Knocking out projects from conceptualization to final delivery, specialty in short documentary pieces, mobile videos, and commercials: meet this full-fledged video creative from the deep south!

CR8VSPOT: Give us a brief introduction of yourself

Matthew Coates: I’m a Director / DP / Editor currently residing in the Greater New Orleans area. I specialize in creating branded content, along with digital, commercial, and short documentary work. I’ve primarily worked in-house at various companies, so I’ve more often than not done a little bit of everything.

—“The act of actually doing the thing you were hired for is the fun part.”

CR8VSPOT: What inspired you to take this career path?

MC: I think a good place to point to is a conversation I had once with my oldest brother back in high school. We took a road trip out to Illinois to attend a music festival for a week. Every day as we walked from stage to stage to watch bands, we would discuss everything from politics to philosophy, faith, music; you name it. One of those discussions involved finding the right career path, and he deliberated that it’s really quite simple. If you can find the intersection between what you like, and what you are good at, then that is where you can find your career path.

For me, that was anything involving a camera. I took a photography class in high school, which led to doing live production camera operating with a church in 2007, followed by shooting some music videos with friends in 2011, and diving headfirst into a Video Producer role at that same church in 2012. For the past two and half years, I’ve been working as a Promotions Producer for a tv station here in New Orleans, and I just recently came on board the marketing team at Anedot.

CR8VSPOT: What’s your favorite part of your job?

MC: I really love engaging with the process of telling a story visually. There are so many layers to communicating in a series of images; from framing to lighting, mise-en-scene to an actor’s performance, editing to audio soundscapes, music, and color. Diving deep into the decision-making process along each step is challenging, but it’s also so rewarding when it connects to an audience. It’s truly a joy.

—“I’ve learned to stop selling myself short, to be proud of the work made with fellow creatives...”

CR8VSPOT: What would you say is the most difficult part of what you do and what do you do when you get stuck?

MC: The business side is the hardest part. Whether you’re in the film industry, freelance, or taking on an in-house role at a company, the struggles to get a project green-lit, entertain the seemingly endless amounts of emails, get approval, make revisions, and get paid. These are only a few examples of what can turn making a film into this daunting feeling of fighting an uphill battle. The act of actually doing the thing you were hired for is the fun part.

To manage, I personally like to step away for a moment, usually by taking a walk. It’s in those moments that I can gain the perspective to wrestle through some more logistics.

CR8VSPOT: What are some of the most difficult lessons or experiences you’ve had to go through in your career and how have they shaped you?

MC: For me, like so many other artists, I’ve struggled with insecurity for so many years, and it has often held back the work that I made and what I could achieve. Often that looked like second-guessing, indecisiveness, and not valuing the talent that I have. I’ve learned to stop selling myself short, to be proud of the work made with fellow creatives, to stay humble, and to never stop learning. As cliche as that might sound, I’ve found it to be a healthy pace to life that is designed for the long haul.

—“…but resilience is a powerful response that connects people through brilliant ways.”

CR8VSPOT: New Orleans is a high fusion of diverse cultures, how does life in that city influence your creativity?

MC: It is a high fusion, but one thing that I’ve been finding intriguing lately is how there are ideas that act as a common thread through the diversity. The ideas that unify us despite our differences. Another way to put is this, What are the ideas that cause the fusion? One of them I’ve been thinking about lately is the idea of resilience. Somehow, the people here strive to make the best out of a situation, even if they’re dealt an extreme hardship. They have this amazing ability to turn tragedy into celebration, scars into beauty. Don’t get me wrong, we need to work to a better society where tragedy happens less frequently, But resilience is a powerful response that connects people through brilliant ways, even if they are from different backgrounds and upbringings.

CR8VSPOT: In your spare time, what do you do to unwind?

MC: I hang out with my wife and watch whatever show we’re cycling through. She’s trying to get me into Gilmore Girls because she loves that show. She will never be successful. Since we’ve finished up The Office recently, we’re looking for something we can both get into. I’m totally open to ideas.

CR8VSPOT: If you weren’t a videographer or filmmaker, what would your other specialty be?

MC: I’d probably be a Writer or Photographer. I’ve had a camera in my hand since I was 17, so It’s hard to picture doing anything else.

CR8VSPOT: What other adventures do you hope to embark on?

MC: We’re definitely seeing ourselves eventually relocating. Even though we love the people of Louisiana and the food, we definitely want to explore. It may be Texas since my wife is originally from there, but that might be her Texan pride coming out. Is everything better in Texas, really? Don’t flame me. It’s an honest question.

—“…one of the most valuable metrics of a story is simply if it works…”

CR8VSPOT: What advice would you give to an aspiring videographer?

MC: It simple but true, you’re going to grow the quickest by making a video and learning from the process. I’d recommend after every project to analyze your work and take note of how you can improve. Pay special attention to how you can film something or communicate an idea differently, or in some cases more effectively.

I’d also highly recommend developing a system to foster your ideas because they are the most valuable thing you have as a creative. As an example, I have Evernote on my Mac and phone so they can instantly sync and provide a way for me to have quick access to them at any moment. I also organize these notes into subfolders for different kinds of topics and story ideas. It’s a super simple process, but the end result is so overwhelmingly valuable to my creativity.

Lastly, understand that one of the most valuable metrics of a story is simply if it works, meaning does it make a connection with your audience, leave a lasting impression, and even on occasion, dare to illuminate an idea in such a way that it challenges the way a person thinks.

It’s hard to make a story work. I’m not a master of it. And hey, even the masters of it miss the mark. But it’s worth taking the courage to try because the process of making is truly an honor. When it works, it’s this amazing experience that becomes a part of people’s lives and brings them together.

Matthew Coates Extras:

Favorite Software: Spotify.

Favorite Lens: 35mm on full-frame, 24mm on super 35.

Favorite City: My vote is for anywhere in Colorado. My wife and I love the mountains.

Hobbies: Hanging out in coffee shops and reading long-form articles.

Source of inspiration: Mostly little moments from everyday life, but I really get supercharged from visiting an art museum.

Turn off: Willful incompetence. It’s ok to not know or understand something, so long as someone has a willingness to learn, but I don’t have time for a person who leans on another’s base of knowledge because they favor the convenience of it rather than working through a learning curve. The worst part of that is how much time is wasted in the process.