Meet CALEB JACKSON | Documentary Filmmaker, Videographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with CALEB JACKSON and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi CALEB, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I had shot a few documentary projects- a few smaller ones about the Tucson music scene, and one full length proejct in Florida about my favorite punk band from the 90s (Squad Five-O). I started editing that movie, and realized that I had gained a skillset to work with clients in that speicifc format. With my videography business, I figured out a way to take what I learned on those documentaries, and create stories that were shorter than what I had made.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I really try to distinguish myself from other videgraphers by focusing on the stories I tell with video over the gear I use. When I meet up with my clients, I ask a lot of questions, mostly about the kind of story they want to tell, and how they want it to feel. A lot goes into that process before I even think about lenses, gimbals, or drones.

I would definitely say that the process of getting my business off the ground has not been easy. The biggest hurdle I’ve had to jump over was consistent self-promotion. I’m kind of shy, so talking about myself and what I do wasn’t the most natural thing for me, but once I made a commintment to posting every day on social media about my business, it actaully became a lot more natural to do.

I want people to know that the stories they have are really valuable in the way they market themselves. Even if it might seem trivial, the most authentic thing you can do as a business owner is tell your story. Potential clients don’t just want to know facts about what you offer, they want to know how you got where you are, why your menu looks the way it does, and who helped you get started. That is what creates genuine connections.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had a totally free day with a friend from out of town, we would start off the day with Houlden’s Bakery- best pastries in town. You wouldn’t even know they were vegan! Then we would drive over to Wooden Tooth Records- the coolest record store in Tucson. Lots of great sub-sections (punk, metal, electronic). Then we’d walk over to Boca to get some Tacos, and the best chips + salsa in the world! Maybe after that we’d end the night at Club Congress, where we could get dinner at the Cup Cafe, and then mozy over to whatever live music was happening that night.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Chris Porter of Porter Coaching has really helped to keep me going on this journey- he has ADD (like me) and a lot of experience working with clients- we meet up regularly and he help me figure out my next moved and how to keep pushing forward in my business!

Website: johncalebjackson.com

Instagram: instagranm.com/johncalebjackson

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caleb-jackson-a22b8b74/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxRQaXL4F_tWAzi90F-QMOw

Image Credits
Photo: Meredith Amadee Photography Logo: Jason Hout