Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Milligan
Hi Joshua, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was studying Forestry and Wildlife Management at Stephen F. Austin State University when I happened to land a summer internship with Texas Parks and Wildlife. Through that internship, I lived on-site on a 2,000+ acre Wildlife Management Area (WMA), more specifically Alazan Bayou WMA near Nacogdoches, TX.
While at this internship, I was given the opportunity to have really neat experiences, such as participating in alligator spotlight surveys, planting fields for waterfowl and whitetail habitat, and even trapping feral hogs to aid in removing non-native invasive species. Because these opportunities were so unique, I ended up investing some of the money I made through the internship into a camera so that I could capture moments with wildlife and nature while living in it everyday. This time learning to film and photograph awoke a love for content creation that I never knew I had.
I ended up getting awarded the same internship again the following summer, but after my internship was over, I switched majors to business so that I could learn more about the business world. My reasoning for this was that I had become so enamored with videography that I wanted to create a business making videos for a living, and what better way to learn how to run a business than to get a business degree?
Right before I graduated, I was offered a job in television where I would be directing, filming, and editing hunting shows that were nationally televised. That job was based in New Braunfels which is what lead me to the Texas Hill Country. This position took me all over the world and taught me numerous life and business lessons.
In the summer of 2015 I launched my own production company, Rustic River Media, and left my full time position with the show. Rustic River Media is a full fledged video production company that produces everything from commercials to corporate videos, documentaries, live-streaming, television, and business lifestyle photography. Our business turns 10 years old this July.
Someone once told me that a camera is a creative’s passport to see the world and truer words have never been spoken. Through my business I’ve been fortunate enough to film wildlife in the mountains of Pakistan, villages in the plains of Africa, yurts in Mongolia, and the aurora lights in Alaska. My job is special and I’ve been blessed because of it.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. One of the biggest challenges in creating a business like mine is capital and relationships.
When you’re starting out in video, you need to have equipment, and the bigger you get, the more expensive your equipment gets. Figuring out how to fund the purchase of cameras, lenses, lights, mics, grip gear, computers, drives, cases, software, etc. was challenging.
In addition, at least in my case, you are starting from the ground up, so you have to develop relationships that you hope will one day turn into paying clients. That takes time which is something you don’t have when you are trying to support yourself and your family.
There’s also the whole learning aspect of everything. I had to learn how to run a business, how to create contracts, how to do my own bookkeeping, how to make proposals, and even how to apply for film permits when needing to work in places that require them.
All of that combined made for some tough challenges. But, as they say, the first five years are the hardest. If you can survive those first five, you’re doing well. So far I’ve made it about ten years, so I’d say we are doing pretty good.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Rustic River Media is a go-to resource for video production, business photography, digital content creation and live-streaming.
When it comes to video, my company specializes in producing television commercials, web videos, documentary films, live-streamed events, movie theatre ads, and digital video assets for AEC firms, corporations, medical companies and more.
What sets my company apart is our collective experience. My team and I have worked on a wide range of projects in a variety of industries which has given us insight into different styles and techniques of video production. We write most of our scripts, handle all of the audio, lighting and camera work, and even post-produce most projects in-house.
We also have invested a lot of money into equipment, purchasing industry standard lights, mics, cameras, lenses, and more, allowing us to outcompete most of our competitors by being able to offer products that are well shot, well edited, and consistent throughout.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Video is an amazing industry and it’s continuing to grow every year thanks to advancements in technology as well as the ease of access for viewers that’s provided by both streaming and social media platforms. Nearly everybody watches videos at some point throughout their day, each and every day of the week.
I am thankful for this industry and am excited to see how it continues to evolve from here.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://rusticriver.media
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rustic_river_media/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rusticrivermedia
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-milligan-58a57867/
- Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/rusticrivermedia
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/1IDAqA8H3hRjdFBcQbXgOI
Image Credits
Image credits are to Rustic River Media.
