Meet Trenton Foster of Awesome Future Productions in Simi Valley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Trenton Foster.

Trenton, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I love filmmaking! It first started as a hobby when I was a teenager, especially with making my own stop-motion animation films with LEGO bricks. For over nine months, I labored on a seven-minute LEGO Star Wars brickfilm, moving each character bit by bit to create action and story.

After I graduated high school, I started looking for part-time work to support me while I focused on my full-time ministry and part-time college. A couple in my area heard about my situation and hired me to teach their after-school program Tinker Tank, teaching elementary students about mechanical engineering and robotics with specialized LEGO kits. After a year of working for them, the couple decided to move out of the area and offered to help me set up my own version of their LEGO classes. And just like that, I was a business owner at nineteen. For the last nine years I’ve built up my company Imagine-It Kid to incorporate my love of stop-motion animation. I love that I get to help kids learn an art form that is now beginning a resurgence in the motion picture industry, and running this program has taught me valuable business skills.

At the same time, I was attending Moorpark College with an initial interest in studying film and video. After my first couple of classes though, I quickly realized that, while there was a lot of information presented on the theory of film, there wouldn’t be much I could learn for practical purposes. I would need to build this skill-set the same way I had with stop-motion animation – I would need to experiment and teach myself through trial and error. So I changed my focus to a related field, one I could gain more practical experience from in the classroom – multimedia. Eventually I graduated with an associate’s degree, specializing in graphic, logo development, and marketing. These skills also played a valuable role in Imagine-It Kid and in future endeavors.

For fun, I would occasionally wrangle my friends together to help me make short films on my parent’s camcorder (one of those old miniDV tape recorders that have since gone extinct). My first project was “A Day in the Life of a Briefcase,” completely shot and edited in 24 hours for Apple’s Insomnia Film Festival. Another film told the story of a couple lost in death who were resurrected and reunited in Paradise, set to the song “Fix You” by Coldplay. I loved working on these projects, but I also learned how challenging it was to organize people to serve as actors, cameramen, writers, musicians, etc. I also felt limited by the technology of the time – no camera or microphone available could even come close to the quality I could see at the theater.

From time to time I was asked to shoot weddings for friends and family last-minute using that same old family camcorder. This lead to my first paid wedding job, filming my cousin’s big day in Spokane, WA. I slaved on my computer for almost a year putting the film together for them. This continued to be a favor I would do for family and friends until I became aware of a new trend in videography – DSLRs and mirrorless cameras! Finally, here was a camera that was affordable and could capture beautiful imagery, bringing my mind’s vision to reality!

I decided to take the plunge, start my second business Awesome Future Productions, and invest in a Sony VG20 and lens just in time for my (other) cousin’s wedding in 2012.

At first, work was slow to come in. I was still in college, still running Imagine-It Kid, still in my full-time ministry (70 hours a month of preaching and teaching the Bible), so I had little time to focus on growing the business. In addition, I found that I had a lot to learn in how to compose shots, how to shoot in dark environments, how to get good audio, etc. I really look at those two years as being a big period of growth and development, and I internally cringe when I look back and see what my definition of “good footage” was. Still, I kept working at my trade, using the money earned to slowly invest in better cameras, lenses, and support gear. I also made it a point to work with other more experienced videographers around me as a second shooter, learning their techniques and experimenting.

Now I’m in my fourth year as a wedding filmmaker, and I am loving every minute of it. I am a storyteller at heart, and one of the things I loved most about movies and films is their ability to make someone invest in the story. The best stories are the ones that make you feel what the character feels – you yearn for them to reach their goal and get to the “happy ending” at the end of the film. That’s what I love most about wedding videography – I get to tell the happiest of stories and help my couples relive the same rush of excitement, laughter, and love that they felt that entire day. And unlike any Hollywood film, their story is 1oo% authentic.

In addition, I love that I have a wonderful wife who works with me on my wedding shoots and my after school classes. There’s few joyful feelings that can compare to having a partner in life to work with and share your experiences. And just as I have tons of fun teaching kids about stop-motion animation, so I look forward to eventually being able to share my current filmmaking knowledge with others starting off their careers.

While I’ve gotten to the point where I can feel safe calling myself a professional filmmaker, I’m still constantly learning and experimenting, and that’s just how I want it.

Humans are hard-wired with a need to keep learning, to keep expanding our abilities, and to do good work that enriches the lives of others. I feel blessed that all of my endeavors, whether secular, familial, or spiritual, allow me to give in this way.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Not at all! Time management has always been a challenge, making sure that gave enough attention and focus to each different job when they can all be just as important.

Feeling good enough about what I create has been another challenge. Between feeling limited by the tools at my disposal, not always having people to collaborate with, relying on others who are not invested in the work as I am, and being far too aware of my own mistakes and errors have at time discouraged me. And dealing with today’s definition of success vs my definition – i.e. how much money am I making, how independent am I, how much time have I bought back to focus on spiritual pursuits, the lifestyle today’s world pressures us to live in vs my goal of keeping things simple.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Awesome Future Productions – what should we know?
Imagine-It Kid – We conduct after-school classes for kindergarten and elementary students in subjects such as mechanical engineering and stop-motion animation.

Awesome Future Productions – Wedding filmmakers creating cinematic stories of couple’s special day.

I love the fact that both of these companies are extensions of my personality. Imagine-It Kid represents the big kid I still am today, full of fun and play. It also showcases my love of learning, of taking my imagination and using it to inspire and build up the creativity of a new generation. Awesome Future Productions represents my depth and love of storytelling. I love going to the movie and experiencing the full range of emotions as you watch the characters live in their own reality. To take someone’s wedding – the happiest, most intense, most meaningful day in their life – and build a story from it that will take them through that same rollercoaster of feelings that led them up to that day is the perfect expression of that depth in my soul.

Both businesses also showcase my enjoyment of problem solving. Whether it’s figuring out how to help a student build the model they want or determining how to get the shot I need, both cases require me to think outside of the box and try something new.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
First and foremost, I have my very supportive wife, Bethany. She not only provides an encouraging presence to me when I’m frustrated with a particular project (which can happen often) but she’s also an able partner, humble enough to learn new skills and always eager to work with me as a second shooter on our weddings. When I finish editing a wedding film, the best reward is to review it with her and hear her thoughtful feedback.

I’ve also had the chance to work with a number of talented videographers over the years, such as Isaac Meeks with the SB Wedding Crew and Inda Reid with Images By Inda. Watching how they work and capture special moments has helped me to gain practical experience.

The YouTube community has also been a huge resource. Countless filmmakers like Kraig Adams, Matt Johnson, Griffin Hammond, and others have provided so many tutorials and so much knowledge on quality filmmaking that would be difficult to learn otherwise.

I owe thanks to too many friends and family. Without their willingness to let me film their weddings when I was starting out, I would never have gotten my foot in the door. Even today, I still have friends who send business my way.

And of course, my parents for supporting my creative projects as a teenager, providing business advice, and enduring me shoving a camera in their faces.

Pricing:

• “Capturing the Moments” Package | $1,500 | 8 hours | Two camera coverage | Two shooters | Raw 1080p footage & audio on a portable hard drive | 3-5 minute Highlight Film (digital copy & online link)
• “Sweet Memories” Package | $1,900 | 8 hours | Two camera coverage | Two shooters | Raw 1080p footage & audio on a portable hard drive | 3-5 minute Highlight Film (digital copy & online link) | Edited ceremony and toast videos
• “Love Forever” Package | $2,300 | 8 hours | Two camera coverage | Two shooters | Raw 1080p footage & audio on a portable hard drive | 3-5 minute Highlight Film (digital copy & online link) | 30-60 minute Archived wedding film (digital copy)
• Custom packages also available with optional hours, 4K quality, and drone footage

Contact Info:

• Website: www.awesomefutureproductions.com
• Phone: 8059072511
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awesomeweddingfilms/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AFVideoWeddings/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/afpweddingfilms
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/awesome-future-productions-simi-valley-2
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaKDgjX6yPgoCpooKTm7p1A

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