Today we’d like to introduce you to Christopher Newland.
Hi Christopher, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Although my first time picking up a camera was in 2015, I never thought about making it meaningful until 2022. During the COVID-19 years, I purchased a camera initially for YouTube and made lots of videos that were never published. Around that time, it felt like I liked being behind the camera more than being in front of it. Producing and curating different themes for the filmed content became my specialty and the passion behind it all.
I brought my camera to North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCAT), my HBCU, and that was the best thing I did. I started filming different organizations and community events in Greensboro, North Carolina, which led to my transition as the 2022-2023 Council of Presidents Content Creator. This role allowed me to grow as a creative in professional and personal environments. I didn’t know I was capable of some of my skills until entering this role. While working with different student organizations on filming + graphic designing, I worked with individuals on their personal shoots. Birthdays, graduations, parties, fashion shows, the list goes on, but I would show up with the camera ready to bring visions to life.
Personally, this allowed me to get out of my comfort zone and grow as an individual. I keep a lot of talents and passions to myself, but content creation pushed me to growing out of that comfort zone, find new networks + opportunities, and enjoy my last few years of Aggie Land (NCAT).
I currently live in South LA, soaking in all the outreach and exposure I’ve made thus far, and continuing to reach more. I’d hope to build a studio where I can curate creative productions and mentor creative students with passions in photography + videography. I grew up not having easy access to creatives I looked up to, so it’s a start in one of the ways I wanna give back and share the knowledge. I’m still putting all the pieces of it together in hopes of evolving it into a production company that supports various media entertainment. Growing up in Atlanta, going to school in Greensboro, and living in Los Angeles has showed me that there’s a lot of pure talent that people carry and could help inspire the next person.
I plan on volunteering Cre84k services to local organizations in Los Angeles and aiding in the development of their social presence. I network with so many who deserve more supporters and a platform to be displayed on.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road to where I am has not been a smooth road, it’s had its bumps along the way. I would be really inspired and motivated about a project then allow one “no” to shut down my creative flow. I had to understand that a decline shouldn’t stop but inspire me. If I felt confident after a project or proposal, I would shut it down if someone questioned it, but now I take the feedback and charge it to the game. I now see “no” as an opportunity to enhance and build onto my work and brand. I set these high expectations to do more than able, even with limitations.
Right now, I feel like it’s a struggle of being a graduating senior who’s moved across the states and feeling like I’m starting over from the jump. At NCAT, I was surrounded by a supporting community with e-board members, brothers + prophytes, and close friends that pushed and promoted me to excel. It’s a good feeling to still have them, along with my family, that motivates me to keep going. Leaving them was a challenging factor, but I took it as a chance to rebrand in a new state and practice everything I learned in school in L.A.
Being my biggest critique got in my way alot, blocking me from different opportunities and insights. I’d also feel 100% about something, then find one thing that would make me re-do or scrap the project. That was a mindset I had to get out of. Some limitations I’ve had maybe access to certain resources.
The road has not been smooth. The entertainment industry is so huge that I’ve worked with people who make it seem like a competition, instead of a collaboration.
I’d be on these rollercoasters of having either too many ideas or being trapped with limitations I’d place on myself. It doesn’t help that I’m my biggest critique and tend to fix things that doesn’t need fixing.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in photography, where I feel strong and fully creative. It always amazes me how I can capture an image, keep it’s authenticity, and apply different visuals to create a short story. I love event photography the most, like various parties, games, homecoming, and concerts. The experiences are great, but interacting with the crowd and attendees is always a vibe. I’ve recently grown to love studio photography. In studios, I loved to apply special lighting techniques and think of different angles to combine and produce a dynamic image. Coloring is a big specialty that I’ve grown to love and apply that to any form of art I produce.
While I believe I specialize in photography, my closest friends would argue that my videography is better. I’m more known for the editing techniques I apply to my videos. Movie and media production is a passion of mine that I spend a lot of time self-critiquing so I can see why my videos are appreciated. Both are intriguing to me, and I always find ways to incorporate the two any chance that I get.
I’m most proud of my editing skills thus far. I’ve grown a lot from where I started, and today’s knowledge makes me want to revise my previous projects sometimes. It was tough for me to feel as if I’ve mastered it, and even till this day, I’m still learning and broadening my horizon on creative capabilities. It’s a wide industry that has an even wider field of knowledge.
I get motivated from working with and shadowing other creatives. I tell my brother all the time he’s my favorite photographer because 1. he is, and 2. he creates authentic work while providing an authentic filming experience. I feel like that’s helped me set myself apart from others. Not everyone is authentic in what they do, and you can tell when someone is passionate in their work. I tend to take time to know who I work with and understand what’s most important to them, respect all their input, and make sure that we’re all on the same page and enjoying the creating + viewing experience.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I started “Chris Cre8’d” (Created) while in college as a way to market my creative skills. It became a nickname at one point. I enjoyed taking pictures for my friends, brothers, and Greensboro in general. They made Chris Cre8’d a staple memory for me wherever I go. I changed the name to “Cre84k” (Create 4K) to keep the origin to the original name from NCAT but expand it to something more than me. I figured if I’m contributing my talents to impact others, the name should showcase the talent more, creating high-quality work.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cre84k.myportfolio.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/chrisin4k/
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/cnewlandproductions
