We were lucky to catch up with Tony Pombo recently and have shared our conversation below.
Tony, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
After attending graduate school with my MFA in Film, weddings and events were the last thing that I thought I would be doing. I had the dreams of moving to LA and being a big time director. After working as a producer for 5 years in Atlanta, I was doing weddings on the side for extra income. I quickly realized that I had a knack for combining my love for film with my love for meeting and interacting with people. Creating these films that people will truly treasure for a lifetime and share with their families has been so rewarding on so many levels. I have remained friends with all of my clients in 13 years of doing this. It’s more than just a job. I am helping to create a lifelong memory. It’s a lot to carry when you think about it that way. But it has pushed me to give my very best in each and every shoot.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Hello, my name is Tony Pombo and I am the owner and leac videographer at Iris Films. I ended up in Georgia when I decided to get my Master’s in Film from SCAD in Savannah, GA. After graduating, I moved to Atlanta for a job as a Producer and stayed there for about 5 years. During that time, around 2010, I started filming weddings on the weekends and utilizing film techniques to my films. Back then, wedding films were not very cinematic and very much “your uncle with a handycam” vibe. My style gained popularity rather quickly and eventually afforded me to quick my job and start my company, Iris Films, to do wedding filmmaking full-time. Over the years, this led to much more work in the event space not just weddings. A lot of celebrity work, amazing corporate gigs, and traveling the world with my camera. It has been quite the ride!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Being a successful wedding and event videographer was due to 3 major things in my eyes: always being consistent, having really good people skills, and still finding the passion in each and every shoot. The consistency comes from being on time, working really hard on the job, delivering professional edits in a timely manner, and always trying to improve and evolve in my craft. The people skills part is just as important. Being personable, outgoing, and friendly are key to my success. Especially in the wedding industry, referrals are everything! From fellow videographers, photographers, and planners, you want to be the person that they love working with, and they know if they refer you (which is putting themselves on the line), that you will consistently deliver. And finding the passion is where I see others start to struggle. A lot of people can burn out easily in this industry. It happens. But, realizing the impact that you are doing and the joy you are giving to so many people, really makes it worth it. Don’t focus on what others are doing! Just stay in your lane and create work that you are proud of. The people that love your work will want that!
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
My parents have been the backbone in all of my success. They have always supported me, believed in me, and encouraged me. When I was working as a producer, I fell out of love with the job and was a bit down. That’s why I started weddings on the weekends, to find a new passion. But leaving my full-time job didn’t come without some huge consequences. Mainly, a consistent paycheck and solid health insurance. At that time in my life especially, that was a huge decision to leave. My parents ( and my wife) were there to assure me that things would work and their strong belief in my talents gave me the will to break free and follow my heart.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.iris-films.com
- Instagram: @irisfilmsatl
- Facebook: irisfilmsweddings
- Linkedin: Tony Pombo
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8G5WrH5wFxgB_TOUm1mg3g
