Today we’d like to introduce you to Wesley Blalock.
Wesley, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My passion for film-making, and cinematography started when I became fascinated with sports cars in 2013. I wanted to be able to capture these cars in a cinematic way, the way I see them. Starting out was rough, I have a background in video editing from growing up and creating YouTube videos as a kid, but I didn’t actually own any camera gear, or have the funds to purchase my own.
On my spare weekends, I reached out to my brother (Josh Blalock) who owned a Nikon D550, and a friend who owned a drone. They actually let me borrow their gear to create videos. This gave me the opportunity to shoot free projects, I focused on cars at the time. As I put the videos out over social media, I grew quite a bit of attention.
My sister (Jordan Blalock), who has been in the wedding business for 6+ years noticed my cinematography work, and told me she thinks I could really bring a different perspective to wedding videos with my editing style. So, I did exactly that, I shot my first 3 weddings for free, using borrowed camera gear from friends and family. After releasing my first few wedding films, I was quickly flooded with inquiries to capture weddings! I was able to start charging, and upgrade my equipment to what I have today.
It has been an incredible journey, and I would have never been able to get where I am without the support of my brother & sister pushing me to where I am today. This career path has given me the opportunity to capture so many beautiful stories, and meet so many amazing individuals, couples, vendors, and so on. I’m incredibly thankful for all my friends & family for supporting me.
Has it been a smooth road?
Not at all! The biggest struggle I had with starting out was learning how to say no to work & how to value my work & time.
I left my Full-Time job to pursue videography, I was so used to having a paycheck every week, and the comfort of having a secure job, that I lived in fear of running out of money. I said yes to every project that came my way, because I never knew when my next paycheck would come. I also started out with very low pricing, and offered just about everything I could in packages to interest people in my videography.
After sitting down and really thinking about my business. I started looking at how much time I spent on each project, the additional costs, time away from family, traveling, etc. I was able to reconstruct my pricing to value my time & work, and stopped taking on every opportunity that came my way. I realized if I created a quality & consistent product, people would value me more.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the BlalocK Media story. Tell us more about the business.
I am a Professional Cinematographer who specializes in Weddings, Commercials, and Cinematic Story-Telling. I am most commonly known for Weddings & a YouTube series I run called “Turnin Rust”.
I absolutely love being able to document weddings. There is something so special about capturing a story, and bringing it to life in a whole new perspective. You are able to capture moments & audio that the couple can relive for the rest of their life. Being able to create that, there is no other feeling that compares.
I am most proud of our YouTube Series. I wanted to take myself out of my comfort zone, and pursue something most people would not touch. Turnin Rust is a series that follows along Wyatt & Lance Bush (Kravened Kustoms), through Northeast Texas to rescue and restore classic vehicles, and get them back on the road in 40-45 minute episodes. We document everything from finding the vehicles, customer negotiation, restoring it, selling it and so on. Think American Pickers, but for vehicles. Starting out my career, I would’ve never imagined I’d produce a full-time series. It has been so rewarding gaining a loyal following, and knowing we have fans all over the world.
I think what sets me apart is my editing & attention to detail. I am able to create stories that draws you in emotionally, and moves people.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I think the videography business will explode. Each day social media is getting bigger & bigger. And the opportunity for creators is growing as well with YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Etc.
As these businesses grow, the demand for content will grow. Which will force companies to invest more money into video advertisements. With the amount of outsources for video content now days, the business will only continue to flourish.
Pricing:
- Weddings Startings at $1,500
- Engagements Starting at $250
- Commercials Starting at $500
Contact Info:
- Address: 703 Park st, Commerce Tx, 75428
- Website: www.blalock.media
- Phone: 903-348-8456
- Email: blalocksmedia@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/blalockmedia
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/blalockmedia
Image Credit:
Jordan Blalock Photography
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