HOW I BECAME A VIDEO PRODUCER

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While working on a video shoot for Verizon, I was driving the director’s 18 year old son from the set in Sonoma County back to his San Francisco hotel.   

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This shoot was his summer job, and he told me he couldn’t decide whether to be a cinematographer or a director. So he asked me how I got into producing.

Before I could answer, he scoffed and said, “Don’t say you fell into it…”  Meanwhile, that’s exactly what I was about to say!  Suddenly, I felt embarrassed, judged by that lucky young man with his whole life in front of him... with a father nurturing and guiding him early on, into a role where he could establish himself for years to come.

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Yes, I ‘fell into’ producing… because I’m screamin’ good at it!

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You see, I’ve always been crazy about storytelling.  Since as far back as I can remember, I’ve loved stories that tug at the heart and allow us watch someone’s life transform before our eyes... and I wanted to be part of that process in any way possible. Organizing people, logistics and locations has always come naturally to me.

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So, I enrolled in the Motion Pictures and Television program at San Francisco’s Academy of Art University.  There I met my future husband, a technician in the editing lab.  We were both crazy about films from every genre, and would talk for hours about “story” (and we still do after 19 years).

Yet after a year I racked up so much student loan debt that I had to drop out. But I while enrolled there, had made a feature film with my future husband. We co-wrote the script, I produced, he directed and edited.

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Our little film, Pathogen, was a psychological thriller about a dysfunctional family. While the film didn’t have legs, it taught us invaluable lessons about storytelling and the video production process.

Soon I found work as a freelance production manager and producer with large production companies from Los Angeles who brought their work to the Bay Area. 

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I never moved to LA—I stayed within 40 miles of my hometown of Vallejo and made my career there, despite the tight job market. I worked on everything I could like music videos, documentaries, experimental pieces, commercials, corporate marketing videos. I worked on videos for San Francisco notables like: Saturday Night Soul Party, Glide Memorial Church, as well as billion-dollar tech companies like AT&T, Verizon, and Salesforce.

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Then, something funny happened... I started working at the very art college I had quit ten years earlier, producing their online training courses.

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As an early adopter of online education, the Academy of Art University began to host degree programs over the Internet, way before many major universities did. I worked with incredibly talented, respected and established artists to pivot their in-classroom content into visual language and produce their video shoots. I was one of only two, who produced hundreds of videos that are still delivered through the 15+ online degree programs at the Academy of Art University. 

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I also taught video production to students in the Motion Pictures and Television program.

Although the course syllabus I had to follow taught students what producers were supposed to do, it didn’t teach them to be their own producers... which was even more important to know, because every video project is a small business venture in itself. This is knowledge only real-life experience could have given me... a business perspective I now bring to every project.

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Perhaps you want a return on investment (entertainment, marketing, training, commercials) or social equity (periscope, Snapchat, web and social media videos). Truth is, video is one of the most succinct ways to get a message to a viewer... endear them to you... and inspire them to engage with your message.

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I re-evaluated everything that remained in my life. What I saw, I wasn’t proud of.  I had managed to work long, hard hours for corporations doing profit-driven videos I didn't care about.

What stood out in my pondering, were the times I had worked closely with the artists, authors, photographers, architects, musicians, coaches and many others who wanted to share their talents to make a difference in their own life, and in the lives of others.

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I was facing an important decision... I felt like, I couldn't go back to doing what I was doing before.  So began my mission to work with people, passionate about what they do... wanting to share it with the world. 

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Thus was born Tasha.Media.  Now I tell the passion stories of people and businesses who want to change the world in some way, however big or small.  My passion is telling 'passion' stories that engage and inspire. I love working with women, visionaries, healers, artists and creators. 

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So, if you need a video, call me...  Tell me about your dreams and hopes and vision.  Call me and let's get started.  THE WORLD NEEDS TO HEAR YOUR STORY!

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Thank you for reading and I look forward to working with you!

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Best,