Matt Yeoman | Videogropher | Professor

Hi, Matt! So, to start with, tell us a bit about who you are, what you do, and how you first got involved with Epiphany Space. 

So, I first heard of Epiphany Space back when it was a dream in Melissa Smith’s heart to create intentional community in Los Angeles for creatives. It has been amazing to see it manifest and be so meaningful for so many people as they work towards the dreams in their hearts.



Just like so many, I am not originally from Los Angeles. I came out almost 20 years ago to pursue my dreams. And also like so many people it has been a long grueling journey with moments of really feeling in my element. Being from Ohio, I always felt like there was something different about me. I found that I never quite fit in and always had bigger and deeper dreams than anyone else could really see. Coming out to Los Angeles and being involved in Epiphany Space, I have come to find my people. 

Now I am involved in the videography world mainly behind the camera on small projects. I am also a property manager, professor, and freelance bartender (nothing like surviving in LA as a creative!)
 

How did you first get into videography? What’s your journey been like? 

Well, I started off in still photography. And not photography as in professional but as in I just enjoyed it. I grew up always being drawn to the camera. My family would tell me stories of being a toddler and instantly smiling when someone would point a camera in my direction. I am not sure what it was that intrigued me. I was just recently home where a lot of those photos that I had taken growing up are framed on my family’s walls although honestly, I am still amazed that many of those (35mm film photos taken out car windows or spontaneous shots in the moment) even turned out as good as they did. 

I actually got more involved in videography when I started working as a PA with some friends. I mean, I always liked movies and the genre of film but I never thought I would be involved in the art form. 

What also drew me to stills was the opportunity to capture that moment that will never happen again, perhaps the moment that nobody else noticed. I guess the intrigue of film is the opportunity to also capture those moments now just with motion and sound. 

What’s the creative process like for creating a video? What kind of planning goes into it? How does the planning for a video project differ from the planning for a still photography project? 

The planning process for a video can get very complicated very quickly. And like any creative venture, we can plan and plan and then get stuck in the process and never execute the craft. 

The main difference in planning a video rather than a still simply means there are a lot more details to think through. For a still, we are looking for the subject and we plan and play with the light so that it illuminates in just the right way. For videos, we are creating a narrative of sequential photos. So the planning of narrative and story becomes all that more necessary (how and when subjects move, how scenes cohere, changing of camera angles and lenses to create effect, and to a certain extent controlling light and sound) even if that story will eventually change in post. 

But like any creative venture, it starts with an idea. Because the planning process is a little more complicated, there is a temptation to not see the idea become reality. At the end of the day, we just have to go out and do it.