Today we’d like to introduce you to Dustin Shepard.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Dustin. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Bagging groceries for hours every day at the 3rd & La Brea Trader Joe’s will definitely have you ponder what you’re doing with your life. Who you want to become and what you want to achieve.
Growing up, I never showed much interest in the film world. But deep down, I always wanted to be in front of and behind the camera. So after hours and hours of bagging food for directors, photographers, producers, and actors, I said to myself, “I should buy a camera!” I didn’t just randomly think buying a camera would automatically open doors. Back when I was a young Kidz Bop, while walking to Dorsey High School, I would listen to music and create these videos in my head. The visuals were very vivid and immersive. I’d imagine everything edited to the beat of the song and I could see the visual story flow smoothly. That’s what confirmed my decision to buy a camera. There was just one little problem. I didn’t have the money! I spent hours on Vimeo and Youtube watching videos of different cameras. Luckily the time I started looking at cameras was the early age of DSLR’s. I had it narrowed down to a Canon 7D or a Canon XH-A1. Eventually after a few months of saving up and with the help of my Grandparents, my Dad, and a few friends, I was able to purchase my first legit camera. I chose the 7D!
Not everyone I worked with at Trader Joe’s shared the same positive mindset about my new camera though. Some co-workers said, “You’re stupid for spending all that money on a camera.” I didn’t let it derail my master plan. Working at Trader Joe’s taught me how to network. I was communicating with hundreds of people weekly. I’ve had full blown conversations with big Hollywood stars. Even met the black dude who gets kicked in the hole in the movie 300, Peter Mensah. Before I bought my camera I was fiddling with Photoshop, learning basic graphic design. I was so good at striking up conversations I got myself a meeting with Kenny Gravillis of Gravillis Inc. As soon as I walked in, I saw big ass movie posters like AVATAR, INGLORIOUS BASTARDS, and a bunch of other blockbusters. Mistakes were made! I was absolutely trash at graphic design. Kenny was stoked to see a black kid into the arts though. He knew it was just a hobby and told me that I needed to find what I truly loved, which ended up being videography. So from then on, I started meeting people through my checkout line in the film and photography world. Miguel Starcevich, Daniel Sollinger, David Courtemarche, and Adam Tillman-Young. Through those connections, I was able to launch my career in videography.
Honestly, I never imagined I’d get such big opportunities so early on in my career. I didn’t go to school for this, I had to fake it till I made it. From getting to work with Snoop Dogg’s wife and accidentally deleting all her behind the scenes footage, to years later working with their son and laughing about it. People I watched on TV as a kid that I never thought I’d meet, ended up becoming friends, like Danny Tamberelli from Nickelodeon and Steven Ho from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Since buying a camera everything in my life seems to have come full circle. What used to just be a daydream became a reality.
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?
I’ve officially been alive 30 years. I’ve overcome a lot of struggles. But nothing hit the struggle button like the death of my Father. He was murdered in Long Beach. Something my Dad never wanted to see happen to his sons, happened to him. Knowing that my Dad bled out in an alley was heartbreaking, it’s still heartbreaking. The nicest person I knew in this world died in a state of terror. Literally running for his life and left for dead. He put up a good fight though.
For three days, he’d lay unconscious in the ICU. I watched my Dad clinically die multiple times before his quality of life was no more. Losing one of my biggest fans was tough. He supported my dreams! Everyone knows the rent in LA is “TOO DAMN HIGH!” He didn’t make me pay rent. All the money I made was mine. He didn’t ask for anything. Just the dishes to be washed. We lived in a small one bedroom apartment together for ten years. He was more than a Dad, he was a best friend. As my grandmother likes to say “other than that!” every obstacle is easy to overcome.
Tell us about your business/company. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of as a company? What sets you apart from others?
I capture things people see everyday. But I make it feel like it’s something they’ve never seen before. Life is beautiful. I want people to feel something when they watch my videos. Everything has to flow together. I try extremely hard to make sure there’s not a moment that is distracting. I want time to disappear. Rhythm is very important. My online gaming name was Eldente. It ended up becoming my Youtube name and Instagram name. So every now and then people will hit me up and say “let me get that Eldente special!” And what they mean by that is they want my aesthetic.
I’m known for picking the best music for videos and my editing is as smooth as butter! I’m most proud that I never quit, it wasn’t a constant streak of work the whole way through. There were plenty of times I thought is this really the career for me? Even when work was slow I was still putting out content. I created a name for myself in the Martial Arts Tricking world. I started my own little series on YouTube called “People Doing People Things.” The fact that I kept creating regardless of having work, opened more doors for my business. Musical artists and other filmmakers reached out because they could see the love I had in the projects I was making on my own.
I’m black, I’m Muslim, I roller blade, I love rhythm games, I’m a PC Gamer, I go to Japan every year, I’m a LA native, my Dad was murdered, and my newest obsession is Jet skiing. There’s so many unique things about me you wouldn’t expect. I’m not just one thing, that’s why I’m able to connect with and capture so many different people. I’m 100% myself with anybody I meet, whether it’s a Saudi prince or a homeless guy at Venice Beach. I never water myself down, even though a lot of people have told me I should. I think my authenticity is my greatest quality and that’s something I carry over into my work. Because I’m so shamelessly myself around people, I allow them to be their true selves, too.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I have way too many awesome childhood memories. But here’s one for ya’ll. I got a pet rat from a friend. It was small and white with red beady eyes. It was super cute. At least that’s what I thought. I brought it home and pulled it out of my pocket. “GRANDMA LOOK WHAT I GOT!” I said. Mind you I don’t think I have ever seen my Grandma run in her life before, let alone dance at the time this happened. She literally jumped on top of the couch. Prancing around screaming “get it out! Get it away from me! Oh my god!” And I thought to myself, “Wow the strongest woman I know is actually afraid of something.”
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eldente
- Other: www.youtube.com/eldente
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