It was 96° according to the forecast but the heat index said it felt like 114°, so yeah, it was hot out.

I recently flew out to Tulsa, Oklahoma to direct a 3-day promotional shoot for a business consultant. He works with companies to identify how they need to shift their strategies in order to stay relevant in the ever changing landscape of the internet. He was a genuinely awesome human being and I’m glad we got to work with him. I walked away from the project knowing that we were creating empowering content for someone that wanted to make the world a better place, which really resonated with me.

If you’ve ever worked while on the road before, you know that it’s pretty exhausting. All 3 days were 12+ hour days for us and the worst part is that your brain simply doesn’t get to turn off. One day we literally started filming at 6:30am and wrapped up filming at 4pm and it doesn’t stop there. When you’re done filming for the day, you still have to back up the project files, charge batteries, and prep yourself for the next day. Even taking lunch with the client is still work. You’re trying to remain professional, make sure you’re effectively planning out the rest of the day, and somehow recharge throughout the process. Be sure to take care of yourself while on the road. I bring tea, vitamin C, and music to help recenter myself.

Lucky for me, I had Justen Hundley, a Seattle cinematographer, working the camera on this project. Check out his work on Instagram @JustenHundleyFilms and his website. We’ve collaborated a few times now and he always brings his A-game. He’s professional, very skilled with cameras, and he’s able to wrap his mind around the story at hand. Many technical people just care about perfecting lighting or nailing a shot even if it means sacrificing some of the story. Justen was able to keep it all in perspective and it was clutch!

It was a very long 72 hours with non-stop production, blazing hot temperatures, and flight delays (only for Justen, sorry mate). But it was a really rewarding trip. I enjoyed getting to see a new part of the US and I loved the locals - everyone was so friendly!

We had some extra time at the airport, so why not get massages?

It was stressful flying for the first time with so much gear but it was a fun trip overall and now that I’ve gone through the process, I’d definitely do it again. Hopefully the next place I fly for work won’t be 100+ degrees though,. Definitely been enjoying that 70-80° Portland weather now that I’m back in town!

Filming in Tulsa, Oklahoma