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September 21, 2010 Portlandbiz

Media startup keeps two news videographers busy

Photo/Stephan Burklin Charlie Berg, left, and Jason Nelson, founders of Black Fly Media in Portland
By Stephan Burklin

When the economy is weak, most people play it safe. Risk-taking is avoided, wagering deferred until a better hand is dealt. But two Portland news videographers are bucking the trend. Defying the odds, they have parlayed their business aspirations into a profitable video production company, Black Fly Media. The recent startup has already landed contracts with Boeing, Mitsubishi and two gubernatorial campaigns. It took more than just a lucky hand.

Earlier this spring, Jason Nelson and Charlie Berg drove to Manhattan where they spent $20,000 on new equipment. At the end of the day, their vehicle rolled homeward with high-definition cameras, tripods, microphones, computers, production software and speakers. All were transplanted into Nelson's home studio.

As news videographers for local television stations, the duo had concocted a plan years ago to start their own production company. But even though side gigs yielded good results, they remained ambivalent until Patrick McGowan offered them an opportunity to produce his campaign material in his bid to win the Democratic primary for governor in May. That's when Nelson tendered his resignation at news station WGME 13.

Like other entrepreneurs, Berg and Nelson wanted to grow beyond the confines of their workspace. "We loved our jobs, but we both wanted a new challenge," Berg says.

Forewarned about the "feast or famine" nature of the industry, they expected erratic ebbs and flows, but their workload has steadily increased. Projects for Shawn Moody, an independent gubernatorial candidate, iRobot, a manufacturer of industrial and military robots, Fryeburg Academy, a college preparatory school, and the U.S. Forest Service have supplied Black Fly Media with an ample amount of work. They credit their careers in the media with the near-constant rate of referrals.

Although both Berg and Nelson are seasoned, award-winning videographers, they say the idea of running a business was daunting.

"We knew we were good at taking pictures, shooting video, getting audio, editing and telling stories, but the business aspect was completely foreign to us," says Berg, who remains employed with news station WCSH 6.

When asked how much they expect to make by the end of 2010, both men scratched their heads: "I don't know," says Nelson. "One hundred thousand, maybe?"

In this industry, splicing columns in Excel is not as important as splicing clips in Final Cut Pro. The creative element counts, and that's what Black Fly Media markets as its strength. "Everyone has been thrilled with the end result," says Berg.

The most challenging aspect of their work, they say, is prioritizing. "There are a thousand things we could be doing right now," says Nelson. "It's hard to decide which of those things to put first."

They ascribe their success to their backgrounds in the news industry, where they learned the art of storytelling, or, to be more precise, the art of fast storytelling.

Berg and Nelson say part of Black Fly Media's appeal is their ability to craft compelling narratives. Using unscripted footage, Nelson says, lends authenticity to their videos in a way that resonates with viewers.

They also chalk up their success to unusually low prices. "When we give quotes, they always sound high, but by the time you add up the extra time we spend logging tape, working on the script and editing, we put in way more time than we get paid for," explains Nelson.

"We're probably making minimum wage," says Berg, laughing.

Eighty percent of Black Fly Media's contracts are with private companies. The other 20% consists of politically oriented projects, though Berg removes himself from those projects to avoid conflicts of interest at WCSH.

In some cases, larger companies enlist Black Fly Media to perform specialized production tasks. The majority of their work, however, begins at the drawing board and ends with a final rendition.

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