Meet Chris Tinard | Cinematographer

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

Hi Chris, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I’ve always been that guy who does things on his own, learn on his own, figure it out on his own. I briefly worked for a nonprofit after college, but quickly decided I wanted to do something different, and really didn’t even consider looking for a job. A friend of mine talked to me about how the court reporting firm she was working for used freelancers to provide video production services for depositions and so I decided to jump right in. I had no experience in running a business or in video production outside of playing with my first camcorder in high school. It sounded like a great excuse to buy a bunch of cool equipment and a way to make money right away. After a couple of years in the legal video industry I lost the account and decided to shift my service offering to expend my client base. It was the perfect opportunity to start doing more creative projects and re-invent myself on the marketing, commercial side of video production

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Video production is complex it involves high technical skills, creativity, and a good dose of psychology, but beyond all of that, the core is servicing my clients to the best of my abilities, with integrity and always going above their expectations. I think my success comes from paying attention to the very small details. The difference between good and great is all in the details. Sometime when editing a project, the difference is 1 frame. Removing a frame or adding a frame can make the difference. I also approach production from the psychology side, meaning there should be a reason for every shot, every movement, every sound and over the years I’ve developed a way of talking to my client as an expert and I’m able to articulate why we should shoot a scene 1 way or an other. I’m also a big learner, I love to learn, I’m curious about everything. Even after 18 years in the business, I spend hours each months listening to podcast from experts in the field, learning new techniques and tools I can implement. It took years to get here, nothing was easy. It was all done the old fashion way, with hard work, patience and developing meaningful relationships in the industry. If you serve your clients well if you do it with integrity, and if you perfect your craft, eventually your reputation will be your best advocate. It took a long time but for sure I feel like an expert in my field and I believe my clients can see it and sense it when working with me.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live around the Sunnyslope area, it is a very diverse dynamic neighborhood. We love that we have so many mom and pop restaurants, brewery and coffee shops. Cultivate coffee is a must on Dunlap and 7th Ave. Little Miss BBQ is right down the street on 7th Street. Ladera Tavern on Central has a great patio with great food and drinks so does Sister Helen on 19th Ave and Northern. We also love the Art walk downtown on Roosevelt with the Film Bar and Angel Trumpet Ale for a great evening of drinks and movie. We also love taking people to Sedona to enjoy the amazing scenery.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My wife Julie has been and still is the ultimate sacrificial person in this story. She worked very early shifts in the early days of my business to provide medical insurance for the family. She raised 4 children almost on her own while I worked extremely long hours trying to provide for us.

Website: orangescreen.com

Instagram: instagram.com/christophe_tinard

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/christinard

Twitter: @chris_tinard

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chris.tinard/