By Cade Blalock
From Digital Media Intern to Digital Media Producer and now Art Director, working with White Cloud Media Group has been, without a doubt, a ride I will not soon forget.
Since joining White Cloud Media Group in 2021, I have had the opportunity to grow my skills and experience level beyond my comprehension. Signing on with White Cloud in the summer of 2021 was a big move for me as I had little to no experience working in video production. The closest media experience I had was working on projects for my college classes and at the TV station at Trinity University. To be honest, I was terrified on my first day, but Adam and Elizabeth were amazing at making me feel at home.
Within my first week, we got straight into the nitty-gritty and I was learning the ins and out’s of putting together a production and how White Cloud the company was run. Once Adam taught me how to use our editing software I couldn't believe I was off to the races doing some of the client work I had first heard about during my internship interview. It didn't take too many weeks before I was used to using the editing software before I got to do some filming for clients like Geekdom and DJ Law Partners.
Halfway through the summer I even got to travel with the team to Nashville to cover the UCT Conference. Traveling for work was an experience that I never thought I would have during my internship. Three days in a different city to film an entire conference, then I'd come back to San Antonio and edit all the footage and package it up for the client. I think it was this trip that was a turning point for me when I realized that I wanted to do this type of work as a career.
The Nashville skyline at sunset last summer.
By the end of the summer, I had worked on what felt like a million small intern projects, a conference in a different state, and a bunch of Geekdom productions. I was wrapping up my internship and getting ready to return to the life of a student when Adam and Elizabeth approached me about continuing my career with White Cloud as a part-time employee. Of course, I couldn’t turn down an offer like that.
Since then, I have been able to excel and scale my skill set in so many areas. I became more interested in set design/staging and ensuring that what we are filming has a reason behind it. Set design and staging are a huge part of what can make or break a video for clients, and I pride myself on my commitment to those projects. I have been able to work with some noteworthy clients, like Geekdom, Codeup, The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, and so many others.
Filming outros with Jon Garcia for Geekdom's Pre-Accelerator Program.
I certainly didn’t think I would be able to sit down with clients for creative meetings before we begin filming. Now I get to sit in on creative sessions with CEOs, founders, and marketing representatives of major companies to understand their vision and goals for the video we are producing. These pre-production meetings with clients have become one of my favorite parts of the job because it allows me to put ideas on the table and flex my creative muscle and that can elevate the clients' vision into reality.
I just recently went back to watch the first video that I had edited when I joined as an intern and had to laugh at how plain and boring it was. Then I remembered beaming with pride after creating that 30-second video and sending it to all of my family, telling them that this was what I wanted to start doing as a career. Since that first video, I have produced hundreds of videos and spent hours learning new techniques to make myself more efficient and skilled in my craft. From watching YouTube tutorials to reading blogs, I can firmly say that White Cloud has given me the drive to continue to grow.
One project that I can hang my hat on is our new logo. In my second to last semester at Trinity University in the Fall of 2021, I was able to help redesign and rebrand White Cloud's logo and company image. When I first joined the team, we were still in the process of phasing out White Cloud Drones without losing the White Cloud name entirely. Through multiple iterations of logos, spanning across months of meetings, we finally reached the one that the team could agree on. The logo and branding that you see today is my design, and I have pride knowing that I have helped bring the company into a new era of White Cloud.
White Cloud Drones logo 2018-2021
White Cloud Media Group logo 2021 - PRESENT
As I conclude this entry, I'd like to thank Adam and Elizabeth for taking a chance on me as an intern and an even bigger thank you for allowing me to grow as a creative in such an amazing community.
We make creating videos easy. If you are interested in working with us to produce your next video, email info@whitecloudmg.com. We look forward to learning more about your project!
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