Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Croninger.
Hi Justin, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
This video business started with a man and a camera. My degree is in Theatre performance and during my first job working for a children’s theatre in Sunnyvale, CA I found a desire to make my own creative short films with one of my fellow actors. We both bought a camera and the spark for the love of video storytelling was born. This was in 2006 and video online was just starting to boom. Several people asked me to make videos for them and my business was born. Over the years our style, gear, and process have changed but the foundation of telling the story has always remained the same. Whether it’s a wedding video, a corporate advertisement, or even a real estate video I’m always putting myself in the viewer’s seat and thinking about how I can present the story in a compelling and meaningful way. I love what I do and I try to make it show in our work.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Video is hard! I often tell people that I’m 10% video artist and 90% video problem solver. There are just so many small pieces of the puzzle to get right, but the more you work the better you become at being in control of a wide spectrum of decisions ending in a more polished final product. I’m very lucky to have such a talented team working alongside me. We work together to figure out problems and each use our own knowledge bases to reach new levels of excellence.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Message in a Bottle Productions is a video company that provides all kinds of video services. We film live events (weddings, sports, conferences), produce live events (award shows, meetings, religious services), and create promotional videos for a wide variety of clients. When the pandemic hit there was a sudden demand for video and more specifically live streaming. The world needed to be connected and we helped so many companies and clients achieve just that. My wife puts it best that I am currently running both a pre-pandemic video production company and a post-pandemic live streaming company. There are so many great parts to this business. Every day is a different story and challenge. It’s fun to meet so many people from so many walks of life and get to show the world what makes them special. I guess one thing I am known for in Memphis video is our work with Aerial Drones. I was one of the first video companies in Memphis to own and be licensed to fly a drone. Drone video just adds an extra layer of production quality to take each video to another level. Sometimes when I’m flying the drone the line between work and play gets very grey.
Something that sets our videos apart from others is that I like to be in the moment when creating our work. There is certainly a place for pre-production work and planning, but often my best work comes when I embrace the moment and film what happens naturally and I’m not afraid to let that happen.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
I grew up in a house where love was all that mattered. My family is very close and my parents are beautiful people who guided me on a path of embracing who you are, loving those around you, and always holding yourself to a high standard. I am forever in debt to them for the gifts of love, time, and care that continue to be bestowed on me. The only way I can ever hope to repay that debt is by passing on the same ideas of love and commitment to family to my children.
Pricing:
- Wedding Videography starts at $3000
Contact Info:
- Email: justin@miabp.com
- Website: www.messageinabottleproductions.com
- Instagram: messageinabottleproductions
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/messageinabottleproductions
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/Messageinabottleproductions
