Videography
Matthew Burton
Hiya, I'm Matthew Burton! I'm a full-time filmmaker/photographer from Canada and co-own a video production company! My journey into the creative space is an unusual one, one I came into later in life, only buying my first camera at 26. Prior to photography I graduated high school and joined the Navy where I spent 5 years as a Naval Weapons Engineering Tech, after this, I went back to school for finance where I graduated with distinctions and started a journey in the financial industry working for a large Japanese-based hedge fund. At this point, still feeling very lost in life, following other's paths to ”success” I finally decided to try something for myself. This is when I bought my first camera, booked a trip to Iceland, and without knowing it kickstarted the greatest adventure of my life. Over the years I've been able to start a commercial video production company creating social media content, TV spots, and large corporation branding pieces. This camera has allowed me to meet some of the most beautiful people and see beautiful places all around the world. Truly an adventure of a lifetime.
Storytelling! Think about the story you're trying to tell or a story you could tell a viewer. Anytime we're shooting and get a shot we really like, let's try and capture two more shots that supplement that image, whether it be a photo or video. This allows you to string the video clips together to tell a mini-story or sequence that allows the viewer to be pulled deeper into your content. The same thing is true for photos, if you get that shot you love, try and get one or two more within the same sequence. For instance, if you're capturing a sunset mountain landscape, think about grabbing another shot that includes a subject taking a photo or enjoying the view, or maybe a shot through a car window or above the car indicating you made this journey to get that shot! Storytelling is one thing we can often overlook as creatives when capturing imagery.
The theme of RISE centers around capturing one’s growth and the moments in which we’ve transformed. For me, this video and even more so the concept of “traveling into the multiverse” shows my transformation into who I am today. Before discovering this life path, I was caught in the status quo and living up to the expectations of what I thought it meant to be successful. Measuring my success based on the definitions of others rather than defining it for myself. I feel this video encapsulates the idea of me taking back control of my life, choosing the version of myself that I'm striving to create a life around. Someone who has ownership of their time, who moves with intentions, and who has defined success based on their metrics and not societies.
My take on personal transformation and the concept of RISE is a little different from this video. Social media is such a source of instant gratification it’s easy to fall prey to the “fast-food” level of creation where you’re stuck searching for the next most epic spot to just shoot and burn content. This video is centered on the transformation of my philosophy around creating content, but even more so around the beautiful things I’ve had the privilege of experiencing. It’s the intention to slow down and be present and realize that art can be and should be created in the midst of the simple and the mundane, it should be created to invoke and inspire, not just reach metrics on an algorithm or because there is pressure to create.
“This is the part where you flip your phone”, sounds simple enough but it's a call to action to my audience, a challenge to overcome the pressures of posting and viewing vertically on social media. When I think of RISE this video hits twofold. Once for this idea that I have control as a content creator over my work and how I want to showcase it to my audience and going against “best practices“ on social media and presenting how I feel best represents the content. Secondly, the realization of getting to capture my adventures. This reminds me of how far I've come as someone who once couldn't see the value of travel. Now I'm so deeply immersed in that space and want to use my position to encourage others to also get out, explore, and experience this world and its people with me.
