One of the interesting aspects of working in a creative industry; and honestly, in almost any profession, is the misconceptions that come with it.
"Oh, so you're a cameraman."
"He makes commercials."
"He's in graphic design, so you make logos."
"He's our video guy."
The funny thing is that none of those descriptions are entirely wrong. They're just incomplete.
Most people don't really understand what I do, and that's okay. Truthfully, it can be difficult to explain. My work is a mixed bag of skills and services that doesn't fit neatly into a single job title.
I remember when we screened my documentary several years ago. My sister attended the premiere and genuinely had no idea what role I played in making the film. Did I film it? Edit it? Produce it? Write it? Six years later, I think she's still a little bewildered.
The reality is that it's almost impossible to give an elevator pitch for my skill set.
Yes, I know how to use cameras.
Yes, I've made my fair share of commercials. In fact, I did that almost exclusively for six years while working for another company. You can still find some of that work on my website.
Yes, I can design graphics. I can create logos. I can run livestreams.
But it's also so much more than that.
When we try to explain what we do, we naturally simplify it. We want to be concise and get to the point. Unfortunately, that often undersells the breadth of what we actually offer.
If you say you're a photographer, people assume you just take pictures.
If you say you're a graphic designer, they picture brochures and business cards.
If you say you're an animator, people immediately think of Pixar-level productions.
The label rarely tells the whole story.
When I founded my company, I wanted a name that reflected the wide range of services I could provide. My first choice was V2 Media, but that name was already taken, so I landed on Vaupel Video.
Ironically, when I started the business, my plan was fairly narrow. I wanted to provide editing services for larger companies that had more work than they could handle internally. For the first couple of years, that worked wonderfully.
Then COVID arrived.
Suddenly, nobody had extra work to outsource.
Thanks to some great friends, a handful of recommendations, and a little persistence, I found myself back in business. The difference was that I wasn't just editing anymore. I was handling entire projects from start to finish.
Scripting.
Producing.
Planning.
Filming.
Graphics.
Animation.
Problem solving.
Client communication.
All of it.
At times it was thrilling. At times it was overwhelming. Occasionally it was downright maddening.
But for the first time, I felt completely at home.
I discovered that what I really loved wasn't any single task. I loved being the person with the answers. I loved finding solutions. I loved taking an idea that existed only in someone's head and helping bring it to life.
That's why some of my favorite moments happen when a client says, "This is so much more than I imagined," or "You made this out of what I gave you?"
Those comments never get old.
No matter the project size or budget, I always try to deliver something beyond what we originally discussed. Part of that comes from wanting everything I produce to look incredible. The perfectionist tendencies may just be part of being a Virgo.
But more importantly, I want my clients to feel proud of the final product.
I want them to be excited to share it.
I want it to represent their organization, their business, their story, or their mission in the best way possible.
So if someone asks what I do, the simplest answer is that I create videos.
The more accurate answer is that I help people tell their stories.
The camera is just one of the tools.
I'd love to hear from you. What industry do you work in, and what are some of the misconceptions people have about what you actually do?