Meet Carly Stone

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Carly Stone a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Carly, so great to have you on the platform. There’s so much we want to ask you, but let’s start with the topic of self-care. Do you do anything for self-care and if so, do you think it’s had a meaningful impact on your effectiveness?

For self-care I do a variety of things, one being just going down to the beach, sitting on the sand and/or going in the ocean. Getting in nature and grounding is a wonderful way to reconnect to yourself and recalibrate. I love going on walks/hikes, dancing, playing music, reading, cooking, drawing, meditating and journaling. Also surrounding yourself with supportive friends and family and fostering a community I believe is a form of self-care. We all need that communal love and support and it’s so important, for anyone. Self-care has a massive impact on my effectiveness because when I’m able to take care of my body and mind I’m better able to show up, be present and contribute fully in any given situation.

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’m a videographer based in Southern California.  My career started about 8 years ago in surf filmmaking; I’ve done work for Rip Curl, USA Surfing and more.  I also spent time working at a production company—Alani Media, video editing and camera operating when needed. I made many edits for Speedo, Alo Yoga, Lulus and more. I was also the lead editor for three different Alo House events at which we filmed and edited content in real time for their various social media channels.

At the moment I’m fully freelance; I’ve done projects for a number of charter schools (filming/editing field trip recaps, graduations, etc), worked for local bands (filming/editing acoustic music videos, behind-the-scenes and live shows), documented soccer tournaments, weddings, events and more.   Colleagues continually hire me as a camera operator or AC on sets (a fun job I had recently was helping cam op on a project for PBS Kids). My portfolio is really an eclectic and mixed bag and this year I am excited to expand and collaborate with other like-minded filmmakers and new clients!

I specifically love creating behind-the-scenes content for production companies and anyone that has a creative process that they would like documented. Being a fly on the wall and being able to capture someone in their element is absolutely magical.

My ultimate goal is to work with brands/companies that are doing good in the world, and collaborate on projects that are meaningful, make a difference and are highly creative.

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?

Three qualities that were impactful on my journey were curiosity, determination and gratitude. Being constantly curious and having a love for learning will get you so far, I think this quality is the foundation for being successful at anything. You want to constantly ask questions, learn and better yourself at your craft. Determination made a very big impact for me as well, when you are running your own business and pursuing your passion you can’t give up. You always have to push on despite what obstacles may arise, no matter how many rejections or closed doors, you have to be resilient and determined. Last but not least gratitude is so important. Constantly bringing yourself back to a state of gratitude for where you’re at, and expressing heartfelt thanks to all those who have helped you along the way.

Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?

My ideal client is a brand or individual who values creativity; those who want to do good in the world and craft projects that have meaning. They would be kind and easy to work with, know what they want/has a clear vision and appreciates and respects my art form. Some industries that I really jive with are: sustainability (companies doing good for the planet), music/musicians, sports/athletes, dance/dancers and culinary arts and education. I love using my documentary-style way of filmmaking to tell impactful stories in any of these areas (or any others if their values align with my own).

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.seastoneproductions.com
• Instagram: @seastoneproductions

Image Credits

Jorge Aguilar
Dave Tada
Micayla Stone