Beyond the Image: The 3 Strengths That Define My Work

Anyone can buy a nice camera. Seriously. You can go to Best Buy right now, pick up a Sony Alpha, put it in "Auto" mode, and get a decent image. So, why do clients hire Splendor Media? Why do I have a career in this? It isn't because I use RED and Canon R5C's or expensive lights. It’s because over the last four years, I’ve honed specific strengths that turn "footage" into "stories." Whether I’m shooting a product ad for a specific brand or a travel video, these are the three pillars I bring to every single set.

1. Audio Control

I learned the hard way that you can forgive blurry video (to an extent), but you cannot forgive bad audio. The audience has brains that detest videos that sound terrible. My biggest technical strength is my obsession with clean sound.

When you're on a shoot, don’t just slap a microphone on a camera and hope for the best. You need to understand acoustic environments. I know how to boom a subject to reject background noise, how to hide a lavalier mic so it’s invisible, and how to scrub background hiss in post-production using tools like DaVinci Fairlight -> Denoise. When you watch my videos, you hear every word clearly.

To get clean audio in your video, try to eliminate as much noise on set as possible. Silence the talkers, turn off the fan or turn down the HVAC if possible, and place the mic so that it points to the subject. Monitor the levels coming in on your mic. If you see the leveler going up and down, make sure it's not clipping (bouncing to the very top and stopping at the highest register). Make sure the levels sit comfortably between -12 and -6 DB.

2. Directing Talent with Empathy

Most people are terrified of being on camera. They freeze up, they robotically read lines, or they get sweaty palms. My job isn't just to hit "record"—it's to make people feel comfortable. I pride myself on my ability to direct talent. I keep the set relaxed and fun. I know how to coach a CEO to sound natural and how to get a genuine laugh out of a nervous interviewee. If the subject looks comfortable, the audience trusts the message.

3. The Musician’s Sense of Rhythm

As a vocalist band, I view video editing a lot like music. A video needs a tempo. Many editors just cut clips together visually. I cut to the beat. I look for the rhythm in the dialogue and the flow of the music track. My edits have a "pulse." I know when to speed up the cuts to build energy and when to let a shot breathe to create emotion. Just like a musical phrase or melody! This rhythmic approach is what makes a video feel professional and engaging rather than disjointed and boring.

The Bottom Line: I’m not perfect. I’m still learning every day (remember the broken lens story?). But these strengths, clean audio, empathetic directing, and rhythmic editing, are the foundation of my work. They are what I promise to my clients, and they are the skills I hope to teach you right here on this blog.

What is your biggest strength as a creator? Let me know in the comments!