Getting Started:
Tips from Producer Matt Coleman
Some sound engineers started out as musicians. Other times, they were the ones who owned the PA system in high school. Maybe they just liked to hang out with the band. But how do video pros get their start? We hooked up with Unblind Productions founder, producer Matt Coleman for perspectives and pointers.












Growing up,
I always had an interest in video. I started by editing with two VCR and a boom box, dubbing in my soundtrack. It was pretty tedious process, so that passion eventually gave way to one for writing. A first time Oscar-winning screenwriter inspired me. I started showing up to casting calls in Houston to get hired as a film extra. What I was really after wasn't acting, but the opportunity to hang around a real set and watch how stories were told and shot. Before long, my first screenplay was finished; the second one I wrote made it to the semi-finals in a screenplay competition.

In 1999,
I moved to North Texas to get a film degree ant the University of North Texas. While there, I also worked on local films as an unpaid intern. Before long, I realized I was getting a better education on these local projects than I was at film school. I finished the semester and never went back. Around that time, I joined 121 Community Church. When I told them that I was building a video and film career, they hired me part-time. So there I was: working part-time for my church, running my own business (www.unblindproductions.com), and working for an independent film company that I co-founded in 2005 (www.filmosaic.com).

Last year,
I was selected as one of the final contestants in the Fox reality show, On The Lot. This fall, Filmosaic will have a short film airing on Showtime – "Worth the Fall". God has been good to me over the years. And it all started with a determination to get hands-on experience. Let me stress the importance of 'getting out there and doing it'.



Matt's Top Five Getting Started Tips:

1. Live with this motto:
"What can I do today, to get closer to where I want to be tomorrow?"
I learned right away that jobs were not going to fall into my lap. I had to make a choice to be proactive in my career. I worked hard at studying movies and commercials, and reading as much as I could about filmmaking. I learned a lot about how the professionals in the industry where choosing their edits and picking their camera angles.

2. Network, network, NETWORK!
Meet as many people as you can in the industry. I started out as a stand-in on a film for the USA Network. While on set, (making five dollars an hour), I watched and asked as many question as I could. Since then, I have made many friends in the industry who have been more than happy to help me out. I was shocked by how many professionals were willing to give me advice (and even sometimes work). Networking makes a difference. I get 90% of my work from friends. I have never advertised my business, and most of my projects are from referrals and returning happy clients. The more people I meet, whether clients or industry peers, the more chances I get to perfect my craft.

3. Always say 'yes', then figure it out as you go along.
Never say "no" to an opportunity for growth. I got my first job producing a training video for a large national bank. I had never done anything like it, except for short and kind of cheesy church videos. When I was approached, I told my roommate that I was nervous and didn't think I could do it. He said "Tell them 'yes', then figure it out as you go along." Those words have changed the way I look at my career. To this day, I still figure it out as I go along. No one has all the answers.

4. Anything is possible.
Never walk into a project thinking something cannot be done. God made us resourceful. If you think hard enough, you will find the solution to jump over just about any hurdle. Even in editing, anything is possible. Don't get discouraged about a bad take, or a bad camera angle. I have had many situations where the problem and then the fix made the entire project better.

5. Audio is crucial!
I learned the hard way that if I didn't pay attention to the audio, the story I was trying to tell wouldn't be heard. Audio can make or break any project. Think about mic placement. Get the mic as close to the subject as possible for the best audio levels.