At Sparkloft, we know growth happens when you step outside your comfort zone. That's why we've introduced the Spark Choice program, a unique opportunity for Sparks to explore new skills and passions beyond their current roles—on us. Recently, Ashley took the leap from post-production to on-set production, using this program to gain hands-on experience behind the camera. Read on to see how this opportunity broadened her creative perspective:
I spend the majority of my career editing videos and animating them. Basically, I take whatever footage I have available to me, chop it up, add some music, add some graphics, and tell a story that feels new and unique—and I love it. I’m always just behind my computer, editing away… but what if I got out and did a little more? What if I was on the other side of the production, on the ground, operating a camera, directing, and calling the shots? Sometimes, I wonder what I would be capable of if I knew how the entire production process worked and could have my hands on every step. Here’s where my Spark Choice came into play.
Discover Atlanta is a long-time Sparkloft client, and we get to make lots of content for their socials across several platforms. This year, they came to us asking if we could produce and direct a photo/video shoot to generate assets to use in the coming years, and of course, we were thrilled to do so! When I heard about this opportunity, the lightbulb went off in my head, and I knew I had to go. Living in post-production land, I wanted to see what it takes to prepare for and execute a shoot. Since the budget was tight, I used my Spark Choice to take advantage of this learning opportunity.
This shoot felt extra special because I’ve always lived in Atlanta, so it’s fun to show off my favorite parts of the city. With an entirely Atlanta-based team (aside from our Creative Director, Colin, flying in from Portland to help), we know the city best, and we can own the creative and approach our ideas from a genuine, authentic perspective. Also, being a part of a woman-directed shoot felt so good. This was our Associate Creative Director, Julie, for the first time leading and directing a production, and she absolutely killed it!
I learned that maybe directing isn’t for me (that’s a lot of pressure), but I did leave with a bit of curiosity about camera operation, lighting, and setup. I didn’t know that you could have an entirely separate person operating the focus for the camera while the camera person focused on composition. At one point, the lighting looked so realistic that I thought a light placed outside the window was the sun. My main takeaway was how helpful it was to watch the monitor, help make small decisions like frame speed and composition, and get a preview of the footage I’ll edit later. That will save me hours of sifting through footage without any context of what was shot.
Overall, I had such a good time! We had a tiny crew, just a handful of us wearing multiple hats to make things work, and a modest budget, but the footage that came out is STUNNING! I was so impressed with our actors, the production company we worked with (Resonant Studios Atlanta), our own team, and what we could accomplish. It was a long, 13-hour day, but we celebrated with a nice dinner at the end, getting to unwind with some pasta and good vibes. I would 100% do this again.
