Over the last few years working for athletics, I’ve been able to go on several away trips where I filmed our team playing at different venues across the country. During these trips is when I learned more about video and how I want to be able to do things.
One of my first away trips was my first year and I went to the WAC Basketball Tournament in Las Vegas. I was still new to this whole video thing and I was so nervous and truly had no idea what I was doing. But I had to be brave and do hard things. Matt Mansfield (who was my video buddy at the time) helped me a lot during that time. He helped me learn to believe in myself and to not be afraid and just go with the flow. He text me a lot that day to make sure I was getting all the shots we needed and be where he needed me to be. I made countless memories that trip and learned a lot of video tricks.
One of my other favorite trips was when I went and filmed our Men’s Basketball team at Rupp Arena in Kentucky. This was my first solo trip without Matt and to say I was terrified is an understatement. I had called Matt the night prior to leaving and he helped me write down all the shots we should get, what we should be filming in, etc. During this trip I learned just how much Matt has been there for me and how much I rely on his insight. He’s been one of the people who has helped me grow. During this trip I learned how to better use our stabilizer, be in multiple places at once, and how to not be afraid of things around me and to just be present and myself.
Now the last trip I went on was a little different. I went to the WAC Basketball Tournament again, but it was different this time. This time I didn’t learn more video skills, but I learned how to be there for people when they need you most. We went up thinking we were going to see our teams take on big wins and fulfill a dream they’ve all had. But that dream was cut short due to the COVID-19 virus. This is where I learned to take our trials and hardships and use them to our advantage. During this time, I’ve learned to check on people even if you don’t always talk or see them. I’ve learned to try and better myself from learning new video techniques and how we should try making content for next year. During this time I’m taking the time to learn and grow, and become the best videographer I can be. And I believe that is what all videographers should be doing. Take time to learn something new, gain a new skill, and never give up no matter how hard times may be.
What’s one of your favorite video/photo trips you’ve ever been on? What did you learn? Comment down below! I would love to hear your stories and what you learned.
KT Video 