Today we’d like to introduce you to DeAndre Moreland.
DeAndre Jamal Moreland – A creator, an innovator, a true visionary born and raised in Powder Springs, GA, DeAndre was born with a condition called Club Foot. This left him spending much of his years as a toddler immobile. He oftentimes sat around, dreamingly taking in his environment. As he grew older, he found a fascination in film and music videos. The way characters, music, and visuals all occupied the same space was very intriguing to him. The world of film and music created a peace he would use to propel him into the later chapters of his life.
In 2015 DeAndre picked up his first camera. He hasn’t looked back since from shooting Birthday Parties and Graduations to Commercials and Concerts. At the beginning of his career, DeAndre worked under the alias of More-In-Mind Media. As a college student with a full course load and a full-time job, he had one goal for More-In-Mind Media; to make money. In 2017 he graduated and moved back to Georgia in hopes of using his Journalism degree as a catalyst to find a job in media. After several failed interviews and attempts, he found himself working another retail job to get by. Little did he know that the lessons learned from his past jobs were setting him up to receive an opportunity of a lifetime.
In 2019, his blessing in disguise came when he received a job working at the Georgia State Capitol post office. Five months later, he stepped out on faith and sent his resume to the media department to introduce himself. God paved the way for him to receive the job, where he now works as a Broadcast Media Specialist. Since then, DeAndre has revamped his business, now working under the name of Digital Dre LLC. While the name has changed, he still prides himself in providing exceptional service, being creative, and creating an experience like none other for his clients.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
As with all businesses, my company has hit a number of bumps in the road through the journey. From financial to legal obstacles. I remember starting Digital Dre (then called More-In-Mind) with a negative balance in my account. All I had was a camera, a heavy college course load, and a will to create stories. Soon I got a full-time job that would add to the chaos but also helped out financially. Once I got my feet on the ground, I was then hit with the challenges of balancing everything I had going on. Friends and family were so willing to support my business, but I had to find the time between school, work. Extracurricular organizations. I quickly became adjusted to my environment.
Having an LLC has brought mental challenges as well. Promoting my business on social media can be tough sometimes. While social media can be a great tool, it can also be a hindrance if you don’t use it as such. Early on in my business, I did not have a solid identity in who I wanted to be with it or where my vision was to go with Digital Dre. I just had the paperwork to show that my business was legit. I was looking to the left and to the right, gauging my own success based on others in the industry. Comparing myself to those who I looked up to. The thing is, they weren’t me, and I’m not them. Through trial and error, I had to learn what I would be as a business. I had to use social media as the tool it was and not as a success gauge. And since, I have been on a role. Because no one can define success for me except for me, and no one’s opinion should be able to trump my own. If I am satisfied with my finished product, as well as the client, then that is all that matters.
Without my challenges/obstacles, I wouldn’t be at the place I am now with my business. And I look forward to the ones ahead that will give me the experience to go further!
We’d love to hear more about Digital Dre.
Digital Dre is all about creating content for the culture. But at the root of it all, I pride myself in providing excellent service, allowing my client to be hands-on in the creative process, and creating a lasting experience both myself and the client can hold onto. I appreciate my time working at Chick-fil-a while in college because it gave me those standards to hold myself to, as well as my business. Yes, I want to create. Yes, I want to gain another stream of income. But all of that means nothing to me if I can’t connect with people. People and relationships are the roots of my business and that is what matters most.
To be more detailed, Digital Dre provides videography/photography services. From weddings and birthdays to concept & music videos. Where there is a vision, I am there and willing to create. But what has caught the eye and liking of many of my clients is my creative editing style. For me, music is life. I create a lot, if not all of my work, based on the music. It sets the tone for how I create. Therefore, I like to try and find ways to mix different music and sounds within my videos. As for photography, it’s tough to stand out from the rest, being that there are so many creatives today. It is sort of like you are bound to overlap someone else’s vision at some point. Therefore, I try to create a difference in how I edit my colors. Most of my photography has a sense of depth, with moody, blue tones to add edge. I also try and frame my shot to tell a story from the client’s point of view.
As a company, I am most proud that I am more than just a guy with a camera. I try my best to connect with my clients, as we are all people. It is so easy to get lost in what each day offers. If I can help someone to have an experience that keeps them present, that is a major win for my company. It’s all about the experience.
What were you like growing up?
The one word that describes me growing up is: weird. While I felt the word should have been more so along the lines of trailblazer or trendsetter, I later came to the realization that I was just straight-up weird. From wearing two pairs of Nike socks together in high school, to what I viewed as funny. Nevertheless, I always managed to connect with people through my weirdness. Almost like that’s what was most liked about me, that I stood apart in that way, ultimately, it got me to where I am now.
Even in my social style, I am weird. I am an extravert. I love to get outside and explore. Enjoy being around people and making them laugh. And can’t get enough of the nightlife scene; loud music, dancing, and everyone having a great time. But to the same degree, I am very much an introvert. Shy at times. Enjoy a day at home to myself, like to turn my phone off and listen to music to pass the day. At the end of the day, I am able to adjust to my environment, like a chameleon.
Interest wise I was always into luxury things growing up—expensive cars, designer brands, lavish lifestyles, etc. While I didn’t have any of it, it was always on my radar. As I grew older, I lost a passion for these things. I came to like nature, and buildings, and things that the average eye would easily look over.
Growing up I had a hand in any organization I could be apart of. For two reasons. First, so that I would not have to go home after school, and secondly, because I liked being around people just that much. It got to the point where I’d be out at 9-10 pm and my parents had to drag me home from school. I was apart of the band, avid, student council, FBLA, 100 Black Men, and the list goes on and on. But it instilled the concept of relationships in me. To be in a room full of people alike and different, and have the ability to connect with all of them. That was something you couldn’t take away from me. And I thank my parents for the job that they did in my life. Although I act as if I have some loose screws every now and then, they played a vital role in helping me become who I am.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://digitaldre.myportfolio.com/
- Phone: 6782377406
- Email: dmoreland126960@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digital_dre_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deandre.moreland.9/
Image Credit:
Trey Clarkson Jr – Norwood Studios
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