Emotive Films: May 1st, 2025
Ever wonder how a hobby can turn into a careerโฆ and then into something even ๐๐๐๐๐๐ง?
This is that story.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐๐: ๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ ๐๐น๐น ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐ป
In the late '90s, I got my first camcorderโnothing fancy, just something to experiment with. I filmed everything, taught myself to edit, and learned what worked (and what didnโt).
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐น๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐: ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฑ๐ถ๐
At first, clients sent me footage, and my job was to shape itโfind the story in what already existed.
Frame by frame, I learned how pacing and structure could evoke emotion.
And for a whileโฆ that was enough.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐ง๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐น๐บ๐บ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ
Then, in 2009, Canon released the EOS 5D Mark II.
๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ. ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ.
Suddenly, cinematic-quality footage was accessible. I saw an opportunity: What if I stopped waiting for clients to hand me footage and started shooting it myself?
So, I took the leap. I bought the 5D Mark II, a few lenses, and began offering videography services alongside editing.
No longer just behind a screen, I was on location, camera in hand, capturing stories as they unfolded in real time.
And I was all in...
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ง๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฆ๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ ๐ ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ
For years, I was in my laneโbehind the camera, in the edit bay, crafting sleek, high-end content for Fortune 500 companies, luxury brands, agencies, and nonprofits.
It looked great. It felt polished. My clients were happy.
But at some point, I started asking myself: โ๐๐ฉ๐บ ๐ฅ๐ฐ ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐ช๐ฆ๐ด ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ค๐ต ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ญ๐บ ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฆโฆ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ช๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ฏโ๐ต?โ
Then it hit me: The content that made people lean in, share, and remember?
It wasnโt the glossy, overproduced stuff. It was the raw, unscripted moments. The ones that felt real.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ถ๐๐ผ๐: ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐ฑ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ
That realization didnโt just change how I workedโit changed ๐ฌ๐๐ฎ I worked.
I wanted to help brands tell stories that felt authentic, human, and unforgettable.
So, I founded Emotive Films, a creative video agency that helps businesses humanize their brand through documentary-style storytelling.
The shift from editor to an agency owner wasnโt just about starting a businessโit was about evolving.
It meant moving beyond executionโno longer just an editor or cinematographer, but someone shaping the creative vision alongside clients from the very start.
Because growth isnโt just about learning new skills. Sometimes, itโs about letting go of the edge of the poolโso you can learn to swim in deeper water.