Community Highlights: Meet Lane Pittman of Lane Pittman Media LLC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lane Pittman

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Briefly, I had some viral/internet success. I had no idea what to do with it and I had even tried a desk job for a couple of months. Now, I have a small media company. I like being behind the camera just as much, if not more than, being in front of it! I do everything from influencer related content to real estate shoots. I love flying my drone, riding my Onewheel and gimbal combo, as well as headbanging during hurricanes. I’ve been able to team up with private donors to do hurricane relief over the years. Also, I play in a few bands and love collaborating with musicians too.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Yes and no. Going out on your own, there’s always the “I can lose all of my clients and literally be broke tomorrow” thoughts that can creep in. Every time that stuff happens, I just keep pushing more into my faith in God that He has me doing this for a reason. Whether it’s just a season or not, that’s up to Him! As far as learning and dialing in my craft, I am literally ALWAYS learning. We are living in the media age for sure and people are always finding ways to bring a different message or style through our media platforms. It’s a lot of fun. Is it discouraging to see someone else’s work and think “Dang man, I wish I could shoot like that” or “Holy smokes that edit is INSANE! Why even try?” but the great part about the community, especially in Jax, is that we are almost always collaborative. Any time I’m on set or shoot with someone I don’t know, we always talk shop and share trade secrets. It’s super rad and encouraging!

We’ve been impressed with Lane Pittman Media LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I specialize in videography on the corporate level. I shoot weddings, bands, and other endeavors but I’ve actually found my niche in filming construction! I like being on site and seeing all the crazy things these dudes and dudettes are doing. I’m currently shooting for one of the bigger names in our region (they keep me pretty busy) and seeing the stuff they do is absolutely insane. Recently, I was able to film a project for them from start to back. It took about a year and I was able to coach one of the owners into storytelling the whole project on camera. It felt really, really good to see that one through. It took forever to edit but MAN it came out dope.

However, that’s the side of me that most people don’t even know. I don’t advertise my business a ton and I’m almost all word-of-mouth. I ran into some weirdos when I first started and found that the reference method helps me sort through the oddballs.

Usually, people call me “Florida Man”, Hurricane Guy, or That Dude. If you google my name and hurricanes, they’re pretty synonymous. I like doing the influencer stuff when it makes sense, I just never wanted it to be my main thang. For example, the first ever “Florida Man Games” was this year and I was one of the 3 influencers for it. The turnout was unreal and the games were a ton of fun! I plan on being a part of it next year. Those types of gigs I’ll do whenever! I just never wanted to be one of those people that yap in front of their phone everyday. If that’s you, keep at it! Just not me ahah

I LOVE playing music though. I play in my bands Wait What (dance/funk/punk) and KSICK (metalcore). I got fulfill some bucketlist gigs last year too! I played with Maylene and the Sons of Disaster (southern metal) on bass at Welcome to Rockville and Inkcarceration. Both shows were nuts! I got to drive my 05′ Forester on the Daytona 500 on my way to the backstage area.

I’m so thankful for being able to what I do. It can all leave so quick. If it wasn’t for my faith in God, a supporting wife, and my family, I don’t think I would be able to do much!

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
In regards to owning your own business, everyone is different. We have different stress loads, personalties, and bills. I’m super thankful to have been able to keep all of my bills fairly low up front. I’ve never taken out a business loan. I’ve been doing this for 5 years and almost every piece of gear I bought was lightly used and with cash. I drive a 2005 Forester with 240k miles on it and it’s BEEN paid for. You can save a ton of money and headaches being smart and not living outside of your means. Don’t feel bad if you’re having to deliver pizza or something too in the beginning to supplement income. Get that money but budget accordingly. As cliche as it sounds, it’s definitely a marathon and not a sprint. If you can lock in a client on retainer, even better too! I have a base income every month that can float my bills plus a little more. Everything else is icing on the cake. I’ve seen a ton of people buy thousands of dollars in gear and have zero idea to effectively use it. Those people burn out quick and end up selling everything off. Take your time. No debt, no masters. Low bills and bigger thrills baby!

Pricing:

• Changes Per Project

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lanepittmanmedia.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebigguy904?igsh=MW9sdWV1bDJpMDI0ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lane.pittman/
• Twitter: https://x.com/TheBigGuy904
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-kpIeD4uPej2gLvB3tcFvA
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3hxXhi1jLLTabx6D53Pgt9?si=TF4_IXoxQY2yFdwlp9ox5Q