Can you tell me about your background? School?
I grew up in Lancaster, Ohio. I went to St. Bernadette for elementary, St. Mary's for middle school, William V. Fisher Catholic for high school and Wright State University for college. I received a BFA in Motion Picture Production and Design. I moved back in with my parents who live in Lancaster after finishing college and again after adulthood smacked me in the face around 26. I met my current girlfriend Brandi shortly after the second move; I moved in with her in Dayton after doing the long distance relationship thing for a year and we've been living together since.
What do you do for a living?
I'm an overnight videographer for a local news station (I don't want to mention it by name so as to imply that they endorse anything I say) in Dayton. It's kind of like the movie Nightcrawler, only boring.
If you’re not doing it, what would your dream job be?
I've always had a passion for film theory, history and analysis and from around the end of college to now, I'd like to be a professor/lecturer of film studies at a university or college. But money and self-confidence are holding me back. Which sucks to admit, but it's the truth.
How important is social media to your business?
Within the industry, it's the new currency. No one really watches TV news the way that people did when I was growing up and when I was growing up, no one watched news that way. The industry is ever-changing. As far as my own personal social media presence, I don't exist as a personality... However, I'm constantly setting up my camera for facebook live streams. When I get a good clip or shot, I (am supposed to) point our social media coordinator or anchors or reporters in that direction, so they say "check out this video and read the story on our website."
What would you say is your personal brand is?
I don't even know what that means. I have a very set list of places I shop/frequent, products I use, clothes I wear, entertainment I watch/listen to, etc. and I'll endorse those to whomever will listen whenever I can people mention.I'd say geek chic with touches of nerdery and hipsterdom.
What can others learn from you?
When people ask me how's it going, I say "Another day in paradise" rather glibly, but I sincerely believe that we can get a bit closer to heaven if we'd just see the world around us that way.
How do you do under pressure? How do you handle stress?
My current job and most of my previous ones are a lot of hurry up and wait with very set deadlines and it gets to me A LOT. So, I don't handle pressure very well. I internalize it. Like Tweak from South Park, usually. I cope with lots of caffeine, nicotine and curse words. I also just kind of figuratively lower my shoulder and push through. DiCaprio in Inception says "Downward is the only way forward."
What’s the average day in the life of Kyle look like?
I wake up around 12:00AM, grab my camera and police scanner and hit the road. I go around to car accidents, house fires, violent crimes etc. I stop by the station load any footage into the computer system, swap my gear into a live truck and then hit the road again. Depending on what's going on, I could just be parked in a gas station parking lot or near a park downtown. Around 3:30-4:00AM, I get my live location and head there and post up for the rest of my morning with my reporter. If breaking news happens, we'll head there. I get back home between 9:00-9:30AM. I then go through a cycle of facebook, youtube, sleeping, snacking until dinner and then I sometimes fix dinner for Brandi and I. And that get's me through the weekdays. Saturday and Sunday, I chill around the house, sometimes videogaming. I like to head to the movies, but I haven't been in far too long. Every now and again, I'll go out for a date night or stop by my friend's who run an art gallery.
Do you/Did you have a mentor/mentee?
Mrs. Van Evra was my 8th grade history/english teacher who got awakened my love of history and really made it come alive.Mr. Thimmes was my high school English/Yearbook & Journalism teacher who opened my eyes to the world of cinéma and literature.If Mr. Thimmes opened my eyes, Dr. Charles Derry taught me how to see. He was one of my film professors in college. His classes were amazing, not only did he teach cinéma as an art, but he also taught how we could and should incorporate that into our lives and the culture around us. I'm not even beginning to do him justice with that synopsis, but I would sit in on lectures I had already taken, just to hear them again. He also hired me as his office assistant my junior and senior year, which showed me how I would have to work to be a film professor (a lot of reading and writing).The equipment manager for the MoPix area at Wright State, Mark Lyons, helped me get the job at the station. He was invaluable. He went to school with my boss, Lee, and Mark put us in contact with each other. Mark's recommendation got my foot in the door. Lee also showed me the news video/editing ropes and is very good about answering question and not micromanaging. I'd probably be nowhere right now without them.
Also, I'd be remiss to not mention Chad Cromwell Sr., who was in my current position when I first started. When I started as an editor, I'd edit his footage and he took me out nightcrawling on my first day training as videographer, so he made it very easy to see. Also, he carries himself like a badass, so I just kind tried to absorb that style slightly.
Don't really have a mentee yet.
How did you advance your career?
Luck and the aforementioned connections. Plus hardwork and diligence. I really care about being the best at what I do, if that's digging ditches or working in a kitchen (previous jobs) or shooting news or (eventually?) academia. Which is pretty much the deal in any career: luck, hard work and the right connection.
Why do you do what you do?
Because I need to be behind a camera or at an Avid and outside of Los Angeles, film schools or a news station, I'm basically unemployable. Also, bills.
Who or what is your greatest inspiration?
Those teachers and mentors I mentioned previously, my dad, Jean-Luc Godard, Martin Scorsese and too many other filmmakers to list.
What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment?
A short multimedia video I made entitled "Man Dismayed/Man Dismade." I got a very appreciative acknowledgement and personalized note from Charles Derry in his book Dark Dreams 2.0, which I like to show off every now and again.
Do you have a ‘must have’ accessory? Or something you feel is your signature look?
A hat of some sort. Usually a ball cap backwards, but every now and again I have a duck bill hat and one called Coconut BeBop, which is my summer going out hat. I have a fancy fedora-like hat (it's not a fedora, promise), but I wear it and feel like people are gonna see me as the neckbeard fedora wearing mansplainer and I can't handle that.
Also, four rings... one on my wedding ring finger, one on my left middle finger, one on my right thumb and one on my right middle finger.
What advice can you give others that look towards you to gauge success?
"The only things you HAVE to know are how to make enough of a living to stay alive and how to get your taxes done. All the fun parts of life are optional." I stole that from a webcomic I follow. Basically, you're a success if you're making a living and having fun and learning something new about yourself or the world around you.
Also, if you have friends like "It's a Wonderful Life" says.
What advice can you give on failure?
Fear of failure is the only real failure... But avoiding the fear is easier said than done.
What was your big break?
This question could get real dark, real quick... On several occasions, I've proven myself to be "Johnny on the Spot" with some breaking news situations, especially when I was very new to news shooting and that certainly helped solidify my current position and success. However, those breaking news situations are often very tragic.
Are you a member of any organizations? Trade Organizations, etc.
National Press Photographer Association
Thanks, Kyle!
xo,
KJB
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