After two weeks of photography, we’re going to break off for some moving image work. This week I want to take a look inside the world of motion design with a great person and magnificent video producer, Marcus Rhoads.
I’ve known Marcus now for several years and enjoy getting together to chat photo, video, design, God, and just life in general. You won’t find a more genuine friend or hard worker than Marcus.
Let’s see what he had to say about motion design and being a video producer for a megachurch in Orlando.
What is your name, official position, company (and location) you work for? If you work for yourself as a creative professional, you don’t need to give me a company name.
My name is Marcus Rhoads and I’m the video producer at Northland Church in Orlando. I also do freelance shooting and editing.
If asked what you do as a video producer, what would you say?
I make videos for our weekend services which include shooting and editing promos and illustrations as well as creating motion graphics for our 75 foot wide projection screen.
Regarding freelance, I work with several non-profit as well as some for-profit organizations doing mostly video editing.
What made you want to become a video producer?
Ever since my youth minister taught me how to use some primitive editing equipment in the mid 90s, I fell in love with moving pictures. It was so much fun making movies with my friends and I also got very involved with the church tech team. We always joked about making it big and being the next Spielberg and we even made a war movie in our neighborhood called “Saving Private Jason.”
I was also very interested in audio and being a recording engineer but video kept pulling me back in. It was in college, while pursuing a music degree when realized I could do video at a church and actually make a living from it! I finished my degree but have been producing videos in churches ever since I came across makewebvideo.com/en/templates/logo-stings.
Who are some of your inspirations in the field of video, video fx, design, or the arts as a whole?
I’ve been inspired by a variety of sources. I love the music videos by Michel Gondry and the storytelling of Garrison Keillor. I also love photographers like Ansel Adams and the lighting techniques of Rembrandt. I also learned a ton from my boss of many years, Marty Taylor.
I follow the motionographer blog (http://motionographer.com), which is always inspiring, as well as the Boston globe big picture blog (http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/) and the greyscalgorrilla (http://greyscalegorilla.com) blog. In the church world, I like the nooma videos (http://nooma.com) and igniter media (http://www.ignitermedia.com), as well as several churches that produce great videos.
What makes you most excited about working with video production or any of the softwares you use on a daily basis?
I used Final Cut Pro for years and recently switched to Adobe Premiere Pro. I am very happy with the Adobe products because they really listen to the customers feedback and respond with great new features. I am excited about expanding my knowledge of other Adobe software because it all integrates so well.
I also love DSLR cameras for video and how cheap it is to get your hands on a large image sensor and good lenses. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what tools you have, it’s all in the vision and artistry behind them.
What do you expect (or want) to see happen within the video and motion design field over the next several years?
I think the demand for good, original video content is rising worldwide. Over the next several years I expect to see the bar of entry continue to lower and allow more people to get high quality tools in their hands. This will allow more opportunities for artistic expression, but also muddies the water and makes it harder for individuals to stand out.
I think video that’s only used on the web will also continue to grow. It’s now becoming a standard for organizations to use lots of original video content on their website and it’s a great communication tool.
If you had to choose a different, completely unrelated career, what would that look like?
I’ve often thought about being a cross-country truck driver but I’m sure it’s much less glamorous than I’ve built it up to be. Also, maybe a park ranger.
Is there anything else, personal or professional, people should know about you?
You should know that my wife and I are adopting a baby this year, and rest assured, her whole life will be documented on video!
Some of Marcus’s Work
Where You Can Find Marcus
Follow me on Twitter – @marcusrhoads
Where I work: Northand, A Church Distributed
