Today we’d like to introduce you to Morgan Bond
Hi Morgan, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory
My interest in film started in school. I loved watching movies and working on small projects with my friends, and so I decided to major in Radio-TV-Film at the University of Texas at Austin. There, I began working on a variety of student sets, trying to gain as much experience and as many contacts in the film industry as possible. I loved the high-paced on set environment and thought then I wanted to be a Gaffer, the chief lighting electrician. My goal while in school was to work on as many sets as possible, so that I could begin a full time freelance film career immediately upon graduation, which I did. After several years of freelancing, I was welcomed into Local 484, as a set lighting electrician. While freelancing, I gaffed five feature length films, including Thunder Road, which won the jury prize at SXSW Film Festival.
In 2017, I started a company with my now husband Nickolas Grisham called CamLock Films. Initially, we started the company so we could be more involved with the creative process, but the company has since grown to a full fledged production company. As our company grew, I knew I needed to take a more active role, so I began producing and directing full time for CamLock in early 2018. I had very little directing experience at the time, but years of onset experience gave me a unique perspective on commercial filmmaking. I am immensely grateful to all of my clients, but especially those first couple who trusted me to help create their commercials. Since then, I’ve directed for clients such as Travelocity, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn, Food Lion, IBM, Yeti, Idea Public Charter, WizeHire, and more.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In the film industry, there’s no real clear path that you can follow to succeed. Everyone has to carve their own unique path, so I don’t think there really exists a “smooth road” for anybody. It’s a lot of trial and error, figuring out where you want to be and how to get there. I spent many years working in G&E, which is not what I do now, but it was a necessary step in achieving my goals.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I work in commercial film production as a director and producer at CamLock Films, a company I co-own with my husband, Nickolas Grisham. I specialize in lifestyle filmography as well as working with kids. We generally work for Ad Agencies, but also work directly with businesses. You can find my portfolio at camlockfilms.com
How do you define success?
Working in a project by project job can be challenging; it’s disappointing to lose a pitch and never really know why, so I try to focus on habitual goals as opposed to achievement-based goals. I try to have the best intentions for myself and my future. I like to regularly evaluate my habits to see if I’m becoming to person I’d like to be. Over time, I’ve realized that success is incremental, and it’s often barely noticeable, but when reflecting on my work from years ago, I can see the improvement.
Contact Info:
- Website: camlockfilms.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/camlockfilms/
Image Credits
Marshall Tidrick, Amber Buchanan, Nickolas Grisham
