Life & Work with Michael Drone of Metropolitan Area

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Drone.

Hi Michael, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised in Kansas City, MO. I Discovered my passion for storytelling through comic books and movies. As an adolescent, I was an illustrator like my dad, often sketching characters in a notebook during class. I knew I wanted to do something in life that would allow me to express myself artistically, but I admit it took me a while to seriously pursue art as a career option. I spent the few semesters I took in college taking general education classes while I tried to figure out which art major I wanted to pursue. I knew I wanted to be able to get a job after college, so I ultimately chose animation but dropped out before I ever took a single class. From there, I knew I had to get a “real job,” aka 9 to 5, so I followed my best friend and got a job in security. I spent the next 4 years stuck in the day-to-day grind of being a security guard with no real aspirations or ambitions beyond getting a slightly higher wage at a competing security company or contract. Eventually, I got to the point where I knew I needed to leave the security industry because it wasn’t giving me the fulfillment I wanted out of life, so I tried to get a job in IT, another passion of mine. I quit my job in security and got a job at a mobile phone call center to build the experience I would need to land an IT help desk position. After a year of being severely depressed, I bought a camera and went on my first ever paid vacation from work. On that trip, I rediscovered my passion for art and storytelling and returned to work with a new goal. I started buying more camera gear and learning everything I could about photography and cinematography, quit my job in the fall of 2021 with about 6 months worth of savings, and have been giving it my all ever since. Since starting, I’ve worked with local artists, signed artists, non-profits, creatives, and small business owners.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It hasn’t been a smooth road, but because it’s what I’m passionate about, it comes to me easily. It doesn’t feel like work, even if I’m breaking a sweat. The biggest personal obstacles I’m working to overcome are time management and procrastination. The time I spend every day being unproductive prevents me from scaling my business and taking on more work.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I own and operate a video production start-up based out of Kansas City called fNsceneProductions. I specialize in music video and event videography at the moment. I’m getting ready to shoot my first wedding when I write this. I also aim to add real estate and commercials to my services shortly. I also do event and portrait photography with my business partner, based in Kansas City. I’m not sure if I’m known for anything outside of KC. None of my videos have gone viral, but I have worked with some local big name artists and a promising non-profit (featured on KSHB) whose goal is prison reform. The people who have seen my work often say my work ethic and creativity set me apart. The majority of videographers in the city don’t offer the kind of production quality I think I offer at a more competitive price. I’m most proud of my ability to learn and grow continuously. I’m fairly new to the videography and photography industry. Still, I have quickly grown a decent-sized portfolio that has landed me many clients ranging from small businesses to verified artists.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I expect it to continue to grow and become more saturated and competitive over the next 10 years, so being able to separate yourself from the competition is very important. Despite this, the need for professional videographers, editors, photographers, etc. will also grow as social media content creation becomes an even bigger industry.

Pricing:

• Music video pricing begins at $400 for run and gun, $550+ for full production
• Photoshoots are $150 an hour
• Wedding videography begins at $500
• Product promos begin at $350

Contact Info:

• Website: fnscene.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fnsceneproductions/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fNscene/?ref=page_internal
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/fNsceneofficial
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxG6cvLAxze9f9RrGYgKxlQ
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/fnsceneproductions-kansas-city
• Other: Portfolio: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1rbcT4pLp3FUZ2uve7Lwr_9OE-nt-vICc

Image Credits
fNscene