Conversations with Bryce Barker

I moved here from Richmond, VA, on April 1, 2021. I was a full-time marketing director for an outdoor company. I was going through hardship with my job and my relationship at the time. I was miserable and tired and thought my only option was to start over. I visited Nashville to see some friends and how I would like it here. We did the 54-hour film fest, and I fell in love. I was in love with creativity and knew I could make it here as long as I did the work. I called my job back in VA and offered them a month instead of a two weeks notice. My relationship fell apart, and I felt it was time to do something different with my life.

  I got back to VA and packed all my things. I moved to Nashville with only $36 in my account since I paid so much to get here to pay for my dogs. I was given a month for free by my friend David Piersal. He and I were in a one-bedroom apartment at 909 Flats in downtown Nashville. I had a support group, and I had a clear head finally. The one thing that completely changed my life as I accepted Jesus Christ as my lord and savior before I moved helped me in the most challenging time of my life. I was in a dark place before I moved here, and I heard something recently that changed my perspective on the pain and sadness I had to overcome. The saying was, “When you feel like you have been buried and are in a dark place, remember that you have been planted, not buried, you are about to grow from up from out of it.

  I was offered a job as a PA from Bennett Self, and I made sure to capitalize on the opportunity. As I mentioned, I started as a PA and never said no to anything asked of me. I was blessed that I was now a grip after one PA job. I was broke and didn’t have time for excuses; therefore, my only option was to make it work for me. I moved up in the industry as quickly as possible and made connections. I would always ask for names and numbers, as well as Instagram. As a social media coordinator, I learned that you must stay connected to stay relevant when starting. I always heard the phrase: “Out of sight, out of mind.” That being said, if you always reach out to people, you will be in their minds for opportunities. I was beginning to build up a resume and get noticed. I have always been a hard worker, but to have people see that propelled me to where I am now.

 I would always stay later on set. I would offer to help any department by staying later or coming in earlier. I knew the construct of how to work effectively and not feel burned out. I learned quickly and studied the photos I would take on sets to keep it in my mind and stay relevant and up to date on the names of specific gear and how that gear operates as I became more and more involved, more opportunities. My primary role now is G/E, but it is never a bad idea to dabble in every department because I promise you that it will come into play soon. I’ve been involved in every deparmtnet on set now, and it pays off!

  Days on set can be long and exhausting, but I love doing what I do. Having a great attitude has helped me get here. I see everyone as an equal that deserves respect and kindness no matter what. To bring it back to the beginning, I had to be willing to learn from my mistakes and take risks. I feel it is best to know you will fail and will mess up, but if you do not learn anything from that failure, then that is when you have failed. I took the time to accept things and never faked them until I made it. I was upfront and on time continuously with how I felt, and being diligent in making sure my intentions were always good.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a smooth road?
It was never a smooth road, but nobody climbed a smooth mountain. I have many struggles with being new, not knowing the industry, my issues and problems with my relationship falling apart, and feeling lost at times. The biggest obstacle was figuring out the balance between life and work. I always wanted to work but also needed to ensure I never got burnt out from the labor and the long hours. I had to accept losing jobs and being passed over because I was new in town. I had to lose sleep to make connections and put in the groundwork.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?

I own The Reel Hero Productions; I mainly work in media and film; I specialize in G&E, but I am a videographer on my own time. I am most proud of being able to Direct a music video for a record label with being so new to town. I am proud of my progress from being unknown to being known by people I respect. I think what sets me apart from others is my passion for opportunities. I constantly look for ways to meet new creatives, meet new people and bounce ideas. I find myself in my best head space when I am given a new task that I am unfamiliar with.

Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.

I will explain my idea on risk-taking by describing how Lobsters grow. A lobster grows when it feels pressure. As humans, we can also learn from that. Lobsters have to shed off their old shell and get a new one. It knows it will be vulnerable, but if it stays in the shell, it will never grow. The lobster has to feel pressure and be uncomfortable to realize it is time to develop. We should also do the same in our lives. When we feel “pressure,” it is easy to give in to the pain and give up. We think we have grown enough, but that is where we are wrong. We can grow as long as we know we will be vulnerable to whatever life throws us. Once we take the risk, then we can grow. If we do nothing, we will only grow to our surroundings, and if we want to grow past our surroundings, then we need to make that move. In simpler terms, we need to come out of our shells to grow.