Today we’d like to introduce you to Kerry Lofton.
Hi Kerry, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started doing video production about 11 years ago. I’m originally from Louisiana and had dropped out of college there due to some financial and personal reasons and was wondering what my next step would be. I was working at the Apple Store in New Orleans during that time and I was meeting a lot of people who were doing film and television and it just sparked my interest. I ended up buying a camera off of Craigslist and figuring out how to use it on YouTube.
The minute I picked it up, it was like things just started to happen for me. I had the opportunity to film a Thanksgiving Turkey giveaway for Lil Wayne and it was at that point that I knew that if I could be put in those situations at such an early stage in my career, the sky was the limit for me if I worked hard at my craft.
I spent the next couple of years shooting music videos and projects around New Orleans and even had the opportunity to have one of my videos premiere on BET’s 106 & Park.
In 2014 I moved to Dallas in search of more opportunities and to start a new season. I worked at a church for a few years before I found the opportunity to begin working with the Dallas Cowboys in 2018. That was the start of something major for me as I was able to win a couple of Emmy’s there and meet a lot of people that would lead to so many doors open that allowed me to step out and create my own video production company, Inspired Dreams Film Group, in 2020. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to work with several major athletes and brands including NFL Films, Demarcus Ware, Dak Prescott, Gatorade, and The Dallas Mavericks to name a few.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Definitely not! Social media makes it look like it because it’s highlight reel living but I don’t think anybody doing anything worth anything had a smooth road. I think adversity on the road of fulfilling our purpose builds the character we need to handle the success.
During my journey I experience some mental health things, battling imposter syndrome and depression trying to find my confidence to know I belong.
I experienced homelessness. I moved to Dallas with no car, no job, little money, and a bag of clothes and 32-inch tv. That was all I had to my name. My soon-to-be mother-in-law gave me the opportunity to live with her until I found some stability but it was still hard trying to plan to take care of my wife and start my family.
I experience A Lot of rejection. People see that I worked for the Cowboy and that’s something they like to key in on but they don’t realize I got rejected when I applied in 2014 when I first moved to Dallas. It took me 4 years of hard work in a tough production environment to get another chance to work for the team.
I also experienced a lot of racism and prejudice. You don’t see a ton of people of color in major roles on film sets. And even then, they are most likely battling a lot of politics happening behind the scenes. I experienced quite a bit of those politics myself and had to work twice as hard to be respected as some of my peers who were not black.
But through it all, I wouldn’t change any of it. Every experience was for God’s good plan and purpose for my life and made me who I am today.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a video producer, photographer, and author.
I specialize in mostly commercial content but have extensive experience in dealing with sports and athletes. For me, that’s a big passion, being able to help athletes tell their own stories and control their narratives.
I’m also a new author. I just published a book called, “Money Talks: How to confidently price your work”. It’s a book helping my fellow creatives, business owners, and freelancers figure out how to put a price on themselves and the work they do. I’m really proud of this because these are conversations many are afraid to have. Nobody really likes to talk money despite it being such a big part of what we do. I think it’s a powerful tool to help clear up some of the confusion for people to be confident about pricing themselves, no matter what line of work they are in.
I think what sets me apart from others is my vision. Not to say I have a better vision than anyone, just different. We are all uniquely skilled in what we do, and even though someone may be as talented it as me, they don’t see things the way that I see them just like I can’t see things the way they do. That’s the beautiful thing about art, it’s all subjective. I enjoy bringing my own unique perspective to every project.
What does success mean to you?
Success is walking in your God-given purpose. I could drive a nice car, have a lot of money in the bank, live in a big house, and be well-known, but none of that matters if it’s outside of God’s will for my life. My prayer every day is that I would walk in His plans for me.
Pricing:
- Book is available on my website for $13.99
- Custom quotes for photo and video work are available upon request
Contact Info:
- Email: Kerry@KerryLofton.com
- Website: www.Kerrylofton.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kerrylofton
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/kerrylofton
Image Credits
James D. Smith
Adriana Herrera
