An Interview With a Videographer - Steven Murphy
Thirteen hours, 766 miles, and a phone call are all that separated me and Steven Murphy. A man whose heart shines through the words that he spoke. His enthusiasm was something to be witnessed. I sat down to conduct this interview at a hotel in Panama City Beach, Florida which was a surreal experience for myself. As I’m sitting in a hotel with hundreds of fellow Christian brothers and sisters, I was conducting an interview with a man who shares some of my same convictions. To hear about his work was a blessing.
Steven Murphy spent 25 years working in corporate video and broadcasting. The story of how he got into the business is one of proper timing and opportunity. Steven’s journey started while working in high school ministry. The church he worked with was offered a syndicated TV spot on a local cable station. The show never took off, but that opened a door that led to a long career and connections that allowed him to work for ESPN, NBC, ABC, and as he said “Name a station, and I’ve probably done work for them.”
After working freelance for several years and travelling a lot, Steven came to a point in his career where he couldn’t keep saying yes to everything. He made a choice after a talk with his wife to find a job that would allow him to be home and have weekends off. After a lot of prayer and looking around Steven came upon the job that he currently has as a production videographer for Joyce Meyer ministries.
“Your primary goal should be not just meeting people, but by also building the right relationships with them.”
One of the most important points that we’ve discussed in #PBandJterm is the importance of your network. Being involved in the discussion and building relationships with people is important.
While talking with Steven he mentioned it in much of the same way that our professor Jill Falk has.
Be a connector of people.
Steven considers himself to be a connector of people. That is one of the important parts of the job. When you enter a creative field you need doors opened for you. Without open doors you can’t go anywhere. It’s connections. The connections that Steven made are the same ones that helped him land the job for the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
While this is true, Steven believes that you can’t just throw yourself at people. We can often be so worried about positioning ourselves we forget the true purpose of connections. We can’t forget to be friends with the people that we are connected with.
“Let relationships be for the sake of relationships. Let your work speak for itself.”
Don’t be afraid to make friends. And in this landscape that we’re in now where “The pool is getting bigger everyday.” If we only know how to do one thing, we’re dead in the water. Diversify! Steven said don’t be afraid to try many different things. If you can get your feet wet in a new area, do it! You never know what’s going to happen. “You never know when you’re going to be doing a menial job and a guy doesn’t show up, and your boss asks if you know how to run a soundboard.”
Your entry into the field won’t come without mistakes. It’s all about connecting, fighting, kicking, not saying no to jobs, saying no to jobs and building up your character.
In many ways, everything that he said plays well into #PBandJTerm. We should always be mindful and look for places to learn. Here’s a look at some of Steven’s work. This video is a promotional tool giving a brief idea for a sermon series that was discussed at Seacoast Church in the Carolinas.
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