Name: Robert Sneed
Hometown: Kittrell, NC
Major: JOMC – Mass Media
Classification: Senior
Campus Involvement: NABJ, AggieNightLive
1. What made you get into multimedia productions & photography?
Well I can say that I’ve always had that drive and passion for it since I was younger. I was always fascinated by films and photography and just by the visual aspects. What made me move more towards it was having some of my friends have their own YouTube channels and they gained followers, so that inspired me to grab my own camera and start making my own things and just getting out there. Plus, it’s mainly what I want to do so why not start now?
2. What inspires you and pushes your artwork?
What inspires me is seeing small businesses make professional looking productions. I’ve seen on YouTube for instance, a lot of small businesses that may not get a lot of attention or have a lot of pull, but I’ve seen them make such good work and that makes me feel like “well, who said I can’t do the same things?” Plus that lets me know I have the same potential to create something just as impactful and great with not a lot of technology.
3. What is your ultimate career goal?
My ultimate career goal is to make professional movies and productions that involve more African American people. Because as you see in Hollywood, and on major networks, there are a lot of shows that don’t have a lot of diversity. You might see a lot of white people having a black person’s role and they’re portraying African American roles, but in different ways but I want to do something for my people.
Black people don’t have a lot of opportunities in the film and entertainment industry, there’s like a selective group of things we can do, ie. movies with slaves or the person with power is a white person, so I want to make professional quality projects that also rid certain stereotypes of men and women at the same time.
4. You’ve started your own production business, so what are some tips you’d like to share with other college media producers?
Go ahead and do it. Even if you have to start your business by yourself, go ahead and do it. Like for me, I started by myself, but right now I have about three people working with me but I still have to do most of the work by myself, because right now, being small, I don’t have a lot pull, because not a lot of people can have seen what I can do yet.
When people see more of what I can actually do, they will want to work with me more. If you have to do it by yourself go ahead and do it, I get so much advice from family. I even have a connection right now with someone doing exactly what I want to do and he told me, “you know if you have an idea and you want to see it come into fruition, you are going to have to do a lot of the work yourself until you can bring people in who see the vision the way you and can also help you achieve it.”
5. What do you do in your spare time?
In my spare time I am always researching ways to improve my craft of filmmaking. Looking up different kinds of shots that you see on tv, how to edit videos, how to use specific effects, and even when I’m not doing that I’m thinking of ideas that I want to see come into fruition. Like writing out scripts, not only for right now, but for the future.
6. How do you find balance between being a student while still investing time into your passion for media productions?
That’s a very difficult thing to do. You will allow time to what you want. If you want your business and passion to grow, and even with a lot of school work, you will find time to set aside for yourself to make sure you’re doing at least a little bit to advance yourself.
7. What would be your dream production project? Who would you work with? Location? Theme?
My dream production, that I am actually kind of starting on it now, but my dream production is my own self live action super hero film. I’ve already got a character, a costume design and everything that he’s going to do. My dream cast would be Will Smith, Idris Elba, Rochelle Aytes, Zoë Kravitz, are just a few people I would want in the movie.
8. What other talents and interests do you have?
I do photography, writing, poetry, and spoken word every now and then. I do eventually want to get into music making, mainly like with industry. I do get compliments on my dancing sometimes.
9. What has been your biggest challenge in college and how did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge is time management and trying to focus on so many things at one time. And friends are important, so while you’re making sure you’re taking care of everything for yourself, you have to make sure you’re keeping yourself around good people. But sometimes you also have to make sure you’re not spending too much time with your friends and getting distracted.
10. If you could offer the younger you any piece of advice, what would it be?
Just go for it man. Back then I was so shy but if still had that mindset I would not be here right now. If I could go back I would just tell myself is, just go ahead and try. My mom told me the worst thing you can get is a no so go ahead and try.
Check out some of Robert’s work below: