Today we’d like to introduce you to John Goolsby.
John, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My interest began as projector monitor in elementary school and progressed through TV production classes in High School and College to producing training films for Vons Grocery Company before starting my own video production company in 1986. Since then I have filmed in 32 states and 25 countries producing more than 3000 wedding films and hundreds of corporate films for clients such as Costco, Mobil Oil, Penske Motorsports, US Foodservice, TE Connectivity, Kaiser Permenente and the US Army.
One of the Highlights of my career was being named “One of the Top 25 Event Filmmakers in the World.” I am now an FAA Certified Remote Pilot and have flown drones around the world.
Great, 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?
Being an entrepreneur for more than 30 years has had its challenges. I am compelled to stay on top of evolving technology and must constantly invest in the latest and greatest production gear. The education process never ends which means I invest in conventions and seminars several times a year for me and my team of videographers and editors so that we continue to produce top quality effective video communications. Marketing techniques constantly change. Advertising that worked ten years ago would be a waste of time and money now. All the aspects of running a business are constantly changing and we’ve had to stay on top of it. Fortunately for us, quality video is currently in very high demand.
Godfather Films – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I’ve always been good at connecting the dots, especially with the relationship between video and viewers. Producing corporate films is all about education and persuasion knowing in advance specifically what we want the viewer to know, feel and do. Once that is determined, we work backwards factoring in all of the positive aspects the product or service offers and then prioritizing them by the elements that will reach the objective.
Because I believe our most prized possessions are not things but the memories of our adventures, celebrations and the people we love, I still love producing wedding films. The wedding day is that one time when all of the most important people in our lives come together to see us happy. But couples only experience ten percent of their own celebration and can only remember ten percent of what they experience. That means they day after their wedding, they only have one percent of the event in their memory. The challenge is all memories fade and most eventually disappear. The purpose of a Wedding Film is Time Travel.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My most rewarding moment was actually one of my lowest paying jobs. A bride was sad because her mother was suffering with ALS and wouldn’t be able to attend the wedding. I went to Mom’s bedside immediately following the ceremony and played the video of her daughter getting married and texted a photo of Mom watching to the bride before her grand entrance. The bride was thrilled that she was able to share her wedding day with her Mom. While her mother could no longer talk, she was able to mouth the words to me “thank you”. Best payday ever!
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.GodfatherFilms.com
- Phone: 800.495.5530
- Email: [email protected]
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
La Vaun Johns
July 8, 2017 at 19:11
I missed the opportunity to have lunch with this man when some friends got together not long ago and I do regret it as I’m sure he had some fascinating stories to tell. This was an interesting read, especially since I see this Hummer downtown near my office frequently.