Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeremy Paredes
Hi Jeremy, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started filming videos for fun back in 2016. When my club soccer team traveled to tournaments, I would record our trips on my i-touch at the time, and edit fun vlogs together on imovie. When I became a freshman at Johns Creek High School, I joined the Video/Television program at the school. This was my first real opportunity to pick up a camera (the school had an old camcorder), and I filmed my first high school football game, making a short hype video from it. And that’s how it all started. I loved combining my passions of sports and creating content, and continued to develop my filmmaking skills through my 4 years of high school. As I continued to capture various sports and post my work on social media, other schools and athletes across the state of Georgia started to reach out to me to cover their sports games.
In my senior year of high school, the Creative Director at Georgia Tech Football, Glenn Ingram, reached out to me, recruiting me to join their creative team. After learning about the amazing opportunity to work with GT Football’s creative team, being able to film games and edit hype videos as a freshman, I was thrilled to accept the offer. Now, four years later as a senior, I have been the lead creative intern, filming home football games and traveling to away games, including our win in Dublin, Ireland, creating a variety of videos. Thanks to Glenn and other incredible mentors at Georgia Tech, I’ve gained invaluable knowledge and grown professionally, honing my skills from production planning to bringing our creative vision to life in our video projects. I’ve also had the privilege to help manage and work with an amazing group of creative students, who have become my close friends and the best supporters for me pursuing creative media as a career.
As I look towards graduating from Georgia Tech in May, I’m excited to take a job with NBC Sports, helping edit feature stories and sports content leading up to the 2026 Winter Olympics. I am also concurrently running my own creative company, Jdopefx Media Productions. We create a variety of photo and video content for clients including the NFL, NBC Sports Olympics, the Atlanta Dream, and ECNL Soccer (Elite Clubs National League). My goals are to pursue my passion for creating content that inspires, sharing stories that need to be heard, and being a role model for younger creatives who are passionate about creating content!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My biggest struggle is not related to creative or film, but is my ongoing battle with eczema. I’ve struggled with severe eczema since I was a baby. Growing up, kids would stare at my cracked, dry, bleeding skin. They would ask if my eczema was contagious or call it skin cancer. As a young kid without a strong mental barrier, I became insecure about my skin. I wore long sleeves and pants, attempting to cover up my skin. When I got to high school, my eczema hit the lowest of lows. My skin was so debilitating to the point I could barely move, I stopped going to class and playing sports, and was depressed at home, stuck on the couch. I was admitted into the ER in septic shock due to my eczema, and it felt like my life had hit rock bottom.
The three things that kept me going were friends, family, and faith. People came to visit me in the hospital. They prayed with me and encouraged me to get better. I was put on a new medication, and slowly got back to full health and being myself again. The support from my friends and family kept me going through the most challenging time of my life, and am forever grateful for them!
I am currently an ambassador for the National Eczema Association, spreading awareness about eczema and connecting with other eczema patients. I have used my passion for filmmaking to create feature stories highlighting my own eczema journey as well as stories from other eczema patients, in hopes of being a light for other kids with eczema. I want younger children with eczema to know they are not alone, that there is a loving community here to support them. I want them to feel that they can and will get better!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in sports content: from in-game sports photos and edited highlights, to feature stories and narrative pieces, I love sharing the experiences of individual athletes and sports teams. I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate and work with several established companies and sports events. My freshman year of college, I was a digital production assistant for NBC Sports covering the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. I helped monitor live video feeds, cutting up footage for our editors and producers, and following storylines to ideate for stories. I was asked back to cover the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, this time with the Craft Edit Team. I had the opportunity to edit several pieces, including two cinematic recaps for the Olympics’ “Inside The Rings” series. Working at an event like the Olympics has been a dream come true: the atmosphere of working at this event, the people who are invested and supportive of each other, and the experience and learning I’ve had, has been amazing.
Another experience I’ve cherished has been covering different SEC Championship games. Being hired by Knight Eady (a creative agency) to help cover these events has been a huge step in my career. Not only does Knight Eady have a creative team who are extremely experienced, they also take the time to maximize my skillset when we work together. They have taught me so much about covering large events such as SEC Championships, and have helped me grow as a creative. I have helped photograph and film the college football, baseball, gymnastics, and basketball championships. As both a sports fan and an athlete myself, being at these events and making an impact on the content the SEC puts out has been extremely rewarding.
Some of the projects I’m most proud of are from working with the Atlanta Dream. I started with the Dream as a freelance videographer and editor, helping film games and editing hype videos. More recently, they have trusted me with directing several special projects, including their yearly schedule release video. Collaborating with the awesome marketing and creative departments at the Dream, along with bringing in my own creative team, and directing these larger productions, has been a fantastic learning experience. It is gratifying to see months of planning come to fruition with the release of the final product.
I am grateful for all the mentors and people who have helped me along my journey as a creative! From Andrea Cortez at the ECNL always empowering me to be creative in my work, to Sydney Durrah at the Atlanta Dream for trusting me with directing larger projects, I wouldn’t be where I am today without their guidance! As I graduate from Georgia Tech, I am looking forward to pursuing my passion and creative skills to develop content for clients that will help their creative visions come to life. My hope is to inspire and positively impact the others through my work!
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
When I first started creating content about 7 years ago, short form social media was just taking off. I’ve learned that posting my work online helps gain visibility for my work and my brand, reach potential clients, connect with other creatives and athletes. Fast forward to today. The desire for engaging creative content has skyrocketed. More and more companies want content to promote their product, brand image, and business. I’m excited to continue developing original content, exploring new approaches, and pushing the limits of creativity to engage viewers!
My goal with Jdopefx Media Productions is to build a team of highly skilled and talented creatives to create different forms of video and photo content for a broad base of clients. From ideating a vision, to directing a production, to editing and delivering a finished product, my dream for Jdopefx is to be seen as a company that delivers exceptional quality work that will help companies engage their audiences and tell their stories in the most visually and impactful way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jeremy-paredes.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jdopefx/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-paredes/
