Chris Meurer
Viennese coffee, can we talk about this? I am late to the game here but, wow, delicious. I’m normally an americano-with-a-splash-of-cream fella, but no need from cream here, friends. I met DP extraordinaire Christopher Meurer at Kaffeehaus de Châtillon in Lynnwood recently and was immediately charmed by the cozy atmosphere, friendly wait staff, and my warm beverage (called the Verlängerter) which was served in a ceramic cup with a little pitcher of cream on the side. The cream remained on the bench. Yum.
Okay, I digress. It was terrific catching up with Chris, we hadn’t seen each other since July of 2020, when we were on the Microsoft Redmond campus shooting a marketing video/cult classic starring Jen Crum and Katie Riddle. Chris is a case study in following your passion and seeing it blossom into a thriving business. Chris was an on-staff video producer at The Garrigan Lyman Group a decade ago, but his real interest was lighting and shooting live action video. Eventually, he left GLG to start his own production company, Modern Motion. If you’re looking for a great DP and talented crew, I highly recommend Chris and his merry band of field-production artists.
Chatting with Chris again schooled me on what a smart small business owner he is: creative yet highly organized, a visual artist grounded in business smarts who knows how to diversify to meet client needs and broaden his revenue base. Super impressed.
Other highlights from our Viennese coffee-fueled rendezvous.
1) Get curious: Chris said that my reconnect roadshow reminded him of Brian Glazer’s book 'A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life.' Chris even sent it to me after our meeting. Glazer’s book chronicles his lifelong quest to seek out interesting and accomplished people for what he calls a “curiosity conversation.” Glazer learns a lot from some famous folks, but the book is also an invitation for all of us to embrace our curiosity to become “better leaders, creators, managers, even romantic partners.”
2) Vet your business partners: This may sound basic, but even if you’ve known someone for years, you may be taking for granted what they can deliver. It’s important to vet the skills of potential partners before committing to them on a project. Don’t just assume they know what they’re doing. Some folks are just winging it out there.
3) You can’t control everything: sometimes you can wring your hands trying to correct a dysfunctional situation. You think that with enough effort and good intentions, you can fix this. Well, maybe you can. But often you can’t, especially when the dysfunction stems from a source with decision-making authority. In that case, do your best and let go of the rest.
4) Get Viennese coffee. Like today. I’m telling you, it’s fantastic.
Thank you Chris for the memorable chat and the great book reco. You’re the best!
#videoproduction #directorofphotography #curiosity #letitgo #coffee#thankyou