Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Chin.
Hi Kevin, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I grew up in the Northshore of Chicago and was obsessed with musical instruments (primarily electric guitar), music production, and playing in as many bands as possible! I started playing in bands at 13, and not much later, I was learning to record and produce bands at 15. I even opened up for Fallout Boy before they hit it big, as half the members went to my High School. I played Jazz Guitar throughout High School and College as well. That said, I studied Electrical Engineering Technology at Purdue. I worked the corporate grind as a project manager and project engineer in the Oil and Gas industry for nearly 6 years before moving to Austin and starting my company, Northshore Media Productions, in 2013. Here’s a bit of context as well; I’ve always been driven by creativity and finding the intersections of where that creativity could lead me towards a sustainable career path yet be stimulating enough that I could “do something different every day” and not even call it a job. For the first 5 years in Austin, I was primarily a music producer, audio engineer, and musician, working out of my home studio and Lava Studios in Hyde Park. I had the chance to record and share the stage with many musicians and artists that have become well-known in Austin. Still, I knew Northshore “Media” Productions would eventually have a visual/video component. Still, I didn’t know if it would be me or if I would hire a partner.
Meanwhile, the University of Texas – Austin would frequently hire me for surround sound mixes / audio post-production for their graduate and undergraduate film students at the college of RTF (Radio, Television, and Film). This is where I started to see what video editing software looked like. For many years, I found it very similar to Pro Tools, my audio software of choice, so I was introduced to “video production” by eventually learning how to edit video. I also learned to become a Production Sound Mixer for video productions, applying my audio studio recording and live audio engineering knowledge to the film world. I’ve been a Sound Mixer for the Daytripper TV show on PBS for quite some years and have made cameos on the show as well. This show earned me an Emmy Nomination featuring the Austin Capital episode. Then, I decided to pick up a photography camera, which eventually led to doing magazine covers and corporate and event photography. That led to investing in my first video camera in 2017; the rest is history, as they say!
During the pandemic, while most video production companies were slowing or shutting down productions, I saw the opportunity to quickly pivot towards livestream installations, doing video and audio installations at Churches, Gyms, and Streaming Studios. I ramped up my fleet of Blackmagic cameras and switchers, seeing how virtual and eventually hybrid event productions would become the norm as people would become tired of zoom meetings and “zoombied” out. Since then, I’ve built my knowledge and equipment arsenal to fully produce commercials and marketing videos, corporate event A/V, and virtual and hybrid events.
Some career highlights productions include:
- (2) TEDx Video Productions (Ladybird Lake Austin and Texas A&M)
- (2) HAAM Day 10-Hour Music Concert Livestreams from the Moody Amphitheater
- Releasing my first entirely produced documentary https://www.
youtube.com/watch?v=aeaNM-bIh- M&ab_channel= AustinClassicalGuitar, as commissioned by Austin Classical Guitar - 2022 Austin Film Festival Video Production
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The early years of Northshore Media Productions had challenges finding new clients and artists as I tried to establish myself and the brand. It was difficult as a newcomer to Austin. Eventually, I had to start looking at different media directions, such as audiobooks and commercial radio production, to supplement the music production. Additionally, when I first decided to pursue the photography/video world, I had no clue where to start as I didn’t have any mentors or network. It took many years to establish my relationships and clients, coming from only a music/audio offering.
We’ve been impressed with Northshore Media Productions, but for folks who might need to be more familiar, what can you share about what you do and what sets you apart?
I specialize in all things multimedia, particularly video production for events and commercials, especially when multiple cameras are needed to be recorded or streamed. I love producing music events, concerts, corporate events, and creative commercial productions. I love telling stories through a camera lens, primarily through documentary and interview-style video productions.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up, I had many hobbies, such as playing every instrument I could get my hands on and sports. I’m incredibly competitive but easygoing. I am also driven and disciplined, and I attribute that to having a corporate engineering background, which they only teach in some creative career paths.
Contact Info:
- Website: northshoremediaproductions.com
- Instagram: atxmediakevin
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northshoremediaproductions
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-chin-6456206/
