We recently connected with Zachary Halberd and have shared our conversation below.

Zachary, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s kick things off with a hypothetical question – if it were up to you, what would you change about the school or education system to better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career?

The educational system should pivot towards fostering autodidacticism, encouraging self-learning, and embracing the changing landscape that is sure to come with AI. By valuing practical, real-world problem-solving over test-based performance, we can prepare students for a fulfilling life and career in a turbid economy. This includes emphasizing trade schools, apprenticeships, and partnerships between businesses and education to provide on-the-job training and avoid the burden of student debt. As we look ahead, integrating AI and personalized learning tools will be crucial, ensuring students and professionals alike are equipped with the curiosity, motivation, and adaptability needed to thrive. With AI agents acting as advanced tutors, we will all become lifelong learners, guided by personalized, ever-present ‘Aristotles’ in our pockets. Research shows that individuals who augment their learning with AI not only learn faster and more efficiently but retain knowledge better. This shift marks the future of education, leaving behind the outdated model where everyone learns at the same pace from a single human teacher.

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 started my career right out of high school by joining the U.S. Air Force, where I was trained in satellite communications, telemetry, and wideband communications. Although I originally signed up for combat camera work, 9/11 shifted my focus to a higher-priority role in communications. Despite not pursuing my initial dream while serving, I gained invaluable experience, living in places like South Korea, the U.K., and Saudi Arabia. After leaving the military, I transitioned into the film industry, working as a cinematographer for 13 years. My early work included an apprenticeship with the BBC on Doctor Who, and I later moved to New York City, where I worked on various projects, honing my craft and building a strong career in both narrative features and documentaries. Despite my success, I eventually experienced burnout from constant travel and shifted toward post-production for more stability and time at home.

In 2016, I pivoted again, this time into the tech industry, where I started a drone-based company, Quantifly. We used drones and satellite imagery to map urban areas and applied machine learning to analyze traffic and parking patterns. This project led to three patents and deepened my understanding of machine learning, AI, and computation. After a few years in tech, I returned to the film industry with a more technical focus on post-production, specializing in color grading, image restoration, and building automated pipelines for handling large volumes of image sequences. I remastered Bruce Lee’s final film Game of Death using a proprietary method of upscaling that I developed and integrated into my own OpenFX plugin for Davinci Resolve Studio. Over the years, I’ve developed a unique skill set, blending creative and technical expertise in order to serve as a resource to others in the documentary community. As I continue to evolve with the industry, I’m now exploring cybersecurity and AI to stay ahead of future trends, recognizing that being a lifelong learner is essential to remain competitive in what is sure to be a white knuckle ride of great economic disruption due to AI and its impact on my industry and the global economy.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

In 2016, after over a decade of working as a cinematographer and traveling the world for film projects, I hit a point of burnout. The constant travel and time away from home became unsustainable, and I knew I needed a change. I got my FAA commercial UAS pilot license and began to fly drones for film and television series across the United States. I fell in love with drones and soon discovered the amazing wonder that is photogrammetry and drone automation. I decided to pivot into the tech industry, where I co-founded a company called Quantifly. We used drones and machine learning to map urban areas and analyze traffic and parking patterns, a significant shift from the creative work I was used to in film. This transition was a huge learning curve, requiring me to dive deep into machine learning, computer vision, data analytics, public policy, and market research. While it was challenging to step away from a career I had spent years building, the pivot ultimately allowed me to broaden my skill set, work with experts in emerging technologies, and gain valuable experience in the tech world. After a few years, I returned to the film industry, leveraging my new technical expertise in post-production, particularly in color grading and image restoration, which reignited my passion for the work while allowing me to maintain more balance in my life. By diversifying my skillset and having faith in my soft skills, I was able to survive financially through the pandemic. I am now confident that, whatever we may face during the coming economic disruption that is generative AI, I will thrive.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

One thing non-creatives might struggle to understand about my journey is the constant uncertainty and need for reinvention that comes with pursuing a creative career. In a traditional job, there’s often a clear path with promotions, salary increases, and a sense of stability. In the creative world, that path doesn’t exist in the same way. Success can be fleeting, and you’re always facing the pressure to stay relevant, adapt to new technologies, and evolve creatively. I’ve had to pivot multiple times—from being a cinematographer, to tech entrepreneur, to post-production specialist—each time learning new skills and embracing uncertainty. What might seem like instability is actually part of the creative process; it’s about constantly challenging yourself, pushing boundaries, and growing. It’s not just about creating art, but also solving problems, often with limited resources and under pressure. That journey requires a mix of passion, resilience, and a willingness to learn continuously. Non-creatives may not realize just how much discipline and strategy is required behind the scenes, beyond the bursts of inspiration they often associate with creativity. Creatives know how to hustle. We just place different values on different aspects of our lives. Its one of the reasons we choose to weather the risks of creative work. There has to be some value exchange.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.zacharyhalberd.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachary-halberd-32554827/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@zhalberd