We were lucky to catch up with Bobby Burns recently and have shared our conversation below.
Bobby, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
Staying creative in a creative field can actually be much more difficult that it seems. For many, we get into this career path because it’s something we love and are passionate about. However, once it becomes work, its easy for that passion to wear out. Whether from being overworked, undervalued, or too hard on yourself, being an artist (in any form) has a lot of potential pitfalls.
As someone who has been in a creative industry now for 17 years I’ve found two things that have really helped me succeed and continue to enjoy what I love. The first is to be protective of my joy. I know that’s far from a creative answer, and really doesn’t have anything to do with creativity, but at the same time it has one of the largest impacts on keeping my creativity alive. Limiting the amount of projects I take each year, saying no to projects that don’t align with my goals and vision, and taking breaks when needed are all incredibly important in keeping my passion for this career path and allowing me to excel creatively year in and year out.
The second thing I always recommend to people who may be feeling in a rut is always to make a change. Usually for me, in the video world, this means either adding or eliminating a key piece of gear and in turn, forcing a change in my style and aesthetic. When I feel creatively drained it’s often because I’m not excited about what I’m working on and that usually comes from feeling repetitive. Taking away something like a gimbal, or a specific lens, forces me to lean in other directions and flex my creative muscles. Of course you need to be realistic with the project and the client’s expectations but if you’re able to make some subtle changes to your approach I highly recommend it!
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?
I’ll speak first to what has been my main business for over 16 years now, Redmond Digital Media, primarily as a wedding and commercial filmmaker. I started shooting weddings in high school somewhat by chance when I interned for another production company that just so happened to primarily focus on weddings. I was looking for more experience in filmmaking as it was something I was interested in, but the wedding aspect was more circumstance than anything. I spent about two years working under and learning from someone who produced work I greatly admired and attribute much of what I know and do today, and a large amount of my success to that period. From there I went off to college where I continued shooting for a few different brands out in California, and my sophomore year I started taking on my own weddings. My mindset at the time was that it was something I enjoyed and something that could help me pay for college but I’d be lying if I said the plan was always to do this as a career path. As I continued through college I carefully assessed what a typical career in cinematography might look like (which was my major) and decided that large scale set production just wasn’t the life I wanted to live. I continue to work at perfecting my craft (which is, of course, a lifelong endeavor) and by the time I graduated I had enough work to be full time as a wedding filmmaker. Fast forward to today and I have shot countless weddings and commercial projects all around the world from Minneapolis and the surrounding areas to Mexico, Jamaica, Bangladesh, Tokyo and more. I have curated a distinct look and experience that my couples expect from me and continue to develop as a filmmaker and storyteller to this day.
I see so many people in the wedding industry specifically come in with a passion and quickly burn out. As a result, I have always been protective of my workload and have been fortunate to be able to do so, though it certainly takes effort and intentionality in order to do so. As I have decreased my weddings over the years (I now typically shoot about 15 in a year) I have freed up time to pursue other passions both related and unrelated, and have a few other businesses that I spend time on as well.
First is Wedding Film School, one of the largest online educational platforms for wedding filmmakers, and just those interested in video in general. We are primarily on youtube with a subscriber base of about 165,000 and of course, can be found on general social channels as well. We have content for filmmakers in all stages of their careers and put together tutorials, gear reviews, business tips, live film reviews and more as well as some more in depth conversations on our podcast, The Wedding Film School Show. Educations is something I enjoy, and I’m thrilled to be able to educated within in industry that I am so passionate about. I love being able to share what I have learned with over 15 years in this field with others in various stages of their journey as a filmmaker and believe that as creatives we are all always learning.
Outside of filmmaking, I have a passion for staying active, and while that takes shape in many different forms, one of the main ones is training for American Ninja Warrior. I’ve competed on the show two seasons now, and have made it to world finals in two other leagues for about 4 or 5 years running. It’s an amazing hobby and community and I’ve met some of my closest friends through the sport. I joined forces with one of those friends to brainstorm an idea about two years ago which has now taken form as The Wilderness Fitness and Coworking. We opened in the heart of Uptown, Minneapolis about 1.5 years ago and are excited to be providing a coworking space with an emphasis on mental and physical well-being for those who want a happier and healthier work life balance. We are staying true to our name by bringing the outside in, and cultivating a relaxing space to work hard and play hard. We offer day passes, memberships of all levels including private offices and many amenities to our members including free classes. We are thrilled with the results we’ve seen since opening and are excited to continue to grow!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
From an artistic standpoint, I think being willing to push wedding films outside of the box of what a wedding film has traditionally been has been part of my success, but there are many things that go into a successful business in a creative field. In addition to the creativity, business acumen, persistence and more, I feel that my longevity in the industry can be attribute to always having my client experience set as a priority and also safeguarding myself against burnout within an industry that suffers heavily from that. I continue to limit my weddings and other projects each year in an effort to continue to love what I do. After all, this started as a passion of mine and I want to continue to enjoy picking up my camera and telling stories with it. Along those lines, I think one of the best business lessons someone can learn is how to say no. Not every project and every client is the right fit and that’s ok, but I see so many people casting a wide net and saying yes to everything that comes their way which I think is a major contributor to burning out in this industry.
How would you describe your ideal client?
My slogan is “adventurous films for couples in love” and I really think that captures my ideal client. While I have a special place in my heart for national park elopements and other epic locations I think too often people feel that’s all I shoot. An adventurous film, to me, just means that I am attracting a couple who wants to break out of the standard wedding film “box” and create something uniquely crafted to stand out. Whether you’re getting married in a backyard, a church, a cool new modern venue, or deep in a national park I just aim to work with people who align with my values and trust me to create an amazing visual heirloom for them!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.redmonddigitalmedia.com
- Instagram: @redmonddigitalmedia
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BobbyBurns
- Other: www.thewildernessmn.com
