Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Gore.
Hi matthew, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Started my career in 1987 as an audio mixer for live broadcasts with a large corporate satellite network. As computerized video editing came into existence, I branched into becoming a video editor. I went on to be the senior editor for a commercial editorial house in Atlanta and became an early adopter of the fledging “nonlinear editing” which is now the only way the process is done. I was a sought-after editor in Atlanta, doing projects for most of the Turner broadcasting networks. TNT, CNN, Cartoon Network, etc. In 1994 I started our Business Post Modern Editorial, later to become the current NightGlass Media Group. and continued work with the networks as well as Atlanta bigs like Coca-Cola, Bell South and Home Depot. With numerous awards, we grew fast, and by 2001, made the decision to become a full-service video production company. For thirty years now, we’ve ridden the waves of several technology and economic booms and busts and proudly survived and thrived. We are digital storytellers and creators of media that’s always focused on being a catalyst for the results our clients desire. Product launches, and profiles, non-profit fundraising or corporate culture change. We partner with our clients to produce media that helps turn the knobs that bring results.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Ahhh. No! Well in the beginning…maybe. When we launched in 1994 technology in video post-production especially was changing even faster than today. We embraced the tech and we were rewarded for it. The new non-linear, editing process was saving clients money and they flocked to us as we were on the front edge of leveraging it all. We also became real students of “service” and the clients really responded to our approach. The events of 911 and the big Time Warner takeover of Turner were closely timed with a couple of other big merger/take overs in the Atlanta market. It shook the Atlanta video production/post production world pretty hard, and a lot of companies didn’t make it. We pivoted hard and moved outside the perimeter of downtown, which was risky, but it felt right for us. We Jerry McQuire’d our way through a tough couple of years but gained strength leaning in on our full-service creator approach. The 2007-2009 was another tough period, but it was tough for everyone. Covid was scary at first. We lost a tremendous amount of business in the first 24 hours of the shutdowns in GA. We pulled the team together and decided to fight. Over the course of 5 business days, we became a full service virtual streaming service for many of our clients, going live the first time on day six. Navigating that period was hard, scary and frustrating, but we grew the business over the next two years and it changed how we did some things for the better.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I tell stories for clients. I tell stories about products, processes, and non-profit causes. Good stories can make people stop and think. Great stories can actually be a catalyst for change. That’s what most of our clients desire, a catalyst to cause change. For a product, they want people to recognize a better value or more efficiency or a better experience, and it creates a desire to buy. For a non-profit cause, many times we have to create strong emotions around a problem, or injustice and how the audience can help to make a difference. The tools we use change rapidly. Now with AI it’s changing even faster, but the art of our craft remains the same. Clients trust us to tell compelling stories across a variety of platforms that serve as catalysts for desired outcomes. The new tools and techniques are just brushes, hammers and torque wrenches. I think what really sets us apart is our team’s ability to quickly internalize and understand our client’s culture, mission and desired outcomes. We kinda invite ourselves in, bring snacks and sit on our client’s couch to watch the game with them early on. They don’t expect that always, but most really appreciate it and as we show our ability to really understand who they are and what they’re trying to do, the walls come down and real collaborative work comes easy. We want the kind of relationships with our clients we’d all like to have with our doctors, but rarely do. Our style may even be an aquired business taste, but it’s who we are as a company and I’m proud of it. I think thirty years in an industry that changes as fast as ours, speaks for itself.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
The team deserves all the credit. As we built the company, success felt secondary. I wanted to work with people that I liked being around. People’s character and integrity were much more important than just their skills. As we grew, most people who didn’t fit, seem to opt themselves out before we had to make that decision. We were blessed and lucky for sure. I certainly couldn’t think I “managed” it all into being. As we forged these really close relationships with smart clients, some incredible business minds, we learned and we listened. As the business got more mature, I did what many entrepreneurs do, I read everything I could get my hands on and tried to listen to smart people. Probably one of my biggest influences was the head of the first company I worked for. Hos name was Art WIlliams. He built the largest financial services company in the world at that time. He had a way of treating people that was amazing. He would often say that every single man or woman, regardless of achievement, is walking around with a sign on their chest that says “make me feel special.” He was a master of that. I may never be as good as him about it, but part of building our company was an intense desire for everyone on the team to feel respected, loved and cared for.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://nightglass.com
- Instagram: nightglassmedia
- Facebook: NightGlass Media Group
- LinkedIn: NightGlass Media Group
