Expressions had the opportunity to talk with Kendall Jackson who is a Chicago videographer, photographer, and entrepreneur. We spoke about his journey on getting into video production and advice that he has for teens looking to pursue a career in video production. Here’s what he had to say:
How did you get interested in videography?
Kendall attended Nicholas Senn High School in Chicago. At Senn, he joined the journalism program and was a part of Senn TV. While being a part of Senn TV he realized he really loved the video production side of it. He then decided that it would be something he’d want to pursue as a career and in college, he bought his own camera and started producing his own videos.
What inspired you to be a videographer?
What inspired him is that in high school he was very introverted and to himself. He didn’t like going to school due to personal issues going on and so he couldn’t really enjoy his time there. So having the opportunity to create his own videos really gave him a place where he could escape into his own thing. In addition, filmmakers like Spike Lee inspire him to want to pursue a career in video production and create videos that will inspire others.
Tell us about Bored Youth Collective?
Bored Youth Collective is something that he and a friend from college started. It’s a visual production company who’ve done work for local artist, athletes, and brands. They want to expand their horizons with it. With this initiative, he also wants to give back to the youth. His high school media program really opened his eyes and gave him opportunities that youth throughout the city don’t have. With Bored Youth Collective, Kendall would love to bring video production into classes to teach youth and provide them with a foundation on video production that they can build on if they’d like.
Do you have any tips for young student videographers who are hoping to get into video production?
One of his professors told him to “always record and produce something”. Use what you have at your disposal. Try and get yourself out there and find yourself and find what kind of things you like to film, produce, and figure out what kind of voice you want to have. This is something that will change and evolve as you gain experience and you will notice a big difference in your work.
How has being in this business changed your life?
There were times where he felt he wasn’t going to make it through high school due to his aunt being killed. It really got him off track on what he wanted to do with his life. Having videography really gave him that outlet that got him into college, and on the right track. He wants to keep growing and gaining experience, along with exposure to keep him moving forward in his life.
We thank Kendall for joining us today to talk about his journey in video production. You can check out some of his work on his Instagram channel @hail.ken and at his Bored Youth Collective page @Boredyouth.co where they post final production of stuff and behind the scene work. Make sure to tune in next week for our next Ig Live!