Episode #1 Overview Are you a storyteller? Whether or not you identify as one, if you want to be a successful filmmaker you need to know how to have a full and balanced story with the four pillars firmly in place. Today’s guest has the insight, advice, and software to help you create your most powerful story yet. Patrick Moreau is the co-founder of StillMotion and founder of the Muse Storytelling process & software. Oh, and he’s also a three-time Emmy award-winning filmmaker. Patrick is passionate about the psychology and art of storytelling and shares his wisdom and insights into what makes for a good story and why it is essential to have a repeatable system that helps you create amazing and impactful stories time and time again. In this episode, Patrick shares some of that knowledge with us, to help us craft better stories, starting with our next project. We also discuss why it is important to have clarity of purpose with clients and clarity of intention with yourself so that you can avoid unhappy clients and you, yourself, becoming miserable. If you have ever felt frustrated with your clients making tons of changes or losing sight of the story itself than this episode will help start off on the right foot with your clients and avoid these issues altogether. In this Episode Why does story have so much power?The importance of psychology in storytelling, and what you need to knowIdentifying the 4 pillars of a storyThe “Muse Storytelling” process and how can it help you craft better storiesWhy is it important to have clarity of purpose with clientsThe importance of having personal keywords and how they can help guide you in business, storytelling, and lifeHow community can help you to become a better storyteller and creative  Quotes  “It starts with you understanding your own story and what you’re about and what you want to do, then communicating that effectively to connect the right people.” (15:26) “I deeply started experiencing and understanding the idea that the expectation and experience matter more than the content itself.” (32:51) “It’s not the questions that I ask you or the lighting or the cameras. It is the interpersonal connection that I create that will determine how strong and powerfully moving our experience is.” (34:25) “If you always look at the people that have more, or the people that make more, or that are doing work better than you, and you say that’s what you need to be, then you will never be happy and truly won’t live a lot of your life. But, if you go I am doing sh*t that I love now, every day is just so much fuller.” (39:12) Links Muse StorytellingFollow Muse Storytelling on Instagram | Youtube StillMotionFollow StillMotion on Twitter | Instagram | Vimeo The Remarkable Ones (website is no longer active) 5 Elements Of Effective Thinking, by Edward Burger

Episode #2 Overview Have you ever dreamed of booking destination wedding after destination wedding? Maybe you struggle setting prices that you feel are worth your talent and the product you deliver. This week on the podcast, we’re stoked to have our old friend and wedding filmmaker extraordinaire Ray Roman on the show, who just happens to be an expert in…well, pretty much every area of the wedding film industry, but especially destination weddings and the typically dreaded business side of what we do. For those of you who don’t know of him yet, Ray is widely considered one of the top wedding and event cinematographers in the world. Ray routinely travels the globe documenting weddings for high profile clients and discerning couples, as well as numerous star athletes. Ray has been the official wedding cinematographer for the Trump family, royal weddings and the highly publicized $20 million redwood forest nuptials of social media mogul Sean Parker. So many wedding videographers struggle to book the type of clients they want, and command the prices they feel their work is worth. Ray shares some of his philosophies on what gear you should be investing in (it’s not where you think!), and what skills you should be building to set yourself apart from the pack. Ray also offers us a peek inside his mindset when it comes to business, something that so many creatives struggle with, but is definitely one of the big reasons for Ray’s success. Also, stick around for the end of the episode where you can find out where to catch Ray on his upcoming world workshop tour, a life changing event for many of his attendees! In this Episode Ray shares the hilarious story of the first wedding he ever shot, back when he was still working his day job as a cop.The ideal scheduling mindset to avoid the dreaded “Backlog Monster”.Why Ray believes women have an advantage over men in this industry, and what men need to focus on to catch up.Which mental blocks still hold Ray back today.Ray’s philosophy on setting your rates, including coming up with your own “Happy Price”.How to get into the destination wedding scene. Links World TourRay Roman FilmsFollow Ray on Twitter: @rayromanfilmsCheck out Ray on Facebook

Episode #3 Overview As filmmakers, gear is an essential part of what we do, and while there’s no denying that fact, it’s important to remember that gear isn’t everything. Kraig Adams, a certified gear nut, joins us today and shares how he’s adopting a minimalist mentality when it comes to gear, and the benefits that the switch is having on his workflow. Kraig is a 25 year old, Brooklyn based filmmaker who, in addition to filming weddings himself, runs the website and Youtube channel Wedding Film School, where he offers tutorials, gear reviews, and teaches wedding filmmaking to others. Kraig shares how he quickly gained a high end client base, his current minimalist gear setup, and how he got arrested for flying his drone in the city! In this Episode How to fast track your way to finding clients in your local wedding film industrySome of the common mistakes Kraig sees beginner filmmakers makingThe challenges presented by filming in a major center like New York, and how Kraig has adapted his – workflow to suit themSome important indicators that you should be tweaking your price structureThe importance of saying “No” Links Wedding Film SchoolYoutubeFollow Kraig on twitter @KaaadamsKraig’s personal Youtube channelGlide Gear 3 Axis Gimbal StabilizerKasey Neistat

Episode #4 Overview As busy entrepreneurs trying to grow our businesses and sometimes even just scrape by, it can be hard for us to step out of ourselves and our work personas to actually connect with those around us. Jon Connor joins us today and among other topics shares some incredibly powerful stories of how just being a good human while participating in the film industry have given him opportunities, great memories, and have even impacted lives for the greater good. Jon is a filmmaker, editor, and writer, as well as the co-founder and event director of Masters In Motion, a 3 day event focusing on bringing like minded creatives together to learn from some of the best minds in the filmmaking industry. Jon has worked on productions for Showtime, National Geographic (he’s got a great story about this one!), and Urban Outfitters among others, and has a lot of wisdom, as well as a pretty great beard. So many of the successful entrepreneurs we talk to are quick to point out that being a good human makes you a better entrepreneur and businessperson, and it certainly seems to be working for Jon. What do you do in your own life to break out of your own “self-first” mindset andimprove the lives of the people around you? Let us know in the comments! MASTERS IN MOTION $50 PROMO: 1) Go to the checkout page at http://shooteditlearn.com/register/2) Enter “studiosherpas” in the discount code section3) Get $50 off of your pass! In this Episode How taking a step down the list of credits can grant you huge rewards down the line Jon’s favorite memories from his time as a filmmaker – neither of which have to do with shooting or editing Why it might be a good idea to separate your filmmaking skills into separate platforms online, rather than going for a jack of all trades approach The benefits of attending events and gaining inspiration outside of your niche Links Brainpickings.orgMasters In MotionJon Connor FilmsFollow Jon on TwitterFollow Jon on InstagramFollow Masters In Motion on InstagramFollow Matt at @LifeStageFilms

Episode #5 Overview “The ultimate goal is to be old and in love.”That’s what our guest today, John Goolsby says he always tells his kids, and it applies as much to your business and what you fill your time with as it does to your relationships with the people around you. John has been making films professionally for 30 years, and although he’s had to make a ton of changes to stay current with emerging trends and styles, he’s found a way to remain deeply in love with what he does, even after all that time. John’s company, Godfather Films has filmed over 3000 weddings, and currently takes on over 300 projects a year. Aside from wedding films, John takes on a lot of corporate projects and is currently even working on a reality show for A&E! In this episode John takes a look back over his career in the film industry, covering everything from winning a national award for his film on floor mopping for a grocery store client, to now speaking at numerous industry events, and structuring his company in a way that allows it to continue to function without his constant involvement. John has a lifetime worth of knowledge relating to building and growing successful businesses which, like it or not, is something we could all stand to learn more about if we want to make a career in the world of filmmaking. What have been the best techniques you’ve found for recruiting new clients and getting your name out there? Do you have systems in place that allow you to focus on working on the business rather than working in the business? Leave a comment below and let us know! In this Episode The hidden expense behind buying cheap gearHow defining and utilizing systems set your business up for success as it growsThe strategy John prescribes for raising your prices and and avoid pricing yourself out of businessHow attending trade organization meetings might be the best marketing you ever doSome of the common mistakes business owners make as their businesses mature, and how these can doom their companies if not accounted forThe importance of always continuing to learn and grow, no matter how much experience you have Links Godfather FilmsFollow John on Twitter @GodfatherFilmsGodfather Films on YoutubeGodfather Films on FacebookPurchase John Goolsby’s book: The Wedding Godfather – Advice You Can’t Refuse Books:The E-Myth RevisitedWho Moved My Cheese Join our FREE course: How To Build a Profitable Wedding Film Business

Episode #6 Overview I know, I know, I’ve been there. As creators it often feels like cheating to use templates or have anyone else do work on our projects for us. To be honest though, sometimes that’s exactly what’s needed to finish a project on time, or to be able to spend any time whatsoever with our families and loved ones. That’s exactly why Eri Levin and Tyler Williams, co-founded Motion Array, a creative marketplace with a variety of digital assets that include Premiere Pro templates, After Effects templates, stock music and stock video. Their goal is not to reduce the creativity of video producers and editors, but rather allow them to save time on their projects and focus their creative energies where it really matters. Their content is all highly curated, meaning that everything they offer is the highest quality possible. To be honest, I didn’t realize how useful some of their templates could be until they described in detail how powerful they are. I know I’ll be using them in the future for sure.  In This Episode What exactly is a Premier Pro template? And why you just might want to check them outThe advantages of joining Motion Array as opposed to buying content piecemealWhy I asked Eri and Tyler if they’ve been getting hate mail from their competitors Links Motion Array Follow Motion Array on Twitter@MotionArray Follow Motion Array on FacebookDon't forget that the guys have offered listeners of this show 25% off your first months membership with Motion Array when you sign up using one of these links: If you are joining Motion Array, use this link If you are upgrading from a free plan, use this link

Episode #7 Overview As creatives, a lot of us struggle to move into the launch or action phase of our pursuits. Like Ben Hartley, today’s guest says, we think and talk and plan but often fail to pull the trigger. Well, if you need some motivation, Ben might just be your guy. Ben is the founder of Style and Story Creative, an award winning wedding photography and commercial videography agency that has been featured on Creative Live, The Today Show, The Huffington Post and more. He also runs the Six Figure Photography Podcast and blog aimed at helping photographers achieve success in their business, but in a way that complements their ideal lifestyle. Before all this success however, Ben was a restaurant server with a degree in oil painting who just happened to hear about a job opening at a local video production studio. With no experience in video, through determination and action, Ben found a way to get that job, ultimately leading to a long and successful career in video and photography. After hearing Ben’s story, you’ll be hard pressed to come up with excuses about why the time isn’t right to pursue this project, or why you can’t achieve that goal. In This Episode The one simple secret that has allowed Ben to achieve success in his pursuitsHow observing and learning from different industries can make your business better I know we all love gear, but why people need to be the focus of your business in order to take it to another level. Quotes [12:05] “It’s all about caring for your people. Your salary, the amount of money that you make, your income, your net worth is entirely related to how well you serve you people. I just want to keep beating that into people’s skulls until they get it.”[21:29] “There’s no magic bullet, there’s no thing like ‘if you take this course it’s going to fix everything’. But at the same time, if you learn from people who’ve already done it, they’ve already made the mistakes, they’ve already made the wins and learned from them. I mean, that’s as fast as you can go.” Links Six Figure Photography – Blog and Email Course | Podcast | Facebook Style and Story Creative Lynda.com Gary Vaynerchuk – Facebook | #AskGaryVee Book Mad House Creative

Episode #8 Overview You know what one of my favorite emails that I get every single week is? It’s the email telling me that a client has just booked with me and my team. Then a few minutes later I get a second email with their retainer payment, then another that they’ve signed the contract. The best part about these emails is that I can be off spending time with my kids, or my wife, or working on other parts of my business while an automated system takes care of my new leads and clients. Adam Fried is the owner of ShootQ, having acquired the software company within the past year. In this episode he shares his vision for how he and his team are revamping ShootQ to make it the very best studio management software on the market. My teams and I have been using ShootQ to manage our clients and workflows for the past ten years and I absolutely love it. This is one of those rare pieces of software that actually frees me up entirely to focus on the things I want to, like creating amazing films for my clients. That said, as much as I love the software, there were certainly more than a few pain points and complexities in the program. Adam basically checked off each of my concerns one by one, and it seems like pretty much every gripe I had has been addressed, and improved upon. While we’ll have to wait until the end of Q1 2017 to get our hands on it, I have a feeling that this new version of ShootQ might just be one of my favorite tools that helps me run my businesses successfully. *Adam has been generous enough to provide a discount link for everyone on the Studio Sherpas email list when the new software is released in a couple of months, so be sure to sign up now!* In This Episode How automating your client and studio management can help grow your business in ways you probably don’t realize yetThe power of actually listening to your clients, and how that will affect your productA complete rundown of the top new features of the revamped ShootQ Quotes [9:55] “I realized quickly that if we’re going to set ShootQ up for the next ten years, we’re going to have to redesign this whole system from the ground up”[13:06] “We’re working on making a much more modern system, and that means it just has to flow easier. So we’re listening to the users, we’re seeing what they’re frustrated with, and we’re going to take care of that in the next gen system.” Links ShootQ

Episode #9 Overview Are you one of those classic creatives who loves what they do, and is really great at it, but struggles with taking control of their business and capitalizing on their talent. I know I am, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that just because you’re a creative type person, doesn’t mean you can’t master the business skills as well. Brennan Dunn is the founder of Double Your Freelancing, a blog, podcast and online platform dedicated to helping creative freelancers such as videographers, photographers, software developers and more make the most of their talents and grow their businesses. Whether you’re just starting out in your freelancing career, or have been doing it a while but want to take it to the next level, there are a ton of practices you can implement to your business and client relationships that will help you grow your business fast, and Brennan is here to share some of them with us today. I’ve been doing this kind of creative work for over a decade, but after signing up to Brennan’s email list a couple of months ago and going through one of his free courses, I picked up so much useful information that I’ve already begun applying to my own business. In This Episode How and why to set up automated systems to streamline your business processesPricing and selling strategic work and consultingHow to avoid commoditizing your skill, and charge more for your servicesDetermining how much you should charge for value-based pricing services Quotes [25:29] “No one’s ever paid a bunch of money because they want video done. They care about what that video will do for them.” [31:03] “What is it they actually want? And how can my medium, how can my talent help achieve that? That’s the big difference.” Links Double Your Freelancing Calendly Active Campaign  (our affiliate link is included, fyi) Follow Brennan on Twitter @brennandunn Connect with Brennan on Facebook

Episode #10 Overview Ok, I hate to be the one to bring back these horrible memories, but do you remember how painful it was when every project delivery was done through DVD? Yeah, I hear ya, dealing with the whole DVD process was the first thing I offloaded when I hired my first employee, and I could not have been happier to never have to deal with it again. We’ve largely moved on from physical deliverables these days, but Dropbox and USB stick deliveries, while easier definitely lack the experience that DVDs and Blu-Rays gave. In this episode, we’re talking with Michael Guastamacchio, co-founder of MediaZilla a content delivery service that delivers the best of both worlds. Michael and his team work to provide an immersive viewing experience for your clients, while saving you from the tedium of physical deliverables. I know I’ve been waiting for a service like this for a long time, it makes our lives as creators so much easier, as well as giving a better experience for our clients. How do you deliver your final products to your clients? Have you ever thought about trying out a service like this? Let us know in the comments!* * * Michael has been kind enough to offer Studio Sherpas listeners the following promo* * * New members: Save 10% off an any annual prepaid membership or get 1 free month with any monthly membershipExisting members: Save 10% off an any annual prepaid membership if you convert from any monthly plan * * * In This Episode How MediaZilla works and why you might want to consider giving it a shotWhere Michael sees the industry going in the next few yearsHow 360 video is going to be incorporated into delivery platforms like Mediazilla Quotes [32:10] “...Online streaming, I think that’s where the biggest change is that we want to see take place. Where pretty much the default is streaming and it’s only in really rare cases where you have to deliver some type of physical media.” Links MediaZilla Follow MediaZilla on Facebook Follow MediaZilla on Twitter @TheMediaZilla

Episode #11 Overview “You get to a point where there’s always going to be something that could hold you back, and you have to decide, ‘Ok, at which point am I not going to let that something be a hindrance to me starting to check things off of that bucket list that so many people have but they never actually get through.” [33:57] I’ve been a friend and admirer of Ron Dawson for over a decade now, and he seems to have a way of making everything he touches turn to gold. Ron is currently the host of Radio Film School, a podcast that many call “This American Life for filmmakers”. Before RFS though, Ron had started 2 more uber-popular podcasts geared towards the film and photography industry. Ron is now in the process of filming his first feature documentary, as well as transitioning his business and family into becoming global digital nomads. As with all successful people, Ron’s story has not been without struggle. In this episode, he shares how some of the hard times have inspired his life and business and forced him to focus only on the most high-value pursuits. In This Episode How personal projects can help drive your business forward.Some personal mistakes Ron made in regards to debt when starting his business, and how those still affect him.Why you should come up with a manifesto for your business that can help guide your decisions. Quotes [22:53] “I think that’s one of the challenges we have as filmmakers, who are in this to make a living. How do we balance the work that keeps us inspired, that keeps us wanting to be filmmakers, with a lot of the work that sometimes you just have to do because you just have to pay the bills." [30:36] "Given the crazy things that are going on in our country and the world right now, we’re really hoping to do something that can bring some positivity to the world [and] that can show the beauty of other cultures."  Links Ron Dawson Radio Film School Invisible Illness Film Follow Ron on Twitter @RonDawson Great video of Ryan and Ron

Episode #12 Overview If you’re like me, at some point in your life you’ve probably aspired to making it big and breaking into Hollywood as a director, producer, DP, editor, etc. But where did this idea of success come from? Rob Hardy was an indie filmmaker working 18 hours days on projects he wasn’t passionate about, with people he didn’t click with, burning himself trying to achieve that goal. He was at the point of asking himself if he even wanted to be a filmmaker before realizing that there were many paths to a successful film career, most of which don’t lead to Hollywood. Rob now runs The Filmmaker’s Process, a blog and growing community of indie filmmakers where he guides readers on how to redefine success for themselves, according to their own circumstances, talents, and values. He’s also passionate about building a worldwide directory of film professionals to make it easier to connect with partners for our creative projects. Few if any of us will realize the dream of consistently working on Hollywood films, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t create fulfilling and successful film careers on our own. It just means we need to think hard about what success means to us and take one small step at a time to get us there.   In this Episode How to set your expectations and success metrics to avoid burning yourself out and getting discouraged in the film industryRob’s method for taking one small step at a time towards success by filming “micro-shorts”How working towards success is like building a houseWhy we need to stop talking about the myth of “overnight success” Quotes [3:42] “We have a culture, particularly in the west and in the world of filmmaking that gives us definitions of success that aren’t really useful, and in fact, they might be harmful if everybody chooses to go down that path” [32:51] “I really do think a lot of the stress in our lives and a lot of the friction comes from doing things that aren’t in alignment with our values, and we all have different values... Spend some time being introspective, figure out what you actually care about in life, and use that as a guide for how to move forward. Don’t get mired in what everyone else is doing.” Links The Filmmakers Process Kevin Kelly’s 1000 True Fans article

Episode #13 Overview Ok, confession time. There was a time in my filmmaking and creative business journey where I almost let the business take over my life. I let the work that I was doing take over more and more of the energy and attention that I should have been focusing on my family, and I learned some really hard lessons from it. Joey and Aaron of 31 Films and Film Lab Creative were getting established in this business around the same time as I was, and I’ve been watching and admiring their work for a number of years. Right from the beginning, the thing that set founder Joey’s companies apart in my mind was the culture he established. He’s been able to take his companies from a one-man operation to bringing in Aaron, to now having seven full-time editors on staff! Of course, it wasn’t easy for them, and they too have learned many hard lessons along the way (don’t we all?). It’s never easy, knowing when it’s time to bring in someone else to help grow your business, but Joey has some great insights into what’s worked for him. Not only has he grow his companies, but he’s maintained a healthy work-life balance and focus on family for both his employees and himself.   In this Episode The difference between working with freelancers & in-house employeesHow to know if you should separate your wedding and corporate work into distinct brandsHow Aaron and Joey tackled a backlog of 38 weddings!!!The importance of knowing your numbers when it comes to hiring employees Quotes [21:18] “Having a brand that speaks to brides on the level that we like to - on a really personal level - but also speaks to corporate America is not very doable.” [25:36] “I think that’s been a huge key for us, is not just creating good work, but being really pleasant to be around and being really easy going, and not taking ourselves too seriously” [29:19] “It’s not just about your work. It’s about how you connect with people, and how they connect with you, that they trust you or not”  Links Story and Heart Academy 31 Films Film Lab Creative

Episode #14 Overview Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past… well, ever… You’ve probably realized that our industry is going through some pretty major changes. A lot of these changes are scary to us as filmmakers and video producers. Budgets seem to be getting smaller, and it gets harder and harder for us to stand out from the hordes of insanely talented filmmakers that we often find ourselves competing for jobs with. Pat McGowan is a filmmaker with over thirty years of experience in the industry and has watched these shifts take place over time and adapted to them along the way. He’s the owner of inMotion, a film house based in Ottawa, Canada, as well as his new service BlackBox. He’s watched what he calls the commoditization of video content take place, with giant companies taking a major stake in content production and consignment. Pat realized that there had to be a way for the average video producer to capitalize on the ownership of the content sitting on their archived drives, and earn some passive income in the process. He created BlackBox as a way to help video content owners streamline the process of contributing to stock footage companies, taking care of the entire backend process, and allowing content creators to do what they do best: Create. Great. Content.   In this Episode What Pat sees as some of the challenges presented to us as filmmakers in the coming yearsHow we might rethink our service offerings as video producers so as to remain competitiveSome of the benefits of getting into the stock footage, including everyone’s favorite, passive income!Not sure what types of footage to contribute to stock companies? Pat’s got some tips for you Quotes [10:50] “We are expected to create content in some kind of a business framework, but it’s really on spec, there’s very little preorder going on these days.” [23:37] “I think a lot of video producers are probably not aware that they’re sitting on potential passive revenue that is sitting on their archived drives, or on their server right now, or even on that job that you’re going out to shoot today.” Links Blackbox inMotion

Episode #15 Overview “It takes more than pointing your camera at a human to really capture character in your video. While most wedding have a bunch of people, and often prominently feature a couple, they rarely have any character.” This was the opening line of a recently published blog post by today’s guest, Patrick Moreau. The blog post in question was titled Why Most Wedding Films Suck, and needless to say, it ruffled some feathers. The post Why Most Wedding Films Suck had over 1,000 shares and 20k views in the first couple days–and created a firestorm on Facebook. Patrick joins us today to dive deeper into the sentiments that drove him to write the post, and what the average filmmaker can do to not only produce films that don’t suck, but ones that cross borders and inspire viewers beyond the wedding film industry. If you don’t know Patrick already, he’s the co-founder of Stillmotion, a video company that went from shooting their first wedding with photo and video for $250, alllllll the way to shooting for some of the biggest brands in the world a few years later. How big? How about the NFL, MLB, CBS, Callaway, Canon, Toyota. The list goes on. Really big. Oh, and they’ve also won five Emmys. Do you want to hear the crazy part? Many of those brands approached Stillmotion to work with them after seeing one of their wedding videos. Hard to believe right? The thing is, Patrick and his team are master storytellers, and the elements of a well-told story remain the same no matter what you’re covering. Whether it’s one of the most important days of a couple’s life together, or one of the most important days of a bunch of 300-pound dudes smashing the crap out of each other, the principals are the same. Patrick’s frustration with the lack of storytelling chops in the industry is the focus of his other company, Muse Storytelling. At Muse, he teaches filmmakers how learning the art of storytelling is the biggest thing you can do to move your business forward. It’s storytelling, not a new drone or camera setup that is the thing that’s going to elevate you to getting those 10, 20, and 50 thousand dollar clients on a consistent basis. Storytelling has become something of a buzzword as of late, but we want to clarify what it really means, and how you can go about crafting great stories, and getting paid what you’re worth to tell them. What does storytelling mean to you in your process? Have you thought about or taken part in a Muse Storytelling workshop before? What did you think? Leave a comment and let us know!  In this Episode Why satisfied clients are not the most important thing you should be focusing on in your video businessHow to deepen the story while doubling your rate in a way that clients can’t resist (seriously)What big corporate brands really want from a video partnerAn in-depth explanation of Patrick’s blog post, and where some people got it wrong Quotes [6:30] “We didn’t want to be wedding filmmakers. We didn’t want to fall into a genre and just make that thing, we were much more interested in people and stories.” [13:15] “I think people need to realize that the biggest thing that’s holding them back, is themselves. And we often don’t take a moment to actually do that. We think it’s the industry, we think it’s our brides, we think it’s our market.” [32:26] “I wasn’t selling him, I was getting excited like I am now, going ‘Oh my god I see this, this is what we could do!' That is the number one way that we actually increased our bookings [and rates]. It was actually getting to know people.” [39:05] “I don’t know how many times we’ve actually sat down and said, ‘in 20 years when I’m retired, what am I going to look back on and remember? What am I actually going to care about?’ Now I get that a lot of the audience right now is going to get defensive and go, ‘ But it’s not about me. It’s about my clients, as long as they were happy.’ But is that the life you want to live? Where you never actually cared about doing something that mattered to you?” Links Stillmotion Muse Storytelling Once more, the link to sign up to Patrick’s upcoming webinar The blogpost in question: Why Most Wedding Films Suck

Episode #16 Overview A little over a year ago we (Matt and Ryan) launched this crazy idea we had, called Studio Sherpas. Since then, we’ve put out our Selling Like A Sherpa course (which we will be relaunching soon!), launched this here podcast, and created a whole bunch of other content to help filmmakers take control of their creative businesses, move in a direction that inspires them, and charge what they’re worth. You might be wondering though, “Who are these guys, and why should I listen to them???” In answer to that question we decided to record a podcast focusing on us, Matt Davis and Ryan Koral, co-founders of Studio Sherpas, passionate storytellers, creative business veterans, and dedicated family guys. Between the two of us, we’ve experienced pretty much all of the highs and lows that working in this industry can bring. We wanted to take a moment to share our own stories and hopefully provide some insight into what it’s taken for us to build our businesses from one-man wedding film companies, to fully fledged teams focusing on weddings, corporate, education and more. In this Episode The importance of viewing other videographers as allies rather than competitionHow each of us expanded into corporate films after getting our start in wedding filmsHiring strategically to grow your businessWhy you need to define your vision for your business early on Quotes [13:06] “I’ll always love having a camera and filming and creating. But for me, my long term goal was really to have a business that could support me, my lifestyle, and my family. Sad enough as it might seem for my pride, the people that are on my team, the people that we hire today are better at filmmaking than I am. Better at shooting, better at editing. So one of the smart things that I did was sort of step back and let people lead instead of me, in those areas.” [27:36] “We hear from so many people, ‘I’m just in a small market, I’m just in this farm town out here in Idaho. I’m trying to do weddings, but there are no venues, there are no whatever. And I believe that that’s a lie, I believe that that’s an attack that’s keeping your business from where it should be.” [41:20] “Try to find a quiet place, and say ‘what are the voices and the lies that I’m believing, that just aren’t true?’ That’ll set you free.” Links Wedding Film Retreat Matt’s wedding rap video The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber

Episode #17 Overview *Spoiler Alert* You might notice while listening to this episode that today’s guest, Evan Bourcier uses a certain word again and again and again. That word? Intentional As in being intentional, thinking intentionally, and making decisions about your work, your projects, and your life with foresight and purpose. Despite his age (he’s 23), Evan has achieved a lot in the world of filmmaking so far. He’s an award winning and highly sought after DP, owner of a boutique video production house, Valo Visuals and runs a popular educational blog, podcast, and Facebook community. What’s the secret to his success? You guessed it: Being intentional If you’ve dreamed about moving from event video production to commercial work for big brands, or making the jump into marketing yourself as a full-time Director of Photography, Evan has some great tips on how to go about achieving those goals with intention. In this Episode How to evaluate big projects that you might be better off turning downMaking the jump to becoming a full-time DPWhy you should be focusing on what Evan calls “Slow-burn” relationshipsHow Evan met his wife, cuz everyone loves a love story right? Quotes [21:18] “I think a lot of the people who feel disenchanted are those guys who are at that middle tier, and trying to go up into the higher tier, and they feel like there’s nothing for them. There’s a bunch of people selling a bunch of stuff that they feel they already know. And so I think for me right now, that’s the biggest thing.” [27:43] “I want to facilitate people making good stuff. Because I think that making good stuff is fun obviously, but I think that making good stuff allows you to do bigger and better stuff. What are the things that you can do to make your work better, that then allows you to then go up to another tier of work?” [34:06] “If you’re not putting yourself in front of people, and engaging in different communities and networking opportunities and that sort of stuff, then you will always be that starving artist that is just kind of barely making it by in between jobs.” Links Evan’s home online The Super Secret Film Blog The Super Secret Filmcast Podcast Contribute to Evan’s Patreon and allow him to keep producing top notch educational content  Find Evan on Facebook Check out Evan on Youtube Find some of the gear that Evan has discount available for Masters In Motion Get our free sample contract worth over $500 by completing a short survey for us HERE

Episode #18 Overview I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but you’re probably going about pricing your film services in the wrong way. Don’t worry, I’ve been doing it wrong as well, and so are about 99% of not only wedding, corporate, and commercial filmmakers, but creative business people in general. Sean Low is the Founder and President of The Business of Being Creative, a consulting company and fantastic blog (seriously, read Sean’s stuff) that helps artists build businesses that honor the art that is behind them. After starting his career as a lawyer, Sean found his calling working with creative business owners helping them transform that pesky business side of things that so many of us creatives struggle to maximize. One of Sean’s biggest criticisms is that through our pricing structures, we unintentionally cause our clients to value the wrong parts of our creative processes. By rethinking – and repricing – our offerings we can be more, creative, land better clients, and make a better living doing what we love. We dive into some of the price restructuring I’m currently going through with my own wedding film brand, and Sean points out some of the inconsistencies in the way we price our corporate and commercial work versus the way we price our wedding and social work. It turns out that I – and probably a lot of you – are still using outdated pricing structures that made sense 20 years ago, but have little sense in today’s creative business climate. Not for long. How do you currently charge your clients? After listening to Sean, what do your prices indicate that you place the most value on when it comes to working with clients? Leave a comment below!  In this Episode Some of the ways we as creative business owners consistently misprice our services, and the ways we should be thinking about these situations.How our businesses and pricing structures often send a different message to potential clients than what we tell them directlyThe importance of focussed branding and messaging to you clients Quotes [12:30] "Setting a process is not forcing creativity, it's setting the stage for creativity" [18:15] "The power of design and the power of art, the power of real creativity is always on form. It's always in the front of things, and we're always kind of surprised by its power when we look back." [45:30] "When the cost of technology races to zero, then it's all about the creativity. When it's all about the creativity, then there's money to be made. But in order to do that you need to throw out the model that's based on the cost of production." Links The Business Of Being Creative Follow Sean on Twitter Preston Bailey

Episode #19 Overview It’s a challenge that wedding filmmakers and creative business owners the world over face and struggle with, every day. “When is it time to quit my job and go full-time on this? Is it even possible for me to make a career telling stories through film?? My market is waaay too small for that…” Some of us struggle with this for months, years, or even our entire lives without ever taking the leap and giving it a shot. The timing never seems quite right, our ideal clients are nowhere to be found and there are too many obstacles that we perceive to be standing in between us and our dreams. Sarah and Rick Pendergraft of PenWeddings have been there, and know all of the struggles associated with making the move into a totally foreign industry. Based in Broken Arrow, OK (yeah I had no idea where that was either), it’s hard to say that they’re in a “high end” wedding market, and yet they’ve steadily been increasing their prices, year after year since launching the company in 2009. Not only that, but they consistently travel around the world to shoot high-end weddings for couples they love working with, and who genuinely care about the finished product. I’ll be the first to say that I learned a ton from them today about some of the experiments they’ve done along the way, (some successful and some not) related to pricing, marketing, and scheduling. They also dive deep into how they went about making the leap from working for the local news station, to crafting wedding stories at, Mexican beaches, in Australia and much, much more. Are you working full time as a wedding filmmaker in a small market? If so do you remember some of the challenges you perceived when making the leap? Looking back would you do anything differently? If not, what are you struggling with? Leave a comment and let us know! In this Episode The pitfalls of charging by the hour, and why you should probably avoid itWhy booking yourself solid might not be the best indicator of success for your business, and what you should be thinking about insteadHow to boost your creativity and improve your final product through smart schedulingProperly vetting your clients to ensure you’re working with people who you want to work with and who care about what you’re producing Quotes [21:07] “Every time you cross over a new $1000 it was a little freaky, but we’ve continued to increase year after year, and so far we’ve never had a scary ‘uh oh, we’re not going to be able to pay the bills’ kind of moment” [23:36] “If you’ve got 30 weddings, you don’t have time to wonder, ‘is this thing I’m trying to do with these vows going to work.’ You’ve got to pump it out and get to the next one.” [38:33] “There’s a lot to be said for holding out and learning when to say, ‘I don’t think we’re the right fit for you.” Links PenWeddings Follow PenWeddings on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Wedding Film Retreat

Episode #20 Overview When a lot of us start out in the wedding industry, whether it be as filmmakers, photographers, or coordinators, we have dreams of working with high-end luxury and celebrity clients. I know I did when I first started, but as most of us realize pretty quickly, it can be really hard to elevate your brand to a level that attracts that type of clientele. And even if you do, there are often a host of other challenges that accompany these clients. Sasha Souza is the founder of Sasha Souza Events and has been planning and coordinating events of all kinds, including weddings for over 20 years. In that span, she’s guided her company to becoming one of the top event, design, and wedding coordination companies in the US, the most awarded wedding design and event planning company in Napa and Sonoma, and now has offices in Napa, Sonoma, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Over the years she’s worked with a number of celebrity clients and shares with us today her mindset behind attracting those clients and working with them, including how to handle being asked to work for PR. With all the success of her own business, Sasha is now broadening her focus to include helping other creative professionals “who have no idea why their businesses suck.” What’s more, she’s offering a $100 discount off of her 8-week coaching Masterplan to listeners of this episode (see link below)! In this Episode The importance of having a truly great team around you if you want to get to the top levels of your industrySasha’s full pricing structure for events, destination work, and celebrity clientsHow to attract the type of clients you want by curating your portfolioWhy if you don’t already have a business coach, it might be one of the best relationships of your life Quotes [15:49] “Nothing pisses me off more than putting down a peer who has talent. We all started somewhere.” [22:15] “You just think ‘oh well if I do this for this [famous] person and we do get that PR, we’re going to get booked by everybody!’ And what I’ve found out is that actually doesn’t happen.” [35:21] “Aside from being afraid of spiders, there is no fear that is valid.” Links * Don’t forget to sign up for Sasha’s 8-Week Masterplan and enter discount code: sherpas17 at checkout! * Sasha Souza Events Consultancy For Creatives