Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert Harrington of Bella Media.
Robert, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I married my amazing wife Virginia (also my high school sweetheart) 19 years ago and am the proud father of two daughters, Rose & Isabella. I started making films as a hobby in 1999. My first edit was a music video of my dog missing his owner (my wife) as she left for work. After that my wife and I started filming weddings for fun. In 2001, most wedding films weren’t very good. They decent ones were music video-style edits without much natural audio. We started telling the stories of our couples by making films that looked and sounded more like movies. Cinematic shots mixed with rich narratives from the key voices at the event made our films stand out. Bella Vista Productions was our wedding cinema company named after our oldest daughter Isabella. We were offering a unique product and enjoyed being with couples on one of the most exciting days of their lives.
As Bella and our youngest daughter Rose grew older, we realized we didn’t want to work every weekend. Just over ten years ago, I hired Josh Thornton and we started producing commercial/corporate videos. My wife became a full-time mom after we filmed our final wedding together. Over the last 10 years our client list has grown as we have created commercials and promo videos for Fort Bend County, The City of Brenham, Richmond, Old Town Spring, Galveston County, The City of Pearland, The Woodlands Market Street and many more. We are busier now than we have ever been.
We also have several passion projects we have been able to pursue over the years. Josh and I volunteer our video services a lot at our local churches. I was able to produce a documentary about an orphanage in Kenya called Little Eden. Right now, we are finishing up a documentary about a blind man who hiked for four days to Machu Picchu. We are also working on films for Trinity Oaks. This organization offers outdoor experiences for individuals with terminal conditions. We recently finished the story of Layla, an 8-year-old with brain cancer. The Kailee Mills foundation shares the importance of seat belt safety awareness. The Ferguson kids lost both parents in a car accident recently and were split up. Recently we were honored to tell the story of the Kailee Mills Foundation surprising the Ferguson kids with a new house and being reunited under one roof! And finally, our first responders. This one hits close to home. My father was a full time police office (Harris County & Houston Metro) and fireman (City of Houston). Working with the Spring Fire Department and many other local agencies is one of the true highlights of what we do. These passion projects are the ones that truly inspire others and will last for generations.
Today we have three full-time employees and will probably need to add another in 2021. We have been so busy working in our business that we have not worked on it in some time (Social Media, WebSite). We have never advertised. 100% of our business is referral based. We believe in relationships and treating our clients like family. In turn, they have become raving fans and have spread the word. We are excited about the future!
Has it been a smooth road?
Covid hit this year and we had a tremendous amount of jobs cancel. We produce videos for lots of non profit galas, outdoor events and large company gatherings. With all of those being cancelled, I wondered if we were going to make it. I didn’t have to wonder long. Within 60 days we were back on track and our schedule was filling up. In the last two months we have filmed in 13 different Texas cities, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Denver, Maine and just booked our flights for a shoot in Florida soon. All small business have growth struggles. We are fortunate that we are continuing to grow.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
Our portfolio of work is very diverse. We have clients in oil & gas, dental, cities, counties, private security, manufacturing and on and on. Diversity in our portfolio has proven to deliver us stability during 2020. When one industry slows down, another steps it up. We value the relationships and friendships that have come through working with all of our clients and so many will be life long friends.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
This city is perfect for a business like ours. There is no lack of business. Most companies are not telling their story effectively through video. Content creation is more popular right now than it has ever been. Our area is full of companies needing video production services. If you are a company/organization/individual who needs help getting your message out, contact us today and see if we are a good fit for your needs.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bella.media
- Phone: 281-543-1702
- Email: robert@bella.media
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bella.media.tx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bella.media.tx
- Other: www.vimeo.com/bella
Image Credit:
Bella.Media
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