Conversations with Derek Baker

Today we’d like to introduce you to Derek Baker.

Hi Derek, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have always loved video production and telling stories through video.

I went to college at Southeastern College (now University) in Lakeland, Florida, and received my degree in Television Broadcast. The creativity involved in shooting and editing videos is something I grew to love. I graduated in 1999 and became a producer of an International Christian TV program called “God’s News Behind the News”.

In 2004, I moved from Florida to Illinois to work for Total Christian Television (TCT) where I became the Lead Senior Editor and started to work with others to develop the look and feel of different programming. After 5 years of working at TCT, I was asked to help start a new TV station in Charleston, South Carolina.

My family and I moved to Charleston in 2009 to start that new station, WLCN channel 13. AT WLCN, I was the Production Manager. I designed the production facilities which included everything from the equipment we used to the layout of the studio and lighting.

As the Production Manager, I continued to be able to use my creativity by helping to create many new programs and working with clients to develop their dream of getting to tell their stories through a video that was then broadcast on WLCN.

In 2017, as more and more people were pulling away from traditional TV broadcasts and starting to use YouTube and other Social Media outlets, WLCN decided to close its production facilities of the TV station. It was at this time that I started Distro Solutions LLC. I wanted to continue to work with clients to tell their stories by having my own production company. I was not limited to just one outlet anymore with my own company.

With this in mind, I decided that the slogan of Distro Solutions should be “Your Message in Many Formats,” I started developing websites, and YouTube channels, and consulted with churches and other facilities to help them determine the type of video equipment they could purchase to get their message out.

In 2019, my family and I moved to Memphis, TN so that I could be the Director of Communications for Heartland Adult & Teen Challenge, a long-term residential program for men who struggle with life-debilitating addictions. This has also allowed me to expand Distro Solutions as well as many other things including my own YouTube channel, Behind the Cache.

When the pandemic hit, many churches and businesses struggled because they didn’t know how to continue to get their message out when no one could come to them. It was at this point that I really started to expand into livestreams and help others to create podcasts so that their story and message could continue to be heard.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, it has never been a smooth journey. Anything worth achieving will be rocky and you will have to work hard for it.

I started a personal YouTube channel “Behind the Cache” in the very small niche of geocaching. I completely understand the struggle of getting views on YouTube. It has been a struggle to stay consistent and grow my channel.

I now have over 2000 subscribers and have begun to understand the algorithm of YouTube and have fulfilled all of the requirements to get my videos monetized. It is through this struggle I have learned how I can help others. I can’t sugar coat it and say they will be an instant success.

It takes time and hard work, just like I have put in to get my channel where it is currently. At a TV station, many clients come to you. But, with starting a new production company you have to go to them, which takes time and persistence. It doesn’t help when you move to a new city that has a lot more opportunities and in 6 months that city gets shut down due to the pandemic.

You have to adjust your plans and figure out what to do.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I think what sets me apart from others is that I understand a large range of Video Production. I have worked from development, all the way through to the finished product.

I love sitting down with a client, taking the time to talk with them, and hearing their story. Then, I work with them to figure out how we can best show that visually and how comfortable they are in getting that story out in whatever format would be the best for them.

Being here in Memphis, I have recently started to get to work with some musical artists, something I wasn’t able to do as much of in South Carolina. Hearing the musician’s story and getting to be creative with music videos has been a great joy. I have done multicamera livestreams and then edited those livestreams from a long format to a short format for the client to be able to use on various platforms.

Through the connections, I made while working with these musical artists, I was able to do a recent video production where I was one of the Producers, Camera Operator, and Editor. I got to work with WKNO and high school students to do a short film of Benjamin Franklin’s life in the format of a “Hamilton Production”.

It was really great getting to work with these creative high school students and see their stories come to life.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I see my industry really spreading out more on Social media and YouTube.

More and more people are producing their own content and not being dependent on TV stations and their production departments to make and feed content to them.

As people are wanting to get on YouTube, TikTok, and other social media platforms, it is my job to help them navigate that journey and get their messages and stories out.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://distrosolutions.com
• Youtube: https://behindthecache.com