Meet Marc Dahm of Bluecat in Beverly Hills

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marc Dahm.

Marc, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
A long, long time ago… I got excited about photography when I took an amazing photo of an old man in Costa Rica (I still have that shot). That single photo was the spark that ignited my passion for photography. I also took photos of the plethora of animals that country has to offer, but I was missing the sounds and motion of incredible moments like when I saw a flock of fifty or so scarlet macaws flying from one lush green rainforest tree to another. The still image couldn’t do it justice, and that started my foray into video.

The next time I went to Costa Rica I had a video camera, and to pay for it, I started shooting weddings. I primarily worked for one company which grew to one of the nations leading event video companies, and through them, I shot and edited projects for many celebrities and prominent clientele. Then in 2001, I started Bluecat, and with great gratitude, I can say we have been extremely successful.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The beginning was scary. Starting a business is like a combination of buying your first house and having your first child. Fears of doing something wrong, hiring the wrong people, being able to afford the right people, etc. dominate every moment of your existence – you dream about it. But at the same time, that fear drove me to excellence in every aspect of the business.

That drive combined with a fair amount of luck, and the fact that I had already been in the business as a freelancer for a number of years and had made friends in the industry, really made becoming successful pretty easy for me. Maintaining success, however, definitely has its challenges. Having to constantly stay on top of the ever-evolving technology of cameras is extremely costly and time-consuming.

Plus, cameras are getting so good that camera operators don’t have to be as good, which opens the market to new, inexperienced people with mediocre skills who can produce decent looking work and they are willing to do it for very little. Again, this pushes us to stay cutting edge both in equipment and in shooting & editing styles. More importantly, we are always willing to give 120% on the job so we can consistently over deliver and wow our clients.

Bluecat – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Bluecat specializes in private event videography, spanning everything from small get-togethers, to weddings, to huge celebrity fundraisers, and fabulous international events. We use cinematic cameras, lenses, and movements to capture not only the details and obvious happenings of the event but also the ambiance and feeling of it… the vibe.

Our crews are known for being unobtrusive and easy to work with on the job, and for personal events like weddings, we achieve super high production value with a minimal production footprint, so that we can go as unnoticed as possible. Just two cameramen can produce a product that looks like it was shot by four or more. Large scale events may have a crew of three to five that can produce work that rivals televised live events.

Recently a bride referred to me personally as a ‘ninja,’ being everywhere, but not seen! A compliment I strive for especially when shooting weddings because I believe a wedding should not run like a film set. It’s really difficult to get amazing footage and be at the right place at the right time with minimal intervention or ‘directing,’ and that’s where our level of experience plays the biggest role.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
The measure of success in our business is marked by the amount of tears shed… odd, but true. Tears fall when hearts are touched, and that’s when we’ve done our job.

This is true for weddings, corporate events, fundraising events, or anything really. The strength of the emotional connection between the viewer and the content of the video is what makes it impactful. Keeping a sharp eye on that goal is what makes the story we tell moving and effective.

I know we’ve done well when a client cries at her video, but it’s even more awesome when we make a potential client cry at someone else’s video whom they don’t even know – that’s good… that’s success.

Contact Info:

• Address: 113 N San Vicente Blvd. Beverly Hills, CA 9021
• Website: http://bluecatintl.com
• Phone: 310.360.0631
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/bluecat_cinema/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bluecatintl/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/bluecat_cinema

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