Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Moon.
Hi Michael, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I originally went to school for Film at the University of North Texas and ended up graduating with a Bachelor’s in Creative Writing. It was a winding road for sure but the best part of college was the internship I managed to get in Burbank California. I had never heard of the show General Hospital but I was so excited to be in the center of where television shows and movies were actually made. Daytime television was fast and the show shot 4 days a week. I was able to see how a soap opera was shot, written, and edited. I got to rub elbows with a few actors and directors as they graciously bought us interns lunch every once in a while. I even had a producer completely through me under the bus to her superiors for an issue that was technically her fault. It was just as exciting and awful as I hoped it would be.
Once the internship was over, I moved back to Texas and mostly moved from job to job trying to find something that I didn’t totally hate. Ultimately, I always felt like I was wasting time when I was working for someone else. I would pick up video production jobs here and there but nothing that really lasted or amounted to something outside of PA work. I knew I wanted to work in video production I just wasn’t sure what direction I wanted to go. I met my wife and compass Rachael in 2015. She graduated with a degree in business and knew exactly what direction she wanted to go. Together we launched VirtuReel Productions – a video and event production company that truly focuses on the details of your occasion.
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?
It has been anything but a smooth road. Most of that was by choice and a fair share of the struggles along the way were caused by COVID-19. We all went through that together so let’s just skip that part for now. When I started my business, it was mostly because I was burnt out from working for someone or under someone. I had no passion in my life for those 8 hours and that really started to add up quickly. So, my first challenge was literally knowing nothing about building a business. Lucky for me I had a strong partner that really helped push our business to a new level. The main struggle is the amount of knowledge it takes to run your own business. From the incredibly mundane process of how to file your taxes correctly to the intricacies of how to make a compelling and dynamic wedding film, there is just so much you don’t know.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We create content for small businesses and individuals trying to get their message across to larger audiences but we specialize in Wedding Documentary Films. This is a little more intensive than your average highlight video. Our films are feature-length documentaries that follow the couple on their wedding journey and usually run an hour in length. We capture all the detail and most importantly the emotion of the day. Our goal is to give you a movie that will put you right back in your lover’s arms when you watch it. We were a little ahead of the curve before wedding documentaries were being requested so I find that our work usually exceeds our client’s expectations. We recently journeyed to Holbox Mexico with a couple and spent 3 days adventuring with them and it all ended with a picture-perfect sunset wedding on the beach. We are editing the footage together now and it will be our most in-depth film yet. It is the scale of our Documentaries that sets our work apart, sometimes highlights just aren’t enough to tell such a grand love story.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
I’ve learned that mistakes don’t have to always be a negative thing. Making a mistake when operating your own business can really lower your morale or make you question what you are doing in the first place. It feeds into the fear that maybe you aren’t cut out to be the boss and you should just go get a “job.” If you let it, a small mistake can be the difference. But after a few office meltdowns, I found that I always managed to find the solution to the mistake. So now I skip the meltdowns or being too hard on myself and move on to finding the solution as quickly as I can. There is a wealth of knowledge in problem-solving and the more you know the more valuable you are to your company in the end.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://virtureelproductions.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/virtuweddings/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VirtuWeddings
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOE4AwLbH2_7Q9_6l_7QNCA
Image Credits
The Burrow: Wedding and Portrait Photography
