Daily Inspiration: Meet Davone Bonneau Jr.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Davone Bonneau Jr..

Davone, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Davone Bonneau Jr. I’m a Video Content Producer, Creative Lead, and the founder of Colours Creative out of Atlanta, GA. But if you really want to understand where I’m at now, you gotta go back to where it all started.
It started with music — not cameras.

I went to CAPA, the Creative and Performing Arts High School in Pittsburgh. I was a percussion major for four years — jazz band, big band, all of it. That’s where I first learned what it means to really create something. When you’re in a band, every part matters. Every beat, every note has to serve the bigger picture. I didn’t know it at the time, but that’s the same way I think about video production today.

Music got me into storytelling. Back in August 2009, me and my cousin Wesley — we called him Sandbag — started a YouTube series called OMG TV. We were just two kids from Pittsburgh grabbing a camera and filming ourselves around the city. Honestly, we got the idea from watching Wiz Khalifa’s *Day Today* series. Wiz was documenting his life raw and unfiltered, and we thought — Pittsburgh has stories too. So as DBO and Sandbag, we just went for it. Our biggest video was OMG TV Episode 12 — the Black & Yellow Video Shoot — it hit almost 9,000 views. For two Pittsburgh kids with no budget, that felt huge. That’s really where I fell in love with filming.

At night, me and Sandbag were also out here throwing 21 & Under parties at MyCITY Lounge in the Strip District and Downtown Pittsburgh. We were doing everything — making flyers, promoting on social media, managing the door, keeping the energy right. Looking back, that’s where I learned marketing and event production. We didn’t call it that back then. We were just trying to throw a good party. But those skills stuck with me.

Around that same time, from 2009 to 2012, I was involved with the KRUNK Movement through the Center of Life — a community org in Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood neighborhood focused on youth and music. I was rapping and writing music through that program. I was also a summer school counselor at Pittsburgh Public Schools’ Summer Dreamers Academy, teaching kids how to write lyrics and rap. At the end of the summer, they got up on stage and performed everything they wrote. Watching those kids find their confidence like that — that stayed with me. That’s when I realized I wasn’t just a creative. I was a teacher too.

All of that brought me to Temple University in Philadelphia, where I got my B.A. in Media Studies & Production in Fall 2016. Philly was a whole new chapter. I was DJing all through college — frat parties, sorority events, college bars, nightclub appearances all over the city. I was also working with 215Live, a Philly record label, filming EDM concerts, fraternity events, and Temple Tailgate parties. And on the academic side, I was a Video Producer for OwlSports Update on Temple TV — producing 90-second sports features, game highlights, and post-game pressers for Temple football, basketball, soccer, and more. That’s where I really learned how to build a story from start to finish, on a deadline, under pressure.

While I was at Temple, I also got brought on as a Monster Energy Brand Ambassador and Event Specialist from 2015 to 2018. This wasn’t just handing out samples at a table. I was part of the Monster Event Staff Team — we built stages, set up LED video walls, constructed FX stunt areas and concert setups. In 2018, I toured with Monster for NASCAR events across the U.S., supporting race weekends and large-scale fan experiences. Being on that national stage — managing logistics, building out branded environments, engaging massive crowds — gave me a real education in how a major brand operates at scale. That’s something you can’t learn in a classroom. I carry that into every branded project I take on today.

From 2018 to 2021, I was with The Awesome Films — producing collegiate sports TV shows for Pitt, Penn State, Rutgers, Seton Hall, and Boston College. I shot and edited shows like The Jeff Capel Show, The Pat Narduzzi Show on AT&T SportsNet, and Rutgers Basketball Story. I was doing everything on set — camera, lighting, grip, audio, fast-turnaround editing. That’s where I became a well-rounded production professional.

From 2021 to 2022, I was the Broadcast and Video Production Coordinator at the University of Pittsburgh — handling content for 11 Division I athletic programs. I covered the Pitt Football 2021 Peach Bowl, captured Pitt Women’s Volleyball’s first-ever NCAA Final Four appearance, and filmed Pitt Volleyball’s 2022 European Tour in Spain and Italy. I was creating mic’d-up features, hype videos, recruiting content, day-in-the-life storytelling — all of it broadcast on AT&T SportsNet and across social platforms. One of the pieces I directed and produced — a Pitt Track & Cross Country feature built around Pittsburgh’s iconic bridges — became my directing debut and one of the most personal pieces I’ve made. The show Pitt Beyond The Script came out of that era and earned a 2022 Mid-Atlantic Emmy nomination. Also in 2021, I launched Colours Creative — my own agency. I knew I needed to build something of my own.

From September 2022 to September 2023 I was back in Philly at The Video Content Factory — working as a Videographer, Editor, and Coordinator. Philly did go as planned but It was time to try something new. Everything I’d been building since OMG TV was coming together at a professional level.
Then in 2023, Atlanta was the next destination!

I packed up and moved to Atlanta, Georgia and joined the Riverside EpiCenter. This September 2025 will be two years since I made that move. I also did a freelance run as Lead Videographer at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church from October 2024 to December 2025, working under Dr. Jamal H. Bryant. That was a powerful experience — being in those spaces, documenting that kind of ministry where faith, culture, and justice all meet at once.

Now I’m Creative Lead at the Riverside EpiCenter, Myself and my team are building out the RECLive and RECLive Studios brands — producing content for events, live productions, youth programs, social media, all of it. And through Colours Creative, I’m still taking on commercial, documentary, and branded content work for clients who want their story told.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’ll be real — the hardest parts of my journey aren’t old stories. A lot of them are happening right now. And honestly, that’s how I know I’m on the right path.

Looking back, nothing ever came easy. Starting OMG TV with no money and no gear, throwing parties at MyCITY Lounge while figuring out marketing on the fly, moving to a new city and having to rebuild from zero every single time — all of that taught me how to keep going when things aren’t comfortable. Every city move felt like starting over. Pittsburgh to Philly. Philly to Atlanta. New city, new people, nobody knows your name. You just have to put in the work and trust the process.
But right now? The challenges are bigger because what I’m building is bigger.

Building RECLive Studios is no joke. I’m not just showing up to film — I’m helping build a brand from scratch. That means figuring out the identity, the quality standard, the workflow, all of it, while we’re still in the middle of growing. There’s no manual for it. We’re making it up as we go, and every day you have to show up focused.

Running Colours Creative on the side while working full time is its own grind. I’m the creative director, the editor, the one sending emails and chasing clients — all on top of my day job. There’s no off switch when it’s your own thing. Some weeks are a lot. But I’d rather be grinding on something I built than clocking out at five.
2026 is an expansion year and that pressure is real. I’m trying to bring in new clients, grow two brands at once, and stay sharp in an industry that changes fast. Platforms change. What works today might not work next year. You have to keep evolving or you get left behind.

Something I don’t think people talk about enough is what it’s actually like to move to the South as a Northern kid. I grew up in Pittsburgh and came up in Philly. The South is different — the pace, the culture, the way people communicate and do business down here. Atlanta has its own way of doing things. I had to slow down, pay attention, and learn how to move in a new environment. I couldn’t just come down here with my Philly energy and expect everything to click right away. I had to earn my place. That took some humility. But going through that adjustment made me better — as a creator, as a collaborator, as a person.

And then there’s just the weight of betting on yourself every day. Moving to Atlanta two years ago with a vision and no guarantee it was going to work out — that took faith. There are days when things feel uncertain. Days where you’re putting in work and you can’t yet see where it’s going. What gets me through is remembering that I’ve been in that spot before. Every chapter I’ve been proud of started with that same uncomfortable feeling. I’ve learned to trust it.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My work covers a lot of ground — and that’s always been by design. Over 10 years in this industry, I’ve shot and produced everything from grassroots concerts to Emmy-nominated sports broadcasts to international tours to faith-based documentaries. Every project is different, but the approach is always the same: show up, understand the story, and capture it the right way.

Right now my work lives in a few main areas.
REC Live Sessions are honestly one of the things I’m most excited about right now. As co-founder of REC Live at the Riverside EpiCenter, we’ve built a platform dedicated to live music sessions, interviews, and podcasts that shine a light on local Atlanta creatives. I’m the one behind the lens making sure artists look and sound their best on camera. The sessions we’ve done so far — including work with artists like Arkose and Dri Jack — set the standard for what REC Live is becoming: a real creative home for Atlanta’s talent.

Social Media & Brand Content is a big part of what I do every day. I produce short-form reels, event recaps, and platform-ready videos built to actually perform online — for RECLive, EpiFit Club, EpiGaming, and the six-plus event spaces at the Riverside EpiCenter. Through Colours Creative, I also take on brand content for outside clients — corporate videos, promotional campaigns, website content. I know what it takes to make a brand feel real on camera. I learned that doing guerrilla marketing in the streets for Monster Energy, and I’ve been building on it ever since.
Sports Production is where I built my technical foundation. At The Awesome Films from 2018 to 2021, I produced collegiate sports TV shows for Pitt, Penn State, Rutgers, Seton Hall, and Boston College — shows like The Jeff Capel Show, The Pat Narduzzi Show on AT&T SportsNet, and Rutgers Basketball Story. Then at Pitt Athletics from 2021 to 2022, I covered the Pitt Football Peach Bowl, captured Pitt Women’s Volleyball’s first NCAA Final Four appearance, and traveled with the team on their 2022 European Tour through Spain and Italy. That chapter ended with a 2022 Mid-Atlantic Emmy nomination for Pitt Beyond The Script — a show I helped direct, shoot, and edit. Sports taught me how to find the human story inside the game. That skill goes everywhere I go now.

Faith & Community Storytelling became a big part of my work after Atlanta. From October 2024 through December 2025, I was the freelance Lead Videographer at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church under Dr. Jamal H. Bryant — documenting a ministry at the intersection of faith, culture, and justice. Reaching a global online audience, telling stories built around hope and empowerment — that was some of the most meaningful work I’ve done. Outside of all that, I still do portraits, event photography, weddings, engagements, short films, and documentaries through Colours Creative. If you’ve got a story that needs to be told right — that’s the call to make.

You can see the full portfolio at davonebonneaujr.com — work from Pittsburgh, Philly, and Atlanta, all in one place.
Every project I take on is a chance to tell somebody’s story the right way. That’s what gets me up in the morning.

What are your plans for the future?
Two years in Atlanta. And I feel like I’m just now hitting my stride.

When I look back at everything — CAPA, OMG TV, MyCITY Lounge, Temple, Monster Energy, the Emmy nomination, Philly, Atlanta — I can see how it all connects. Every piece of it built something in me. And now I’m in a position to put all of it to use.
My main focus in 2026 is growing the RECLive and RECLive Studios brands at the Riverside EpiCenter. I want to build RECLive into a real destination for live production, creative content, and community storytelling here in Atlanta. Not just a studio — a creative home for artists, organizations, and people who have something to say and need a team to help them say it.

At the same time, I’m actively looking for new clients through Colours Creative. If you’re a brand, a business, an artist, or an organization that needs content that actually connects with people — that’s what I do. I bring the marketing knowledge, the cinematic eye, the storytelling instinct, and the experience working with everything from D1 sports to community nonprofits to major brands. I’m ready to work.

And then there’s something longer term that I’ve been sitting on — building a Ranch. It’s a vision I’m developing that ties together everything I care about: creativity, community, legacy, and land. It’s not something I’m ready to say too much about yet, but it’s real, and it’s part of the bigger picture I’m working toward. Sometimes the most important things you’re building are the ones you don’t talk about until the time is right.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ColoursCreative.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifeofdbo
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavoneBonneauJr
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davonebonneau/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ColoursCreativeCo