Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Gonzalez – Founder & Editor, Ryan Reed – Creative Director & Cinematographer.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Well, the story kind of starts back in college where we met while studying film at SMU. During this time, we became good friends working on countless projects together. But in full honestly, neither of us knew what we were going to do after graduation. The only thing we did know was we wanted to create great video content any way we could and hopefully make some money along the way… I don’t think we could have predicted what was actually going to happen…
(MICHAEL GONZALEZ)
Back when we were seniors and a couple of months before graduation at SMU we were both in that awkward phase of needing a job. We both freelanced around Dallas, pretty much doing whatever job we could find both big and small. We both knew that we wanted to work in the video production field and I (Michael Gonzalez) thought that my best chance of doing so was to intern at a local production company. With about a month until graduation and still no real career options in sight besides the occasional freelance gig, I met someone who would change my life forever. To make a long story short, working a gig I met someone who wanted to sponsor me and help me create my own video production company. This is something that I thought was too good to be true, I always wanted to have my own business, especially since both of my parents had been entrepreneurs their entire lives. But it was always something I thought would happen a lot later in my life. The only thing that this benefactor wanted in return was for me to repay the favor later on in life when I became successful enough to do so. It was part being in the right place at the right time, part miracle, part blessing from God.
I graduated from SMU in December of 2015 and in that same month I formed the LLC for the business and was able to buy a good baseline of gear so I could start to work on projects. I quickly learned that doing it all alone was somewhat of an impossible task. As projects started to pile up, I needed help and immediately thought about Ryan. I have always admired Ryan’s creativity, professionalism, and knowledge of the film and video production world. We worked on our first project together in February 2016 and have continued to do so ever since. We quickly fell into our roles and learned what works best for us. I really think one of the things that have made Visual Voice Media so successful is our partnership and our ability to work so well with each other.
(RYAN REED)
I was out doing some freelance work for some different companies around Dallas for a few months after graduation when one day I got a call from Michael. He told me about this plan he had to start a production company and before he even finished his sentence, I said… “I’m in.” Because I knew he had an incredible work ethic and we had worked together so much in college, I knew we would align creatively. Most importantly, we shared the same vision on where we wanted to take the company and agreed that we would both do whatever it takes to bring this idea to life. But really, I just knew it was the perfect partnership and because it has always been my dream to start a company. And really from that day on, we just never looked back.
Has it been a smooth road?
It hasn’t been the smoothest but we honestly can’t complain too much. I think every business goes through their rough patches, it’s a natural part of the growth process. As strange as it may sound, we are happy, we have hit a few bumps along the way. We think the challenges, mistakes and the occasional regretful decisions you make early on while starting a business all just make you and your company better in the long run. Without those experiences, we wouldn’t be the company we are today.
But one of the biggest things we had to overcome or really just learn on the fly was the ins and outs of running a business and how to navigate that side of the industry. Neither of us had a business background, we spent basically all of our academic careers learning how to be the best filmmakers we could be. That being said we both come from very hard-working families with everyone in them having a business, sales, and entrepreneurial jobs. So, whether we had formal training or not, we like to think it’s in our blood. And now, we really believe how we run our business, our sales techniques, and client relations have become some of our biggest strengths.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We are a full-service media company. Our goal is to give each customer a voice and the ability to express themselves in a creative and visual manner. From commercial work, corporate productions, to real estate, construction, wedding films, and even narrative work, we are passionate about giving you or your business a voice and helping you achieve your creative goals.
We believe that everyone has a voice and a story to share and that someone’s budget size should not prevent them from sharing that story. I think that sometimes businesses see videos online and on TV and think that it is something that is out of their reach. So, we work really hard every day with our clients to change that perception.
Our specialty is in all aspects of video production. But we really thrive on more creative projects. We made sure to build a team-centered around creative filmmaking first. This is also what sets us apart from other companies. While we fully understand all aspects of marketing, advertising, business development, we are proud to say we are creatives first.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
We could not be more proud to be based here in the great city of Dallas, Texas. We were both born and raised in Dallas so there was never any question about where we would start. Not only that but there are more and more businesses moving into the DFW metroplex every day. Sure, Dallas is no Hollywood but when it comes to corporate and commercial video production there are few markets as hot as this one.
Contact Info:
- Address: 3106 Commerce St, Dallas, TX 75226
- Website: www.visualvoicemedia.com
- Phone: 972-415-6737
- Email: info@visualvmedia.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/visual_voice_media/
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
