We were lucky to catch up with Zach Johnson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Zach thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with what makes profitability in your industry a challenge – what would you say is the biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge to profitability as a videographer is that there are always big challenges financially as you progress through your career. For instance, the toughest part at first is starting out with limited skills, limited experience and limited connections. The way I started out like many others was doing work for very cheap and oftentimes even free. I took any opportunity that I could. Oftentimes that money was going towards gear, which can be extremely expensive. Although you aren’t making much of any money, the skills and experience you receive can pay off in the long run. Because I was in so many different situations through repetition, I gained the ability to work under pressure and work more confidently. The next phase to this is actually converting clients after increasing your pricing to professional rates. Being in this phase is challenging because you know you are worth at least this amount, but not everyone will see the value at first. In this phase I was also still doing everything filmmaking, so I never felt like I could charge accordingly because I wasn’t a true expert in that field. The phase where I currently am is weeding out most things that do not: align with my brand, align with my time (and not just my time spent but the value of what I am bringing to the table and providing) while increasing substantially in revenue each year . My huge passion was music videos, but I found out that there were too many unknowns in that field to be profitable including cancellations and budget restrictions. I have been focused on Wedding Filmmaking and Brands because outside of money I genuinely love being a part of the process for both and because they are major streams of income in general.

Zach, 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?

Hey everyone! I’m Zach, owner of HBZ Media. I’m a wedding filmmaker and brand videographer out of Waltham, Ma (about 20 min outside of Boston) ! I love what I do, I love my family, my dogs, my girlfriend and my friends. In the moments I’m not focused on my business, I usually will have an NFL game on, YouTube tutorial or video on. or will be working out at the gym.

I’ll never forget the conversation with my mom after 8th grade finished about a high school class I could take called Intro to TV Broadcasting. Stephen A. Smith was a major inspiration for me, so I naturally wanted to try and see what it was all about. I was so excited. Over my time at Waltham High School I learned so much and have so many fun memories to look back on. I’m forever thankful for my teachers Mr. Hazel and Mr. Whiteley for their knowledge and their time during those years. In college I realized that I had a knack for capturing photos and videos behind the camera. I went to Hunt’s and bought my first camera (Cannon T5i)!

After college, I really struggled to find a job in my field. I applied everywhere and had no luck. This is one of the best things that happened to me because after working at a restaurant for about a year, I took off on my own and started my own business. HBZ Media. This past year I celebrated 5 years in business. There have been so many highs and a lot of lows, but they all got me to where I am today. Through the years I have been condensing my business to solely focus on wedding filmmaking in the New England area and beyond and brand videography, most notably for Clarks Shoes.

What separates me is my care for each project. I always thought that receiving and watching a video is one thing, but the experience and how you felt during the wedding, or shoot day is another. It’s always a high honor to have couples and clients tell me that I “made the day what it was”. I can be tough on myself because I want to do the best I can. I am always learning and trying new things in hopes to be a true master at what I do. I also think that my music video background gives me a fresh approach to video while maintaining strong stories and a professional look.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect is hearing the positive feedback and compliments from the people that watch my videos. Some people I don’t even know, or sometimes haven’t heard from in years. It’s all so gratifying, especially knowing that I still have a lot of room to grow and so much more to learn. The clients sending pumped up texts, or calling me after I sent their video in makes me so whole knowing I knocked it out of the park.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

In the micro space I always wanted people to know that a video was mine without even seeing my logo. In the macro space, I represent the legacy of my family. I think it’s great to remember why you do what you do when times get tough. I just want to be the best that I can be. I always feel like the next video will always be my best.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.hbzmedia.video
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hbz_media/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zach.hbzmedia/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-johnson-931a1a109/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfcoET00daTx9Qlj1SOaQSQ/featured?view_as=subscriber
• Other: https://vimeo.com/790311400 https://vimeo.com/789205136 https://vimeo.com/682274787 https://vimeo.com/789199951

Image Credits
Erin Friedman Aaron Samuel Isaac Bellevue