Conversations with David Bradley

Today we’d like to introduce you to David Bradley.

Hi David, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I moved to the States to pursue a music career. I was signed to a publishing deal with an independent record label and toured the entire country playing as a solo artist. My band and I played from coast to coast from 2009 to 2015, and one of my songs charted on the Country charts back in 2011. Being “the artist” in front of the camera and hating it gives me a perspective these days when I shoot videos for artists. I can tell when they’re struggling and work through it with them. I try to make my sets fun, relaxed, and a place where the people in front of the camera can be vulnerable and play the role. That said, this younger generation is generally SUPER comfortable on camera, and sometimes it’s talking them down a little, playing it cool.

Anyway, I got off the road and wanted to venture into an area that still scratched that creative itch that I have but meant that I could relax and not have to “perform”. I really prefer being behind the camera. Ive always had a passion for light and images, so I started my own production company. Invested heavily in increasing my knowledge base and equipment to allow me to put that knowledge into practice. I never felt that it was the right move (for me) to rent gear as I needed it. Like any craftsperson, you build your skills using your tools every day. And cameras, lenses, lighting, grip, etc. are the tools of our trade. So, I invested in myself and my business. I now run a full-service production company with all of the tools and equipment (which of course is forever growing and evolving) and a studio home base in Nashville, so that really no matter what my client’s needs are, I can take care of it in-house. What that means for my clients is there are little to no mandatory “rental” costs that have to be passed on. Essentially, when you book a gig with us here at Osprey, you have access to ALL the tools at our disposal. This means we can overdeliver on our mission to provide a great service. Whether that’s live streaming from a red carpet or shooting a movie, we have the right tools for the job and are able to employ them internally.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Smooth road…. well.. it hasn’t been freshly laid asphalt all the way, BUT because I’ve only taken the jobs I know we can nail along the way, it really has been a steady climb to where we are now. There haven’t been any true obstacles. I’ll give you an example. We worked with a client who wanted to capture a live reveal of their new product lineup. It was in front of a live audience and multiple products, and the client wanted to capture everything from every possible angle. Lots of cameras. I could have scrambled around trying to rent as many matching cameras as I could, and fix any color issues between unmatched cameras in post. But I’m investing in rental companies doing that. (and incidentally, I love rental houses; I think they play a fundamental role in certain things). So I made the decision to take every dime of the budget, once personnel were paid, and take any profit for the company along with a lot of our own money, and I bought all of the 21 cameras we needed for the job. For a small company, that was a hole that I knew I had to climb out of. But it turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve made. We provided a top-notch experience for that client, and because the investment was made internally, it has allowed us to scale. To take multiple jobs on the same day. I’ve had 3 and 4 crews out on the same day because we increased our inventory so significantly just from that one job. And to go back to your original question, there were a couple of months where that outlay of money made things butt-puckeringly tight. But I knew we’d come through it. Call that a struggle, if you will, but it’s a business pulling itself up one level.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Businesses out there want to be more creative. I don’t think it matters what area of business you’re in; bringing in new clients and customers requires creativity. And that’s hard, and it’s all on top of actually running your business. I think what we here, as Osprey Media bring to the equation is the creative spark. Some clients want us to just take it and run with it, “We want final sign-off, but we just don’t have the bandwidth to be creative”. Some clients really want to get creative but need a partner to bring the ability to translate those creative ideas into reality quickly, effectively, and with the minimum amount of labor to their company. Because they’re already doing a full-time job…. doing their job. Because of the structure of the company we’re building here, we can slot in at any level and be a good partner in seeing a vision into fruition. I’m a two on the Enneagram, so I am having my best day when I’m helping someone. I think what sets us apart and what I’m proudest of is that we’re not in the business of raping a client for the last dime of their budget. We’re building relationships, and I am proudest of the repeat clients we have. When you’re being asked back time and time again to partner up you know you’re providing a valuable service and a business model that has longevity.

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Not being greedy. Work hard, be kind, honest, valuable, and you’ll stay busy. I like to work.

Contact Info:

• Website: ospreymedianashville.com
• Instagram: omnashville

Image Credits
David Bradley Osprey Media