Today we’d like to introduce you to Austin.
Hi Austin, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born in New Orleans, and lived there til I was six. Then after Katrina, my family and I bounced around a bit before landing in Knoxville. Growing up was typical suburban stuff, but I was blessed to have parents who supported my creativity. I did all types of dance throughout elementary school. Then in middle school it was all about music. I played a few instruments: Trombone, saxophone, piano, guitar, and drums. And then when I got to high school, I moved on to theatre. I fell in love with being on stage. I did any play or musical they offered. I even made the improv team a few times. That was formative for me. Oddly enough, my first experience with film was in a psychology class my senior year. I made this silly little video on my phone about a Lego person’s relationship with his owner. It was a complete rip of Toy Story, all shot and edited on my iPhone 6. But I was shocked at the response it had, and encouraged me to keep going.
After high school I was committed to the art form. I got a job in the mall as a store manager, and did my two years at community college. Any free time I had I did my best to make music videos for local rappers I met in the area. It was a beautiful community to be apart of – so encouraging. After my two years, I got into Lipscomb University for film and found myself in Nashville. I honed my skills there, and fell in love with other aspects of filmmaking: writing, directing, cinematography. Everything about it is so beautiful. Out of college I got a job at Corner to Corner, a local nonprofit based in east Nash. Their mission is to help budding entrepreneurs plan, start, and grow small businesses. After four years of working for them, I decided it was time for me to take a stab at it. That’s when Safe Trip Media was born.
I have terrible ADHD, so my years since college (in addition to working at Corner to Corner) were filled with taking on random one-off projects, getting burnt out, and then moving on to something completely different. I have too many interests: If I was doing a music video, a fashion vid would be seducing me in my peripheral. Then once I grinded to find a fashion project, a short film idea would fill that peripheral. Safe Trip has been a beautiful tool to help me sift through opportunities and take on things that I want to do.
I started Safe Trip with my partner Mason Martin in the fall of 2024, but we’ve been collaborators for far longer. He has been essential in this process. He’s so charismatic and good at making genuine connections with community members, whereas I’m more of the weirdo mad scientist in the studio playing with lights and lenses. It’s a wonderful balance.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think if the road’s not bumpy, you might need to evaluate your journey. There’s ebbs and flows to this stuff, but I’ve learned that the downward slope always propels you into an upward trajectory, you just have to ride the wave. I think everyone should fail often and quickly. Accept it. It’ll only help you learn what to do better the next time.
Entrepreneurship isn’t easy for anyone. As a business owner, I think the greatest skill you could learn is getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. Comfort zones don’t exist anymore. I would’ve never imagined the hoops I’ve had to jump through throughout this process. But each new skill is a tool added to my tool belt. I know my younger self would be impressed.
I’ll also speak on my detest for cringe culture. I’m probably top 10 corniest people of all time, but it’s something I’ve learned to love about myself. Trying new things should be celebrated and encouraged. It’s only cringe until it’s not. My heart goes out to the youngsters who feel they need to be perfect on social media. Screw that. Go play in the mud and bring a camera with you. The only cringy people are the one’s hiding behind phone screens, placing judgement on those who actually participate in life. SUPPORT ART. SUPPORT EXPERIMENTING. SUPPORT THE PROCESS.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I guess on Linked-In I’m a videographer. That’s what pays the bills. There’s joy in that for sure, but I admittedly felt like a fraud leaving film school and having to create everything in vertical format. But the work has been beyond rewarding. I’ve gotten to meet so many new friends in the entrepreneurship community, and independent music artists here in Nashville. The typical videographer’s dream is usually to follow around Drake or some of the “big gems” out there, but they’re missing the diamonds here in our city. My heart is always with the Knoxville hip hop scene, so I’m grateful to continue that work here.
Safe Trip has been a blessing because I feel I get to let my voice sink into my work. It’s like this wonderful umbrella that all my creative ideas get to live under, whether it be a music video, fashion campaign, engagement shoot, etc.
I try hard to make space for more short films. I typically write, direct, and end up acting in my own stuff. The ultimate dream has always been to make full length feature films, and I’ll get there soon. I’m blessed to have a gang of creative friends from Lipscomb that have become my best friends and collaborators. Most recently I premiered my latest not-so-short film ‘Extra’ which was a beast to accomplish, and so rewarding to showcase. Shout out to my friends at Music City Vintage for providing us the space. I have to admit, my claim to fame is probably still ‘Kiss the Homies’, which was a short film I did in college, during. a tense period on campus. You’ll have to find that one yourself…
How do you think about happiness?
There’s no other feeling like bringing your own ideas to life. The days and nights of dreaming about it, the relentless preparation, lining everything up meticulously, until finally, it’s the day when you get to light the fuse. Feels like a fantasy. And it’s very rare, so when you get there, you have to be intentional about soaking up all the feelings.
I think as I’ve gotten older, the struggle to maintain authenticity becomes stronger – and I think that’s a feeling I share with many adults, especially creatives. When life becomes unbalanced, consistently feeling like yourself can feel impossible. So having those moments of clarity on set, when you are 100% standing as the person you’re meant to be, and doing the thing you were born to do, there’s no better feeling.
I’m happiest when in the directors chair. Maybe I’m bossy, but the kinetic energy on set is infectious. When you’re in charge of it all, you’ve done the prep work, and then you’re there doing the thing, it’s like you’re conducting this dance between the actors, and the camera, and the lights. There’s truly nothing like it.
Pricing:
- Our affordable pricing can be found at https://www.safetripmedia.com/packages. We would love to collaborate with anyone. The weirder the idea the better
Contact Info:
- Website: https://safetripmedia.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safetripmedia/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/safe-trip-media/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SAFETRIPMEDIA
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/@sena-matic
