Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Wright
Hi Nicole, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My story starts at birth, actually. I was born in the summer of 1983 in Boise, Idaho. My dad always played around with photography but when I was born, he bought a VHS videocamera and captured so much of my childhood that he joked that I thought he had a blinking red eye (referring to the “record” button on his video camera next to the eyepiece he looked through). We have so many precious moments and events recorded and I would enjoy watching them ever since I can remember. For the first several years, there was always a lot of happiness in our household. This ideal childhood came to an abrupt end when I was 11 years old when my parents announced their divorce. It shattered my heart beyond words, so to escape the reality I wasn’t willing to face, I would watch these home videos to transport myself back to the happy times. Sure maybe denial isn’t great, but it was something I could hold on to. I realized how important these videos were to keep the memories of my happy childhood alive.
I was also greatly inspired by Steven Spielbergʻs films and most appreciated his ability to transport us somewhere
else. Through his work, the power of cinema and the power of capturing memories became one and the same. I was a true nerd before that was even cool. I would hang out in the library at school before the first period started, reading books on movie making and biographies on George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. I wanted nothing more than to be a filmmaker.
In my first year of college at Boise State University, I was waiting for a janitor to unlock a classroom door so we could go in. While we were waiting, I got to chatting with a fellow student (as an extreme introvert at the time, this was uncommon for me to do!) and she mentioned that her friend was going to a film school in California called Brooks Institute. I decided to check it out to see if that might be an option for me one day. Sure enough, it worked out and I started almost immediately. My mom always says if it wasn’t for that janitor who forgot to open the door that morning, I might not have heard of Brooks Institute!
So, in February of 2002, my mom and best friend helped me pack up my Honda Civic and drive from Boise to Ventura, California. That was the beginning of my next life. I started to break out of my shell and really live my life. I was around people who had the same passion and soaking up the year-round California sun. While in school, I worked a part time job at a movie theater, then at the GAP, then as an intern at Key News in Santa Barbara, where I soon got a paid job as a newscast editor. I graduated with my Bachelors of Art degree in Film and Video Production in February of 2005.
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?
I’ve definitely been thrown off track at times. During my teens, I lived with an alcoholic parent, so I was quite distracted with that. College was so fun for me, but once I graduated, I got married and we moved back to Idaho for two years because my husband wanted to go to BSU. There weren’t many options for work in TV or film there, so I because a Corrections Officer until I filed for divorce, and moved back down to California with whatever I could fit in my Honda Civic. I started over. I had a few friends that I reconnected with but I lost my momentum. For the first time, I had to make a living in California all on my own. I lived in my car for few weeks here and there. I showered at LA Fitnesses and hung out at coffee shops so I could use their WIFI while looking for jobs. I lived off my credit card for a couple years so I had to eventually pay off that debt that went to collections. One of my friends got me a job as a nighttime production assistant (rough hours let me tell you!) at a reality TV company. I started climbing up a bit, moving to the daytime shift. But then they laid off most of us so I turned to doing background talent for TV shows and various productions to pay my bills. It didn’t pay much and the schedule was spontaneous and rough at times, but it kept a roof over my head. My sister talked me into enlisting in the Air Force Reserves so I could have a bit of a safety net. My friends and I celebrated the night before I went away to boot camp, but when I came back, things felt different. I felt distanced and unsupported. So I had to find some new connections once again. It was stressful because I suddenly felt so alone. I eventually found a job at Sony DADC as a media encoder that got me out of living in my car once again. I couldn’t afford much food but I was getting onto my feet again. After a couple years of that, I found my current husband and had some money in my savings account and felt inspired to finally file my ficticious business name, Seven Star Films. I started shooting more events. I had my first daughter in 2014 but there I was, 6 weeks later, shooting a wedding.
In 2015, I joined the California Air National Guard in Fresno. I was still shooting weddings though, so I had two guys who I needed to shoot a wedding for me because the bride really wanted me to edit it. I was in Fresno, 3.5 hours away from home when I got a call from an angry father of the bride. He informed me that my videographers were taking advantage of the open bar and one was seen popping a pill and the cops were called. I was sick to my stomach. I assured him that I would give him a refund and still produce a video with their footage. Luckily, that was enough to satisfy him and the wedding couple, but I was terrified of being sued for something I didn’t do. But because it was done under my company name, I was responsible. I learned a huge lesson that day… to always be present at every one of my productions.
I currently work at the Channel Islands Air National Guard Station in Port Hueneme. I love supporting our mission of fighting fires with our C-130s and I enjoy shooting imagery of the process. I still shoot events such as weddings, anniversary parties, and fashion shows, but I’m now getting into shooting life stories. That is my next goal – to really delve into that service more, especially for the elderly. They need to record their history for their descendants!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in being affordable, personable, and reliable. I’m most proud of my connection with the clients. I genuinely care about their event and often I finish the project feeling like they were a blessing in my life and they make me feel that I had a positive impact on their. That is the most fulfilling feeling to have. It makes me clearer each time that this really is my purpose in life – to show people their lives from a different point of view and to just simply record history so it can be relived.
As for my photography style, I really get tired of cliche poses and the anything that has been trending for more than a few years. I like natural-looking poses, and just genuine candid and charisma. I like to capture the truth of life. So if a child is pouting or crying in a family portrait session, I don’t fight it too much. My daughters make my own family portraits challenging but I know that in years to come, we’ll laugh when we see that almost every picture of us in some tropical happy place, either my toddler is always crying or my older one is pouting and tired, while the rest of us are smiling. That’s life and that’s what I capture.
I started taking my daughter along to shoots when appropriate to start training her as an assistant. She enjoys coming to work with me and I enjoy having some help. I hope that in a few years, we’re an official team. That would be ideal.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I would love to work for Disney one day soon. Whether or not that happens, more importantly, I want to focus on life stories, especially for the elderly and people who have a limited lifespan due to disease or something. As always, I want to make it affordable so the money doesn’t deter people from recording their history. What a gift it will be for their descendants to get to watch their grandparents or loved ones talk about family history, traditions, and fun times! My uncles and I did that for my grandparents and I’m so glad I can see their talking faces again. I miss them so much. I did one for my dad a couple years ago and I used a lot of his interview for his 80th birthday tribute video. That was his favorite gift. He kept telling me how much it meant to him to see his life in review. And again, that fulfills me more than words can express.
Pricing:
- Wedding Videography Gold Star Package (8 hrs) $2500
- $50 per 40 photos (usually one song’s worth)
- Wedding Photography Gold Star Package (8 hrs) $2000
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sevenstarfilms.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551138316855
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-wright-a1a011230
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/NicoleWrightSevenStarFilms
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=T5rbmJqmclOoNhhC4EGwKA
Image Credits
Feature photo: Photo by Nicole Wright (myself) – me shooting an ambience video for Youtube of the Boise River in the fall https://youtu.be/3Zbyezq-GaA
Photo by Diane Mooney – me shooting a wedding in Boise, Idaho in 2013
Photo by Nicole Wright – Self-portrait family portrait 2022 – It’s tricky to take your own family photos but I do it!
Photo by Nicole Wright – Self-portrait family portrait 2022 – I Photoshopped in my girls’ imaginary pets
Photo by Marina Wright – me shooting promo photos for a Nutcracker ballet Sept 2024
Photo by Marina Wright – me shooting promo photos for a Nutcracker ballet Sept 2024
Photo by Marina Wright – me shooting a 50th anniversary party in Oct 2024
Photo by Nicole Wright – screenshot of me shooting a life story for my dad in 2022
Photo by Nieko Carzis – me getting an award for the Air National Guard in December 2024
Photo by Nicole Wright – shooting video of my base’s firefighting efforts for the Palisades Fire January 20, 2025
Photo by Marina Wright – me shooting a 50th anniversary party in Oct 2024
Photo by Marina Wright – me shooting a 50th anniversary party in Oct 2024
Photo by Miso Silva – my daughter and I shooting a 50th anniversary party in Oct 2024
