Following Family Footsteps: A Journey to Videography – Article #4 – Draft
It’s not everyday that you get caught in the midst of tragedy. Even more unlikely is when you travel 1,000 miles away, and find yourself in the midst.
Ryan Schmidt travels with the University of Northern Iowa athlete teams and films their games. On Monday, Schmidt was traveling and preparing to film the mens basketball team as they would take on University of Virginia for an exciting matchup. The Panthers were in their hotel rooms, getting mentally ready for the evening game against the Cavaliers, when tragedy struck Virginia’s campus.
Schmidt recalled, “Something happened on [Virginia’s] campus, and all we were told was that we had to stay in our hotel rooms.”
The team was staying at Holiday Inn, just a couple of minutes away from campus. Which was close enough that the hotel had to lockdown until the shooter was apprehended.
Many people were affected by the shooter at University of Virginia last week. Many people just happened to be within the campus vicinity at the time of accident. Many of these people could be someone who was just there to do their job.
On that cruel Monday evening in Virginia, Schmidt found himself sitting in his hotel room, patiently waiting for what was next for the UNI mens basketball team.
Capturing energy in athletics is not an easy task. Being able to turn that energy into a piece of artwork can be even harder. Becoming a videographer may not be the typical route that families encourage their child to take, but it’s exactly where Schmidt ended up.
Many collegiate athletic teams chase prospective videographers to capture such moments. These clips are highly shared among sports teams and fanbases. The video production allows for fans and students to experience the sport from a different viewpoint.
Schmidt is a college graduate who is working on perfecting this craft. Currently he is an Athletic Video Creative at the University of Northern Iowa. He uses his talent to capture a moment and turn it into a video or clip that showcase the emotions exhibited in the moment.
Schmidt said it hasn’t always been this way. He said he really got into it when his cousin, who is a lead compositor for an animation studio in Toronto, showed him the ropes. “I thought it was cool, but I didn’t fully enjoy editing frame by frame,” Schmidt told me, “I made little videos here and there with friends, church, school, and I really enjoyed it.”
Getting into videography can be a daunting task to many, but for Schmidt, he took it head on and embraced the rumbles. “The worst part is the late nights, right as projects are coming due,” Schmidt said, “but I know these videos last and people look back on them, ideally with happy emotions.”
That’s exactly who Schmidt is. However, he grew up with strong influences in his life that helped guide his ship. Although sometimes his work consumes the majority of his life, the same could be said about anyone else. Finding something your passionate about is what drives everything else around you.
Those who know Schmidt say he’s extremely passionate. His colleague, Andy Saigh, says, “I’ve worked with Ryan for a couple years now, and more directly for this past year. He is the hardest worker I know. He stays late and comes in early. He is always producing content that is visually appealing and exciting. Although he shows a ton of passion for videography, it isn’t his only passion. He loves to run.”
Many people enjoy running, but combining his day job of videoing athletics, to running on his own, has allowed him to create a type of bliss. “Oh yeah! I’ve always loved to run! It helps me clear my mind and reminds me to always push my limits,” Schmidt enthusiastically shared.
Schmidt said he’s fairly open to where the boat steers next. He see himself spending time at other colleges, creating video creatives, and continuing to refine all life skills.
“Every day is precious. We all have seen that. I am just happy to be where I’m at,” Schmidt concluded with passion filled eyes.