Life & Work with Kris Chaney

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kris Chaney.

Hi Kris, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started with a vision to build a production company that produced films like a team produced victories. REEL ProduCtions, LLC was born from that vision, and in the last five years, it has grown to producing internet show webisodes and podcasts and will soon begin producing short films, full-length features, TV shows, and documentaries. I began with an education in the film industry as well as the entrepreneur side of business and used my knowledge to begin testing products and partnering with businesses that fit what I needed and allowed me creative growth and freedom. You do not need to spend a lot of money to get where you want to be, and that’s what has helped me be profitable.

REEL Film Reviewed is my TV/Film review podcast that first gained me notoriety in the podcast and social media worlds. In the last two years, it has made Top 100 lists and sits as one of the top 1,000 TV/Film podcasts globally according to Chartable. It recently joined the Rum Runnas Podcast Network and joins several great shows covering various topics on that network. I now host and produce two of my own podcasts, working on launching and producing two more, run the online merchandise store, REEL Merch, for the podcasts’ merchandise, and run an active website for my businesses and partnerships.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When I look at my path overall over the last two years, I’ve felt like it was a smooth road but there were certainly lessons learned. First, I never planned on being a podcaster, nor did I think it would get me into the film industry the way that it has. I was an amateur physique bodybuilder, prepping for my first contest at the beginning of 2020 when I suffered a career-ending injury to my left wrist. My second passion behind fitness and health has always been film. I listened to Trent Shelton’s podcast and decided I wanted to do the same thing. The podcast community on Twitter was where I found the most knowledge and support. I tested various products based on suggestions and it wasn’t until Indie Podcast Review did a review of my podcast that I began getting technically better. I bought a good mic, downloaded a free audio editing software, and pressed record.

There have been filmmakers of short films that were nominated for awards at film festivals that have requested REEL Film Reviewed review their films when they have pre-release showings. That was incredible for me because it was exactly what I wanted to do with REEL Film Reviewed, which was to introduce the public to less-known, amazing films and filmmakers. And I knew that I was now sounding good enough and providing enough quality content that these filmmakers were reaching out to me to help them. It was my proudest moment and it made the challenges worth it.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
REEL Film Reviewed, my TV/Film review podcast is what most know me for but I’m mainly an entrepreneur. I began as a certified personal fitness trainer and started online coaching and training before I began training as an amateur bodybuilder. I have many interests which is what my podcast, Kris of All Trades covers. Future interests include building and operating an exercise gym, a movie theatre, a medical facility, and building out REEL ProduCtions, LLC into a large production studio. My main business will be operating REEL ProduCtions, LLC as a business owner but also as a producer, director, writer, and editor and creating my own projects while assisting others create their projects. Currently, I write screenplays for my own films I want to release, edit projects, transcribe my podcast episodes, and work on collaborating on other projects in the podcast industry. I also design and launch different products on my online store, REEL Merch. Right now I am most proud of REEL Film Reviewed because it was the first project I executed and improved into the success it enjoys now. It’s fun to do and people love it. In addition to all that, it’s helped introduce film lovers to films they would have either never heard of, or never watched before hearing the review on it. What sets me apart from others is my unique vision and ability to bring things to fruition. I become obsessed with something, and it becomes the next big project I work on.

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
This was a challenge because I try to keep people on their toes but I would say the most surprising thing is that I don’t see a career for me in podcasting. I enjoy creating the content, collaborating with other podcasters, and producing the shows but it isn’t something I feel that I will be able to devote the same amount of passion to over time as I do currently. I take a lot of pride in my brand and the projects I associate myself with and I would never want to give less than 100% of myself to anything I work on. Eventually, I will likely pass the mic over to someone at REEL ProduCtions, LLC, and it will be a platform we can continue to use to promote films and TV projects. I will continue to produce podcasts and appear as a guest on others, but I likely won’t host any more after I step away from the ones I currently host. But that’s a while from now!

Pricing:

• $10-20 for a 30-second ad in a podcast episode (Pre, mid, post-roll slots)
• $25 per 30 mins of editing
• $20 per 30 mins of transcribing

Contact Info:

• Website: https://reel-film-reviewed.productions/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel_film_reviewed_podcast/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/reelfilmpkc
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDxSp05jJ9rrFFPx_x9Myjw
• Other: https://linktr.ee/REEL_Film_Reviewed 

Image Credits
Dre Ryan Adrian Zendejas