Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Humm.
Hi Ryan, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I am a video production director helping people share who they are, and why they do what they do.
In college I discovered my love for documentary filmmaking, and it changed my trajectory. Now, I get to dive into people’s worlds, find goodness, truth, passion, creativity, and sometimes harsh realities. I am animated by portraying people with depth, authenticity, and personality. I like to find moments that throw the viewer into the deep end so they can connect to the people before they know the story.
This has led to me to do video work all over the world, and experience every continent (except Antarctica). But more recently, the world travel of my 20s and shifted to a more local focus. As a husband and father of 3, I have grown to be a much more rooted person living with intention in the place I call home, Grand Rapids MI. I really care about people, what they are up to, why they are so passionate about it, and how more people can be involved.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Often when I get done filming a huge project, the client will say “good luck making something out of all that.” And they are talking about the dozens of hours of interviews, conversations, b-roll, archival material, with an end goal of something that is 4 minutes long. It’s a mountain of material that has to be distilled into something the represents all that complexity, but in short form. This is a challenge I love.
Challenges abound when people, places, cultures, and stories are put into an editing timeline. Who am I to be the arbiter of someone’s story? How do I accurately portray a situation with ethics? Early in my career I did ask these questions, but I with limited experience it was more difficult to navigate the questions with confidence.
Other challenges that many business owners or artists will agree with is that it is really hard to wear all the hats. On a given day I will be setting up lighting, paying quarterly taxes, pricing out project estimates, editing dozens of hours of interviews, and driving my kids to school. This has all grown and evolved over the years and I have found joy in the process of being a systems thinker. In many ways I’ve built a solo operation that works for me and who knows if it would work for others. Challenges abound trying to balance work, relationships, multiple projects at one time, but it’s a joy to do this work, and I’m thankful everyday.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Much of my work in my 20s was sharing stories about injustices around the world, and how people in the U.S. can be more aware and involved. This was formative work for me, and also challenging work. It has shaped a lot of my worldview. Much of my work has shifted to education, local initiatives, and helping organizations share who they are, why they do what they do, or what they are up to. This includes work with Princeton Theological Seminary, Calvin University, AYA Youth Collective, Sidnaw Company, the West Michigan Center for Arts and Technology (WMCAT) Flagler College Center for Religion and Culture, and many others who are up to incredibly things.
I love lighting, and I also love improvising during a production setup. A recent moment of improvisation happened while filming for Moravian University in Pennsylvania. The only available gear was limited and came with me on the airplane. With limited tools I found an umbrella and an old mic stand. I raised the umbrella up to block the spotlights casting harsh shadows on the subject. I think this improvisation is part of why I love documentary so much. I love adapting to reality, and revealing that reality in a unique way.
A meaningful part of the work I do is sharing the story of an organization, and the staff themselves are inspired by their own story. Often times people doing hard day-to-day work for non-profits need to be an audience member too, and see how meaningful their work is. My favorite type of email is: “I have tears, and I’m so inspired to keep doing this work. Thank you for helping us share this story.”
What was your favorite childhood memory?
When I was 12 years old I begged my friends to go with me to see the Steven Soderbergh movie Ocean’s 11 in theaters. I remember being locked in, loving every second, while my friends (who were not paying attention) said ever 18 minutes “what is even going on?” To this day I say Ocean’s 11 is my favorite movie in part because of this formative experience. I loved the camera, characters, music, writing, and cleverness. I point to this moment as the start of being interested in art more broadly. I love CINEMA, and over the next decade would grow to love and appreciate all forms of art. In my 30s, art has shifted to being a really important part of my formation. I feel like I need to experience art as a form of rest in a world so desperate for our attention.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ryanhumm.com
- Instagram: @ryanhumm
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanmhumm/
