Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Williams.
Matt, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Honestly, I kind of fell into videography. After graduating college in 2018, I entered the workforce as a Junior Corporate Tax Analyst. I had my head down and my ears pinned back, ready to climb the corporate ladder. In the summer of 2021, I married my best friend, Alexandra Rich, and that’s when my life’s true course began to change. Getting home from the office and sitting on the couch became mundane and dull. Going from playing sports my entire life—and finishing my athletic career in college—to the corporate cubicle felt unfulfilling. Don’t get me wrong, I was blessed with an amazing job, a supportive wife, and the perfect financial posture that had been preached to me my entire life. Yet, I still felt that, at the core of who I was, I was missing something. I believed a hobby I could truly sink my teeth into would help unlock that mystery. As I mentioned, sports were a core building block in my life, and I always loved ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentaries growing up. The perfect balance between storytelling and the power sports have for community was something I deeply appreciated. Yet, I knew I still needed to scratch my left-brained itch and find an avenue where I could learn every technical aspect of something new. I felt visual arts would satisfy both the technical and creative parts of my brain. So, in the fall of 2021, I rented a camera and went to a football game. I had absolutely no clue what I was doing and relied heavily on the advice from the many “YouTube University” professors. Early on, my videos and photos were a technical disaster. That experience—falling on my face publicly—was one I knew all too well from being an athlete and a budding tax professional, and it truly added coals to my fire. Each day, week, and month, I continued to “swing my axe,” falling more in love with the process, not the product. This commitment to staying completely authentic to myself began to bleed into my everyday life. My mindset shifted from being an uber left-brained, task-oriented man to a man who operated through his convictions and passion. Lexi (Alexandra) noticed this. At the time, we were still considered newlyweds and were making decent money, but we were nowhere near a spot where I would justify buying a camera. She surprised me and purchased my first brand new camera. She told me she believed in me far sooner than I believed in myself. I was taken aback, and I told her she didn’t need to buy me something for me to know she believed in me. From then, I hit the ground running, filming anything and everything, trying to emulate the stories of the many amazing people I had seen on TV growing up and in the current day. Over the next year, it came to a point where school administrations, athletic programs, parents, and entire communities would flood my inbox with gratitude for documenting their athletes and their culture. In that moment, I realized I had the opportunity not only to document cool visuals of talented people, but, most importantly, I had the honor of telling the stories of these many creative, courageous, talented, and humble individuals. This, in turn, impacted others who watched a video, read a caption, or saw a picture. Each project was an opportunity to sow a seed that could bear fruit. I named the company Prelude for that very reason: its definition. Prelude means “an action or event serving as an introduction to something more important.” My sole mission for myself and this company is for us to be a prelude moment and/or experience for everyone. Sports have greatly blessed my life, and I see them as a tool to bring a Prelude moment to each and every person who is ready for one. I thank God for each opportunity, my wife for always seeing me for who I strive to be as a man, husband, and now business owner, and I thank every person who has allowed Prelude the privilege to be a part of their journey.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, the journey definitely has not been smooth, but I am an avid believer that anything worth its salt is never easy. Many will read that 2021 was the conception of Prelude, and that was the CliffsNotes version. 2021 is where we started pouring the concrete, for lack of a better term.
I was still working an average of 55–60 hours a week as a full-time accountant, and as soon as I badged out from the office, I was filming, editing, and up late into the early mornings. I would drive 2.5 hours one way from Grapevine to Abilene, Texas, every Friday to film—five hours of commuting alone. I was missing holidays with family to try and seize every opportunity presented to me. I would work Monday through Friday, film Friday nights, edit all day Saturday and Sunday, and then Monday morning, I was right back in the office crunching numbers.
It was two full calendar years before Prelude itself made a profit. Continuing to work full-time for three years while investing in the dream has meant many late nights and early mornings.
I pride myself on being born and raised in the West Texas plains. You have to have a lunch pail mentality. You have to wear many hats, and most importantly, you have to strive to be the hardest worker in the room. You’ll get where you need to go when your mental discipline meets your talent.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Founded by Matt and Lexi Williams, Prelude Production is a dynamic film production company rooted in the heart of athletics and community spirit. Our mission is to craft inspiring and compelling visual stories that celebrate the power of sports and the bonds it creates within communities. Through a combination of cutting-edge filmmaking techniques and a deep understanding of athletic endeavors, we aim to bring the thrill of the game, the perseverance of athletes, and the unity of fans to the forefront. Whether it’s a documentary, a feature film, or a series of engaging shorts, Prelude Production is dedicated to showcasing the triumphs, challenges, and transformative experiences that sports and community life offer. Prelude has worked creatively in collaboration with Whataburger, Under Armour, Gatorade, ESPN, PowerLift USA, Penn State University, University of Virginia, Louisville University, Brigham Young University, University of Oklahoma, South Carolina University, and Southern Methodist University.
How do you define success?
I define “success” as living a life true to your convictions, working every day to be the best version of yourself, and, in turn, being a blessing to those around you. Unfortunately, I used to search for success from every angle except the perspective I saw in the mirror. Life can be confusing, and our circumstances are not always fair, but the common denominator is our heart posture. I believe that in order to find success, I need to continuously strive to be the best husband, friend, mentor, and one day father I can be. You cannot pour from an empty cup. The more I focus on becoming the best version of myself, the better I am able to be a vessel to those around me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.preludeproduction.org/cinematic-recaps
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/preludeproduction/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PreludeProductionn
- Twitter: https://x.com/PreludeProduct1
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@preludeproduction190
