Oh, hey there! So you want to get to know ol’ Johnny?
Why I do what I do
I love stories. I love reading them, I love writing them, and I love using the medium of video to further enhance the telling of that story. It is quite the accomplishment to take an audience on a journey in which I designed the road-map. The jubilation I feel when a viewer is captivated by a video I created is a feeling that is unmatched anywhere else.
Previous Work
Dance recitals and Mardi Gras balls in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Band concerts and baseball games in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.
City Council meetings in Maplewood, Minnesota.
Educating volunteers in television production at a Public Access facility.
Covering national news for a nationwide audience for ABC and CBS.
Creating videos to show how cheese is made.
Been there. Done that. Got the T-shirt.
My Origin Story
My passion for television production began at Wayzata Junior High School in 1993 when I joined the after-school Audio/Visual club. It was here that the foundation of visual storytelling was set. What started as taping school events and concerts continued on to Wayzata Senior High School where I would contribute to putting on a live 6-minute newscast every day. After high school, I continued my formal training at Brown College in Mendota Heights, Minnesota.
Upon completion of the program with a 4.0 GPA, I took my Associates in Television Production degree to Lafayette, Louisiana where I worked for a production house within the city. We would tape and edit dance recitals, graduations, weddings, and Mardi Gras balls. After a few years, I moved back to Minnesota and began working at a Public Access TV Station. It was here that I got my first taste of passing on what I have learned to others. In addition to maintaining the equipment, I would teach volunteer producers how to operate the cameras, lights, studio and editing equipment. I truly enjoyed that aspect of television production: passing on what I have learned.
I will forever be a student to the art of telling a story through a visual medium
but this art form cannot continue unless we pass on what we have learned.
After several years at the public access studio, I went on to work for a production house in Mound, Minnesota. What we did there ran the gamut in terms of television production: live shots with the major news networks, internal videos for major Fortune 500 corporations, and MANY run-and-gun scenarios where we raced to grab the perfect sound bite under high pressure situations.
Once I felt I had a solid skillset under my belt, I started my own company in December 2017. What started as ripplEdit, LLC soon rebranded as Metalhead Media, LLC once the scope of my work expanded to incorporate all avenues of television production and not just editing.
Today, I enjoy the freedom that comes with being my own boss. The thrill I get comes from having you pitch me an idea and being able to convert that idea into a playable video.
Everyone has a story. Contact me and we'll tell the world yours.
Why Metalhead Media?
You have many choices when it comes to videographers and editors. You may know someone who has their own YouTube channel and records everything on their smartphone. Why hire me over anyone else? For one, I come with the formal training and experience that results in a video everyone is proud to view and share. With my many decades in the business, I have made the mistakes and know what needs to be done to prevent new ones. Some things cannot be taught. There's an instinct there; an instinct as to what to shoot and where the cuts should be when editing. This comes with experience and, in my opinion, is often missing from a lot of popular online content creators. When watching videos online, my critical eye often focuses on the irregularities and what I would have done to correct the errors had I been the shooter or editor.
Anyone is capable of shooting and editing a pretty picture, but if you need an engaging story that captivates the audience, that's where I enter the frame.
And if all that feel-good vernacular doesn't do it - hire me because I'll make this the most fun you've had working on a project. Being in front of the camera is tough for a lot of people. I use my special blend of humor and useless facts to put the talent at ease, which makes them look like a pro on camera. All the pretty lights and lenses won't mean a thing if the talent is visibly nervous on screen.
Contact me to chat about your project. If you like what you hear, hire me. If not, you'll have a bizarre story to tell your family at the dinner table.
You + Metalhead Media = Greatness
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.