Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandon Johnson.
Brandon, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
From a young age, I started to become fascinated with the idea of capturing memories. Snapping pictures of life was always fun to me, but getting those developed pictures back from the disposable cameras allowed me to relive those moments again. As I got older, I began to move away from photography and more into capturing video. This is going to date me a bit, but my mom had one of those huge JVC camcorders and I remember being fascinated with recording random little moments and rewatching the tapes on the VCR. Eventually, that camcorder stopped working, and making videos took a back seat in my life.
It didn’t resurface until years later, in 2018, my wife, Kimberly, and I tied the knot in a small town in middle Georgia and we were very sold on the idea of paying for every bit of our wedding ourselves. But as new college grads, money was tight and we sacrificed on hiring a wedding videographer. One of the biggest mistakes I’ve made in my life thus far. We, of course, had a photographer to capture the big moments of the day, but we immediately regretted not allocating money for professional videography for this once-in-a-lifetime event. I think it hit us that we would never hear our vows again or see my reaction when I boo-hoo cried when Kim came down the aisle or that we would never relive our first dance. I regretted it so much that I left my wedding venue an hour before the ceremony to drive 15 miles to a Dollar General to buy a terrible quality digital camera to at least record the ceremony. To my luck, that camera never even turned on when we got back to the venue and I was filled with regret.
A few months after the wedding, we actually found out that our uncle was recording parts of the wedding day on a camcorder very similar to the one my mom used to have. I remember having to buy a special device online to watch the film and we broke down crying the first time we re-watched our wedding day. (We actually recorded our reaction to us watching the films for the first time and it’s on my website). From that point on, I knew I wanted my rekindle my love for videography and began with filming my sister-in-law’s wedding in 2020. I had one camera, one monopod, two microphones and I think one light but I somehow made it all work. The day I posted their video on YouTube, I got three more inquiries from other brides, and I started to see the potential I could have in the industry.
Later that year, I picked up a few more jobs here and there to help pay for more equipment needed and registered my business as Memory Films, LLC. I knew my focus would be on weddings since I had a first-hand experience of why wedding videography was so important. Choosing a business name is one of the first and most important steps in the business creation process and it came to me immediately. I knew I would be placing myself in a market that would be capturing once-in-a-lifetime events. I’d be capturing memories for families to relive for years to come and Memory Films just felt right. In 2021, mid-pandemic, my business tackled its first full year of operation and it was overwhelming, to say the least. I felt like my business was growing much faster than I could keep up with, but that’s never a bad thing. I began to build rapport with all of my clients and filmed over 25 weddings my first full year in business. Here we are in 2022 and I could not be happier with the success Memory Films is seeing. We are on track to film 30+weddings this year and I’m looking forward to continuing to capture memories my couples can relive for the rest of their lives.
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 think every business struggled in 2020/2021. COVID-19 destroyed the wedding industry and required couples to change plans, move wedding dates and alter such important moments in their lives. COVID restrictions began to take precedence over what the couples wanted and it was tough. Tough for the couples and tough for wedding vendors. Last year was filled with a bunch of flexibility. Wedding dates were shifting left and right and it was a lot to handle, but thankfully, life seems to be moving back towards what we know as “normalcy”.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Memory Films provides couples with timeless films that allow them to relive, arguably, one of the biggest days in their lives. I’ve structured my business in a way that always puts the couple first. Every decision I’ve made is done from a place of empathy, and I think it helps that I have been through the wedding planning process and know what my couples are going through. One example is I remember how stressful it was to coordinate what time vendors were going to arrive and leave based on their contracted times. For that reason, I offer all couples all-day coverage so worrying about how long videography will last is one less thing they have to worry about.
I also would say I’m known for providing a comfortable and fun atmosphere on wedding days. Let’s face it, most people are not used to having a camera crew follow them around all day. Big cameras, bright lights, microphones to wear. It’s all enough to overwhelm any person on a regular day, let alone your wedding day. I remember just trying not to lose the rings or not tripping when walking down the aisle on my wedding day. For that reason, I make sure my couples feel comfortable in front of the camera. Before the wedding day even arrives, I’ve already built a relationship with my couples so they don’t feel like I’m a stranger. Although it’s super important that I capture the important moments of the day as I am hired to do, I also have developed a workflow that keeps me out of the way and really allows the couple to enjoy their day with their family and friends. It’s really important I allow my couples to have an organic wedding experience and I think my past couples have greatly appreciated not feeling like they are being bombarded by paparazzi on an already stressful day.
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?
I spend a lot of time thinking about where my business is headed. It’s the unknown and I think that’s what makes it so scary. I tried very hard not to place myself in a box. I want my business growth to be organic but I also don’t want to limit myself or the potential Memory Films will have in 5-10 years’ time. I know for certain I will still be filming! Filming provides so much joy for me and I can’t really see myself not being in the industry. So for now, I’m allowing Memory Films to grow in whichever direction God has made for me and my business.
Pricing:
- Wedding Packages Start at $2500
- Contact for Elopement Quotes
- Couples & Engagement Sessions Start at $300
Contact Info:
- Email: memoryfilmsatl@gmail.com
- Website: www.memoryfilmsatl.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/memoryfilmsatl/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MemoryFilmsATL
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNRN5Nl9_x5aKp-srsCISRw
Image Credits
stampfliphotography, sdphotographs
