We had the good fortune of connecting with Andrew Burgess and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andrew, why did you pursue a creative career?
Funny story, but I actually have a bachelor’s degree in physics from Purdue University. In college I was double majoring in physics and planetary science, planning to go to graduate school when I ‘randomly’ made the decision. My senior year I had become a Resident Assistant. I spent a lot of time making the door decorations and just had -too much- fun with it. I really, really enjoyed it. This contrasted the research I was doing in physics at the time on the 3rd basement floor of the physics building. I also was making videos for fun as well, and I had a friend that started blowing up on social media. That friend introduced me to video editing. He had started making some money, which I noted. And all this swelled into a feeling that I couldn’t avoid. I was sitting in a graduate level planetary science class, where they were discussing the course’s structure of ‘reviewing and presenting one research paper a week.’ I remember thinking, “wait I actually hate this.” Two days later I dropped the second major. I ended up getting the physics degree, as I had already completed all the courses, and then I moved to Los Angeles that summer.

What should our readers know about your business?
I own a small production and editing company here in Los Angeles. I have a few team members working with me. I think what really sets us apart is our ability to tell a story and convey emotion. I’ve met and worked with numerous brands and creators who tell us that we can tell their story better than they can. And this is before we even get to the editing stage. Once we get there, I think that’s really when we shine. Most good editors that I come across, came from the world of filming. I started editing before I filmed anything on a camera. So I have somewhat of a backwards perspective. But it taught me how to tell stories and convey emotion, even if it’s not present in the footage. I think what I’m most proud of is the potential. This started out as something I was doing myself. But now we have a team, layers of infrastructure, and so many ideas in the works to make it grow beyond me as an individual.

As far as the difficulty, I don’t think running any business is easy. But I definitely have a unique way of reframing. I’ve had people quit, money stresses, failures, and more, but every time my brain just thinks of it as “probably a good thing.” It’s kinda blunt but sometimes it’s as far as “If I had gotten that job, probably would have crashed my car on the way there.”

I’ve learned that the only difference between the people that are successful and the people that aren’t, is that the people who are didn’t stop trying. And I don’t plan on stopping. The only thing I want people to know about my brand is that it was started by a very average person. No better than them. If I can do it. They can to. Do something you love, or die trying.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I think Los Angeles is one of the greatest places in the world. A 40 minute drive any direction and you are practically in a different climate. I have a 1966 Mustang that I love driving around so if my best friend was here, I’d drive them through the mountains out to Malibu in the morning, hit a workout at muscle beach, midday, then go to a restaurant in Hollywood at night. I recommend Tao if you haven’t tried it.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There’s countless people I could thank. I think if there’s one person that started it all, it would be my friend Sean. Or well, my other friend Sean too. Sean R. is the creator friend of mine that started blowing up on social media. I had already been making videos for a little bit prior to getting close to him. But I remember he was the one with the nice camera. He was the one taking it really seriously. He told me that if I started putting even a little editing into my videos, I would do well fast. And years later, I own a production and editing company, working with the people that I used to watch. So, I guess he was right.

Sean C. is my other friend that convinced me to post my first video. I had wanted to since 7th grade. And he was basically like, “Why not just do it?”

Website: https://www.screenwarp.com

Instagram: burgessjandrew

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-burgess-911267192/

Image Credits
Carlos Morales

ScreenWarp

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