Today we’d like to introduce you to Zach Mayfield.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Zach. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I got started with cameras when I was just a little tyke. My parents had an old camcorder when I was a kid, and growing up in a town of 300 people in Nebraska forced me to find my own creativity. My sister and I stole the camera to make skits, shows, and everything in between. I’ve pretty much had a video camera in my hand since then.
In college, I asked my parents to invest in me by getting me my first DSLR camera. After classes, I would go to metal shows just to practice filming and photographing. I fell in love with the process and made it my goal to go freelance after school. I knew I never wanted to work for anyone other than myself, and I was dead set on that. Turns out, I dropped out of school to pursue freelance filmmaking and music. Somehow I’m still alive today lol. Since leaving school, I’ve continued to refine my skills, I’ve grown a filmmaking YouTube channel to nearly 15K subscribers, and started a small film collective in ATL called Hometown Crew with two other beautiful boys, Kevin Johnson and Josh Hart. We all met through the heavy music scene, and here we are today making music videos and commercials.
Has it been a smooth road?
It’s been a tough road, but so worth it. The main strugs:
– I lived on the floor of a living room for two years while I got my freelance business off the ground.
– I worked alone for 4ish years before I started meeting other creative people to work with.
– Finances can be very difficult in a freelance career, especially when college doesn’t teach you about taxes HAHA.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
Hometown Crew is a group of three scrappy filmmaker dudes who just love the craft and aren’t afraid to break some rules to get weird. Our spectrum of work is strange but fun. We do a lot of heavy metal/rock music videos where we really get to be creative and let our brains run wild with ideas. On the other end of the spectrum, we also create commercial content for industries like timber, steel, and electricity, with other commercial gigs sprinkled in there as well. Honestly it’s a very enjoyable balance. If we were to only do dark music videos, we could get creatively stuck. Also, if we only did commercial work, we risk getting ourselves into a rut. This strange balance keeps creativity alive and flowing, and we’re thankful for it.
I think what sets us apart is that none of us are traditionally trained “film industry” guys. We don’t know all the professional lingo, and we all come from self-taught backgrounds. Personally, I try my hardest not to take things too seriously. In the end, we’re making videos, and that should be a good time. I try to reflect that on set to create an enjoyable atmosphere.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Video and film is continuing to explode and grow at a rapid rate. The current shift we’re seeing and will continue to see is that camera equipment is becoming more advanced and more affordable. We’re going to see passionate people with great ideas get the opportunity to bring that to life in a way that isn’t just Hollywood. I think that’s the trend I’m most excited about. I think the amount of individual content creators will continue to grow, and I love it.
Contact Info:
- Website: hometowncrew.com
- Phone: 6292196177
- Email: kevin@hometowncrew.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hometown__crew/
Image Credit:
Jonathan Wade, Imani Givertz, Garrett Lobaugh
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