Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Pickering.
Josh, before we jump into specific questions about the company, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up in Houston, TX, Katy to be exact. My dad was in the oil industry and my mom was a teacher. I was a typical kid growing up in the 80’s. Skateboarding and BMX were my passion until my mom took me to the movies. The Goonies was the first movie I ever saw in a theater. Sure we had a TV, but programming wasn’t what it was like today. I remember being mesmerized by that movie. I remember thinking, how did they do this? Was this real? We had a VHS player and I soon found Raiders of the Lost Ark on the shelf. With hesitancy, my parents let me watch it. I found myself trying to figure out how movies were made, and around 5th grade, I started playing with my dad’s 8mm video camera. This carried into junior high, making remakes of Friday the 13th with my friends. Then in 1994, a 68 episode TV show came on called Movie Magic. It was basically a behind-the-scenes documentary on how movies would do visual effects, makeup, etc. I was hooked. I found myself building miniature cities and creating these car chases with my dad’s camera. I knew I wanted to make movies. High School came along and I was interested in football and not making home videos with my friends because that’s just weird. Still, movies were on my mind. I grew up around all things at Baylor University. My mom and dad went, and my dad’s mom was the Dean of Women there in the 70’s. We went to home football games in Waco all my life. I knew I wanted to go there, so when it came time to look for colleges, I chose Baylor, but only if it had some film program, which it did. I graduated in ’03 and started looking for jobs in the industry back in Houston. Nothing was available. I had a friend that was working at a company called Bluefish TV, now Right now Media, in Dallas, and he was able to get me an interview, and I got the job! This opportunity landed me filming in different parts of the world. I had worked there for almost four years and knew I wanted something else. I took a job with The Pursuant Group, shooting donor videos for universities.
Four months later, I was laid off and officially went freelance. I started networking and connecting with other freelancers and just trying to get by. I started out shooting a lot of corporate videos. They weren’t my favorite, but they paid the bills. I got connected with a friend and started helping him in music videos. It was always a goal of mine to become a Steadicam operator. In 2015 I purchased a Steadicam rig and joined IATSE 600, the camera union. I have been on some really cool projects that have taken me all over the world. I now work mostly on long form projects, like feature films, and TV shows, but commercials also keep me busy. I’m also a director of photography on a fair amount of projects as well. I can’t think of myself doing anything else.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has not been a smooth road getting to where I am today. It’s taken years. Constant networking is always a game for me. One project usually leads to another, and within that project, you make other connections and it just branches out. It’s amazing the random phone calls I get from years back. I would say going freelance and building your clientele is the most difficult.
We’d love to hear more about your company.
My company is Josh Pickering Films, LLC. It’s cinematography services for commercials, feature films, and TV shows. Another company of a mine is Texas Steadicam, which is Steadicam services for Texas. Although I travel everywhere. I love shooting films. The last one I shot was two summers ago in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. It was an action thriller that took place on the water, on boats. Shooting films is difficult, but what elevates that difficulty is being on the water. The logistics we had to deal with was insane. I’m currently prepping for another feature that will be shot in Georgia later this summer. I’m most proud of creating lasting friendships and collaborations with other artists. I think what sets me apart from others is my work ethic. You have to be a team player, which also means that sometimes your opinion doesn’t matter. Just have fun and know that ultimately you are getting paid for creating awesome images with talented people. There are way worse things.
What were you like growing up?
According to my parents, I would never settle down. I was always on the move. I was impatient, and that still carries on today. I needed to be on my bicycle or skateboard. On another note, I have always loved thinking and day dreaming. I can usually think for days and weeks before a task is at hand, and it prepares me immensely. Today I’m pretty relaxed and go with the flow for the most part. Sometimes it’s hard for me to start things, but once I’m in, I don’t stop.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.joshpickering.net
- Email: josh@joshpickering.net
- Instagram: joshpickeringdp
- Other: www.texassteadicam.com https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2795715/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1
Image Credit:
Beyr/Richardson, Bret Curry
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