, my work requires a lot of focus and time alone, but in hindsight I wish I would have taken more breaks to learn 1:1 from people working in creative industries.
I think you can learn more from one solid mentor than a million books.
Personal mentorship opportunities and coaching sessions are easily available though TikTok and Instagram for every pursuit. Find someone in your niche and reach out!
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Yes, although I’m technically a creative, I also think I’m pretty pragmatic. The idea of the left brain/right brain dichotomy has been somewhat overblown. Yes, you can be a creative but also have your life together (LOL).
With my educational content, my mission is to have people come away with a quick win, gaining new skills they can immediately take into use. When I was young I wasted a lot of time learning things that did not necessarily benefit me, so I hope to save people time and give them a new sense of confidence. A lot of people don’t consider themselves “tech savvy” but if you take it one step at a time, you really can break through to a new comfort level fairly quickly.
For my clients, my goal is to be a person that can elevate and streamline their business. People hire me because they know I’m not “just an editor” – I’m going to really work towards building their brand alongside them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://itsmelissadale.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsmelissadale
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@itsmelissadalexo
Image Credits
I took all these photos. The models in the photos outdoors are from a photo/video shoot I did. Here are their handles: https://www.instagram.com/charlottemodel/ https://www.instagram.com/moonladylorna/