Meet Orion Yorke

Today we’d like to introduce you to Orion Yorke.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
My dad dabbled in wedding videography/photography in his late 20’s and had a video camera on me right out of the womb. I grew up with him basically “daily vlogging” my every move growing up. I grew fascinated with the camera and would always want to flip the screen around while he recorded to see myself. Around 9 years old I started using the camera to record myself. Around that time I discovered YouTube and new I had to post. I started filming sketches, toy reviews, my dog, anything that I could I just loved filming. At this time I was on a Sony hi8 handy cam and I would do all the “editing” in camera. Film one scene, cut, film the next, mess up, rewind tape, re record over the last take with a better one, so on and so forth. Id then hooks the camera up to the tv and watch my mess of a masterpiece. I soon realized I needed a computer if I wanted to edit and add cool effects like titles and explosion sound effects. I shortly after found a computer at the dump that had iMovie on it. Game changer. I learned the ins and outs and pushed that software to its limits trying every editing effect I saw on YouTube. I then started writing scripts for my neighborhood friends to memorize and started shooting longer length sketches, music video parodies and anything that 10 year old Orion considered a comedy. I fell in love with directing my friends and creating these videos. Once high school rolled around I was still filming with friends but had no clue I could turn my passion into a viable career. My friend invited me to shoot a wedding with him during my freshman year. I wasn’t used his second camera to shoot and got paid $30 bucks. I didn’t know people could get paid to film stuff? I thought it was just big directors in Hollywood that got paid to be around cameras. That’s when it clicked, I can make money doing this! I didn’t have a good camera at the time. Good ole Sony hi8 wouldn’t cut it now that DSLR’s were all the rage and HD was king. So I’d borrow my friend’s camera for any gig I picked up off craigslist. I eat lived and breathed Craigslists ads. Anything from a four year old preschool graduation to a 2nd graders football highlight reel. If it involved filming something I was there filming it. That Christmas my dad bought me my first real camera – I was set. I continued shooting anything and everything on craigslist and with the help of my dad stopping a photographer dead shoot to tell him about his son who was getting into videography I eventually started doing BTS videos for that local photographer who connected me to a lot of people in my (then) hometown.

From there through word of mouth and Instagram my name spread and I was getting work. I realized that I wanted to pursue videography. Sophomore year, after long and supportive talks with the parents I decided I’d grind to graduate a year early to take a gap year to figure out if the college would be a good move or If I should go all in on videography. The next year I graduated and went head first in videography. My parents were so supportive and my mom always knew growing up I’d always be in a realm of something creative and she made sure she always pushed me and supported me in all my creative endeavors. Being homeschooled my whole life gave me a lot of freedom to be creative and my parents made sure they always let me explore and learn through experience rather than through strict textbooks. I’m very grateful for that. After high school, my business did well and at 19 I moved out to start my path. I just recently moved from that first home In Greenville SC and am now in LA excited to start a new chapter in this new year.

Please tell us about your art.
I do videography. I do a lot of video marketing for companies/lifestyle stuff. I try to always create a story around whatever is being marketed/sold – sell the experience not the product is my mantra. Creating something out of nothing is so fulfilling. Evoking emotion out of people with something I threw together – that is so rewarding to hear how my work has made someone feel something.

As an artist, how do you define success and what quality or characteristic do you feel is essential to success as an artist
Success for me is being happy in what I am doing professionally. If you’re not happy in your craft you’re not succeeding. Mix it up, try something new in your medium. Don’t be complacent.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
My Instagram @orion_yorke is my primary platform for sharing my work. I run a company called “off brand” with a business partner. The whole idea is formed around creating marketing pieces that evoke emotion and tell a story. Again selling the feeling/experience – not the product. You can find all that work on Vimeo or our Instagram @offbrandvisuals – we’ve been able to work with some cool people and companies to tell their stories.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://vimeo.com/user94440664
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @orion_yorke
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzvB5GjzKymIUNiHMiyFvng?view_as=subscriber

Image Credit:
Emily Wilson

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