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Chad Stembridge

Hi! I'm a cinematographer and media entrepreneur. As a filmmaker, I use cinematic storytelling to make powerful, impactful connections. And as an entrepreneur, I firmly believe that one of the most powerful ways to change the world is through businesses run with empathy and soul. I get to be a creative artist while exploring the art of business, and for that I'm grateful. Sign up for my newsletter to read interesting bits about modern media and film.

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Hey there! Oh man. It's been over a year since I've sent one of these out. Needless to say, lots has been going on! This'll be a quick one — just wanted to share some exciting news and show off some recent work: Yeah! We just won a silver Telly Award for this sizzle video I produced for a Life Time club's regional fitness coaches event. Huge thanks to my crew on this: John Smith and Jon Bowen on cameras, and Steven Russel on audio. Here are a couple of fun projects from the past few months:...

Hey there! Hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend. My kids are officially out of school for the summer, and we spent some time this weekend grilling out and building forts in the backyard: I think I had more fun than they did. :) A few topics I've been wanting to write about have been jumping around in my mind — mostly the rise of AI, as well as the art of creativity in our era of algorithms and "safe" sameness — but just haven't buckled down to getting my thoughts out on paper yet. So for...

Life's a whirlwind Hey there! How is it March already? This year has been a bit of a blur so far, more than usual. I'm trying to hang onto the small, intentional moments to slow down. Like this one — it's early (my body clock is way off with this time change), and I'm on my couch with a candle flickering on my coffeetable. There's a dog curled up on either side of me and one more on the floor. Doesn't it feel delicious to soak up moments like these? Here’s what’s in this week’s email: Project...

Where it started, how it's going Hey there! This week I'm diving in a bit more into the story of my journey selling stock footage. Hopefully there are some tidbits of tips you can glean that might inform or inspire your own process. Here’s what’s in this week’s email: How it started (my origin story) Macrostock vs. Microstock Tip: your clips are products How it started Seven years ago, I knew what stock video was and that there were various marketplaces that sold stock clips. Even though I...

Hey there! Welcome to this week's edition. Know anyone who'd benefit from getting these? Point them in the direction of the newly-refreshed Footager webpage! Here’s what’s in this week’s email: Shutterstock's royalty tiers Tip: quantity is your friend. Shutterstock's royalty tiers Every year, Shutterstock sends out this nice notification: In last week's email I talked about iStock's royalty levels, which allow exclusive contributors to earn a higher royalty percentage as their files hit...

Hello, 2023 Hey there! Happy new year! This is the first ever Hafren Media newsletter… So if you’re reading this, thank you. What’s in this email: Introducing Hafren Media Project Spotlight: Unbound Masterclass 2023 Video Marketing Trends Introducing Hafren Media Last year I began the long-overdue process of clarifying the direction I'm headed in the world of video and media. One of the things I know I eventually want to do is return to working on narrative films and episodics — it's what...

Hello, 2023 Hey there! Happy new year! This is the first ever Footager newsletter… So if you’re getting this, thank you for becoming the OGs. This will be a weekly newsletter where I’ll unpack things like: Tips for creating and selling stock footage 30,000 ft. views of what’s going on in the industry Insights into my own journey & what’s working for me So let’s jump in! Here’s what’s in this week’s email: Trends to watch in 2023 iStock’s 2023 download rate cards Tip: consistency is key Trends...