[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][vc_column_text]John Welsh is based just outside Philadelphia, PA and has always been drawn to great stories. He refers to himself as a refugee from Journalism and is currently a working director bringing creative storytelling and a bit of advocacy to business. In this article, he shares his thoughts about the unique way he’s approaching clients who have important or complex messages to convey.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][carousel script=”carouFredSel” easing=”linear” carousel_title=”John Welsh Image Gallery”][item id=”1500823221828-0-6″ tab_id=”1500672550279-9″ title=”Item”][vc_column_text]
“Scorched” is a short film that introduces viewers to five of the 80+ mine fires actively burning across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
– Directed and Produced by John Welsh
– Written and Produced by Alana Mauger
– Music by Sheila Hershey
– Music Production by Charlie Hannagan & Jacopo DeNicola
– Hosted by Mark Clement
– Special Thanks to Robert Hughes and EPCAMR
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Filming the Laurel Run Mine fire in Pennsylvania.
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Production still in Carbondale, PA before filming a scene in “Scorched.”
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Production still from location scouting trip for a scene in “Scorched.”
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The Story of Coal Fires
Welsh first started out in fashion photography in 1987 but that work just wasn’t resonating. Once he started working for newspapers, he felt at home and would often do a bit of his own interviewing when on a shooting assignment. As print started to migrate online, he began experimenting with different ways of combining images, words and voice that received varying degrees of traction with the publications he was working with. Regardless, he was starting to flex the muscles he’s now using as a paid director. The downturn in the newspaper business provided additional motivation for him to pivot.
“I‘ve been creating client video for years, but the film world was a distant (and not very lucrative) avenue for me. But that changed in December of 2016 when a friend in the Philadelphia Film Office told me about a festival coming up and entries were due in a month! I decided this was the time to test myself and work on an extreme deadline” says Welsh.
He had been researching a story about underground coal mine fires and was disturbed by the environmental issues that are still plaguing Pennsylvania today. He put together a project team that included a writer, a radio personality as a host, and Welsh as cameraman/director to do a short film on the injustices he had uncovered. Since music adds the depth he was looking for, he layered in a cellist/pianist friend who built a soundtrack for the piece. The goal was to create a piece that everyone on the team could use to demonstrate how they would approach a project like this creatively…and on demand.
Getting Clients
Not surprisingly, Welsh is taking a journalistic approach to expanding his client base. He’s using his talent for recognizing a story worth telling and then working his way toward the client who is most likely to benefit from telling it. “I’m trying to get ahead of a request for proposal (RFP). Often my clients haven’t even considered using film to create change, educate or become known for an issue. Clients need that creative idea that brings it all together combined with the expertise to know the steps that follow. I’ve become a mini media company in the sense that I do the research to create the narrative just like when I worked with newspapers and then deliver a package specifically suited for the client’s needs,” says Welsh.
Welsh leverages project management software to keep himself sane and track the intricacies of the business development process he’s perfecting. He finds himself pitching several projects simultaneously to multiple stakeholders so a high degree of organization is necessary to keep track of who he’s talked to about what.
For example, while doing the research for the coal fire project, he came across a nonprofit that helps people learn about insurance for their home if the home sits above a mine. He also learned about the impact on the water supply from abandoned mines in addition to the effects of the coal mine fires. “In Pennsylvania there are about 80 coal mine fires and they will last for decades, if not longer, and barely anything is being done to fix this problem. Several organizations have business interests in coal fires and there is power in numbers. I wanted to help bring like-minded organizations together” says Welsh.
Film Festivals
Welsh realizes that as he’s entering this space, a small but important bit of credibility goes along with having a few awards under his belt and he’s taking a page from a photographer’s handbook. He’s learning the ropes of the film festival circuit and so far, batting slightly above .500 with the mine fire submission while awaiting news on the rest of this summer’s entries. The official selections of 2017 include:
- Back To Nature Film Fest, Honorable Mention, Arcata, California
- Barcelona Planet Film Festival, Barcelona, Spain
- Documentary Short Film Festival, Toronto, Ontario
- ITSA Shorts Film Festival, Sonora, California
- Harrisburg-Hershey Film Festival, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Advice
- Be relentless and ignore negative advice. There’s always someone who will be happy to tell you that you “can’t” do something.
- Do your research. Stay ahead of the game so you can pivot and adapt as markets change.
- Cross network and collaborate. There is power in numbers and a strong network goes far in sustaining and building future business.
- Don’t fear leaving your comfort zone. It’s the only way to grow both personally and professionally and that mutual growth will separate you from the masses.
Welsh can be found at John Welsh Photography. Images ©John Welsh Photography
If this article was of interest to you, take a look at some of the other posts in the Board Members Give Back series.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]