Meet Chris Johnson of Fontana, California

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Johnson

Hi Chris , we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started my Journey with film 🎥 from a young age always loving movies growing up. Then I’m high school I joined a Digital video class where I learned how to film, edit and I just fell in love with the whole process and being able to tell stories with video in a impactful way.
Later in college I started taking all kinds of video classes, multi-camera production, sound design, and even the history of video and its origins.
I was just a few classes away from getting my Associate degree in film making but I ended up working instead and never finishing college.

After that I started volunteering with my church doing multi-camera production for the different services which was pretty cool at first but soon after doing the same thing it became repetitive and I lost interest, while working a custodial job at my church water. Word had gotten around that I was involved in video which reached the film director Artie Delgado and once he asked me to start working with him doing more of the creative videos for the church, interviews, event recaps, even studio work, that’s when my passion for film expanded.

So I started to do some research and came to discover that there was a whole world and career in film that I never knew existed! One day still volunteering at the time and learning Artie me to come help him film a few classes for a organization that mentors at risk youth in Pomona and after that shoot he hands me an envelope and in it was a check for $100, now this wasn’t an insane amount of money but in that moment, it was the very first time that I ever made money doing video which was a catalyst moment for me. I asked Artie who also ran his own film company business how he did it and he told me I had to get my own gear, editing software and start learning the skills and that’s exactly what I did!

So I talked to my mom and told her what I wanted to do as a career and she was in full support of my vision, so much that she helped my purchase my first camera, online film school course called full time film maker and start on my journey of starting my videography business!

Now today I have gotten to do everything from weddings, quinceanera’s, conferences, birthdays, music videos, podcasts, podcast commercials and even starting to do more photography now to expand my skill.

As amazing as it is getting paid to do this money isn’t my motivation to do it my true passion is to bless other people by being able to tell there stories and bring there vision to life to impact the world in a positive way!

I’m so blessed to be able to do what I do and always put the same passion heart and care into my projects as my clients which in the end make this career all the more fulfilling.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Definitely wasn’t a smooth road getting here. Still learning all the in’s and outs about running a business and working with different people and constantly learning new skills and techniques to sharpen my craft. Even when things were tough financially, I learned to make the most of the gear I had and it always has been enough to get me through.

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?
So am a professional video creator and editor I specialize and am know for video combing all the skills, from cinematography, lighting, and sound to create engaging videos that capture the emotions of all who view them. Especially weddings and events being the types of videos I do most.
I am the most proud of the stories that I have gotten to tell through video and the whole idea of creating something that was in someone’s mind and making it into a reality for the world to see.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
During the Covid-19 I definitely learned how important that the relationships are in your life and how easy it was to take them for granted. This is why now I make sure that even though my schedule can get pretty busy that I always make time for my family and for my clients that I always put a special emphasis on building relationships with them as well and not treating them like another business transaction but as people that I genuinely care about and I let that be evident in my work.

Pricing:

• Weddings start at $1200 to $2500 depending on the demands of the project
• Birthdays recaps & tapings start at $700-$1000
• Conferences range $800-$1500
• Photography starts at $300-$1000
• Promotional videos, brand or business range from $500-$1000

Contact Info:

• Website: https://chrisjfilms91.wixsite.com/chrisjohnsonfilms?
• Instagram: ChrisJfilms