Community Highlights: Meet Emmaus Vanderbilt of Silver Fox Productions

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emmaus Vanderbilt.

Hi Emmaus, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve always had a passion for technology ever since I was a kid.

From having a mobile DJ business when I was in the 5th grade, to serving as the lighting director for my prior church’s youth ministry- I just loved anything and everything to do with technology. In my sophomore year of high school when I was 15, I worked as an audio engineer at a summer camp that hosted about 400 kids a week.

It was a blast, but I noticed a guy who was shooting video, and being totally honest, his job looked a lot more fun than mine. At the time, I had a Nikon D5200 which was okay, so I asked him what camera he owned and it was the Lumix GH4, which back in the days of 2016 was one of the hottest cameras on the market.

At that point, I had a fire ignited inside of me to grow my video skills. The camp I worked at was a nonprofit and they didn’t pay a lot, so after working 60 hours Monday through Friday, I asked my grandmother if there was any yard work that I could do to earn some extra money. She said, “Yes, we need a hole dug in the 100-degree heat of July for a tree and we can give you $50”.

I jumped for joy because I knew that it could go towards the camera fund. I do want to point out one part of my journey here- I am a Christian and I 100% believe in the concept of tithing. I tithed or gave away 10% of my income to the local church, which happened to only be only $5 since I only made $50, but God saw my heart geared towards obedience, and then He knew that I could be trusted with more. So the story continues…

Eventually, I used that money to purchase the GH4 with a lens adapter for $1700 in cash. I used that setup to film weddings for around the $300 to $800 range for a year until I came across a guy named Parker Walbeck. He has an online course called FullTime Filmmaker that I joined and he was using the Canon 1dx Mark 2 and his videos were amazing.

I wanted to upgrade my equipment to that same camera but there was only one problem, especially with me being only a senior in high school, and it is that I needed $10,000 to purchase the camera, lenses, and other accessories needed for it to operate.

I worked hard shooting weddings and it’s totally a God thing, but as I put a post on Facebook asking for loan companies, my grandparents saw the post, and they never get on Facebook and asked me if I needed a loan. I took them up on their offer and stepped out in faith to purchase the Canon 1dx mark 2 at 17 years old.

I instantly began charging between $2000-$5000 for weddings. So while I was 18 years old, Silver Fox Productions was making over $100,000 a year. We recently added on team members all around the United States, purchased billboards, and have given away over $50,000 between church and other nonprofits.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My largest hurdle when starting out was my age. Most people did not want to put their trust in a 16-year-old, but over time I was able to prove that my skills were capable and my equipment was qualified to meet their needs.

As you know, we’re big fans of Silver Fox Productions. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We specialize in capturing high-end wedding videos + photos. In addition to weddings, we also capture high-quality content for corporate groups and other organizations.

We are Christian based and our company is founded on biblical principles of integrity, honor, and hard work. Colossians 3:23 says “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”

We take that as a personal challenge to serve every client with excellence. This is evident through the quality of our work, the way we communicate with clients, and our 5-star ratings on multiple social media platforms.

We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Most people may not know this, but I started this company on a laptop in my room that I shared with my brother at the time.

We did not have enough room for a desk in the room so I worked on my bed while having our gear (cameras, hard drives, etc.) in my closet which I would bring out when it was time to work!

Pricing:

• Our most popular wedding booking price is $3200, but we offer a wide variety of services.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.silverfoxproductions.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/silverfoxproductions_us/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/silverfoxproductions.us
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzc4J_hfCaczly5CqUu2Q4w

Image Credits
Silver Fox Productions