Summer Update 2025

As summer moves along in full swing, covering the Bellingham Bells and wedding season picks up, I thought I was due for an update on myself and my video production business, Storm Hedman Films. Here, I’ll dive into the many changes I have faced recently and what’s to come for myself and Storm Hedman Films.

I’m a College Grad, Now What?

Back in June, I graduated from Western Washington University with a degree in Marketing while minoring in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. For only spending three years at WWU, I feel that I was able to jump on every opportunity that came my way, which in the end helped form my work today. From working with WWU Athletics as a sports videographer, to expanding my academics and understanding around running a business and building a brand through my marketing and entrepreneurship class, every path I took has been in the greater interest of the life I want to live and the career I wish to pursue. Of course, I was met with much doubt about my career choices and interests, but those who did have an interest have given me all the support I could ask for. I thank all of my classmates and professors for the lessons I’ve learned and the knowledge I’ve gained.

During the last few months of my undergraduate studies, I was met with considerable uncertainty about what my future may hold, much of which was driven by the number of times I was asked if I was having luck applying for jobs. I made attempts to apply to some sports teams in Seattle, but reflecting on what I want to do for a career, the intensity and commitment required for professional sports were not something I was highly interested in. With 3 years with WWU Athletics and a need for creative freedom, a job like that was not a necessity for me. With that, I decided to continue to pursue my business and build a brand for myself.  With no more classes comes more time to focus on how to grow my business, and with additional clientele coming through the door, the decision was easy.

What Have I Been Doing?

Aside from finishing my undergrade, I have continued to take on new clients and work with past ones. I have been fortunate enough to be able to continue having a mix of various projects, from sports with NFL Flag Football and the Bellingham Bells, to filming my first wedding of the season in June, with more to come. Spring and summer have been quite busy, and I look forward to what’s to come for fall.

One of my biggest projects this summer has been with the Bellingham Bells as they hosted the West Coast League All-Star Game for a second year in a row. What is special about this year for my second season is that I was put in charge of building and directing a media team to cover the 2-day event and produce several high-quality deliverables with a quick turnaround, some just minutes into each event. With this new responsibility came much anxiety and uncertainty about how to get the job done. Fortunately for me, I have been able to make some amazing connections with several different videographers and filmmakers who made everything so much easier. With the amazing help of Jordan, Charlie, Gabbie, Andrew, and Ethan, my team and I were able to spread and showcase the 2025 WCL All-Star Weekend not just cinematically but also effecitanly and effectively. Now that it’s done, it’s time for me to spend some time in the editing chair putting it all together.

What’s Next for Storm Hedman Films

Now that I have graduated and am starting to see the end of the summer baseball season, I have strong ambitions to expand and grow my videography business, Storm Hedman Films. With that, I have many plans for growing this venture of mine, building out my various services, expanding out of my apartment, and implementing a retainer system.

What are my Services?

The first thing I needed to do in order to grow my business was to add more structure and clarity to my various services, and confirm what those services are. Many times when I was young in this whole freelance thing, I was met with much confusion and pushback due to the lack of clarity in my offerings. Over the last year and most recently the last month, I have been rebuilding a lot of my services to account for the lack of information while also accounting for shifts and competitiveness in those fields. As many know, I work in many different realms of videography and media production, from sports to professional branding to weddings, I kinda do it all. By improving my services, I can better meet clients’ needs and less confusion.

Why Do You Need Retainers?

When considering how to grow my business, I recognized the need for consistent monthly revenue. Most projects I take on are larger packages that require one or two payments, depending on the project. My wedding services wouldn’t fall under a video subscription package.

With building out my services, I also built out a basic video subscription model for those looking to implement a more consistent video stream for their audience. With my knowledge and understanding of current marketing trends, having a consistent video stream that has a purpose can greatly boost your business. I hope to be able to target entrepreneurs, small businesses, and real estate agents as a service, like a monthly video subscription is perfect for those growing their online presences and building an audience. 

For more information about any of my services or video subscriptions, please check out my services page for more!

Why Do You Need an Office?

Up until now, everything I have done to build my brand has been done in the comfort of my bedroom or apartment. Fortunately for me, I am at a point in my video career where I can’t always run out of a carry-on-sized camera case. With my growth has come the increased amount of gear needed to run a mini production company, but it’s not just the influx of gear, but the need to separate work from life. To sit behind a computer for hours on end, responding to clients, scouring music sites, and diving deeper and deeper into the editing pit, I quickly realised the need to be able to leave the apartment and go to work.

During the last year, my partner and I have toyed with the idea of breaking our lease for the following year to find a 2-bedroom, but due to the competitive and highly priced housing market in Bellingham, that option quickly disappeared. Once my final quarter came, and I had my eyes set on continuing my freelance career, I began to see more and more how much I needed to expand out of my bedroom and be able to have my own space to work and build this business of mine. This became more apparent when I graduated and was working full-time from home, not long after I started scouring the web for affordable offices in Bellingham. Fortunately, I was able to find a spot within a mile of my apartment that is affordable and big enough for the growth of my career, for now.

This space is more than just a spot for me to hide away and edit and store my gear, it is a milestone in the career that I have dreamed about since I discovered what YouTube was. It is a space I hope to use for collaboration, creativity, and inspiration, yet also comfortable and safe. I hope to be able to use this space to build a community, virtually and physically. This new studio will allow me not just to work with more clientele, but also to work with the next generation of creators and filmmakers. It took a lot of hard work to get to this point in my career, and I thank all of those who have been a part of it from the beginning and anywhere in between.

Reflection

With these new opportunities and goals for myself and my business, I can’t help but think about how grateful I am to be in this part of my life. Though there are thoughts of uncertainty, especially during these conflicting times for our nation and our world, I have been able to push through the doubts and continue to build something that my family and I can be proud of. From being a first-generation college student to signing a lease at 22 years old, I am forever grateful for those who have helped me to this point and supported me through it all. To my clients and partners, thank you for trusting me with your story and ideas. Without your trust, my business and success would not be what it is. To my professors and fellow filmmakers, thank you for your gracious guidance and support. To my family and friends, thanks for supporting my crazy ideas and pushing me to be the best I can be. I look forward to what the next year brings me and where I go from here.

Let’s Connect

If you want to continue to be a part of this journey of mine, let’s connect and grow together!

Storm Hedman

stormhedman@gmail.com

509 470-1438