Today we’d like to introduce you to Hananiah Hardin.
Hi Hananiah, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started doing photography in 2023 as a hobby after a breakup. During that time, I haven’t done a lot in my life since COVID, so I wanted to join and be a part of the Kalamazoo community I have seen from afar for many years. In the beginning, I just went to events, took photos for practice, and met people to get my name out there. I eventually wanted to do more and be more involved with community organizations and events. My first event I planned was for the Dream of Kalamazoo Foundation; it was a Sunday fundraiser for kids in the community. In the process of planning that event, I met my now-business partner and co-founder of Blackmagic Media, Jr. Sheriff. I originally hired him as a DJ, but the more we talked, the more I realized he aligned in a lot of ways personally and professionally. So, I asked him if her wanted to be a part of an idea for a business I had, which is Blackmagic media. We now serve our community as a 3rd part entity that helps support local artists like performers and visual art. We also work with local media professionals and non-profit organizations, supporting them with all multimedia and event planning needs.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I would say our too biggest chalenge were growing too fast and managing an internal team. In the beginning, we started off hot and started doing a lot of events at a local bar called Green Door, which most people hadn’t heard of. We worked with a lot of well know loacl artist like Headband Henny. We have all our own equipment, so it was a new thing for businesses to be able to plan, produce, and shoot their own event consistently. So, your name started to get around quickly. In turn, we got more bookings, more media work with bigger artists and community partners. We started getting too busy and overwhelmed with JR and me both working full-time. So when we onboarded people to help, mainly our friends, that added a whole new dimension. We had a learning curve, too. Managing people and administrative work, having to plan meetings, give out assignments to people, and train them. On top of executing. our jobs as well with the events and community media bookings. It was a lot in the beginning, and we made a lot of mistakes and had to part ways with people professionally as well, as our business grew and we figured out how to better manage things internally. It all worked out in the end, and we have made growth in these areas, but we still have a lot to learn.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Blackmagic Media?
Blackmagic Media is a full-service media production and event management company based in Kalamazoo. We cover everything from event planning and coordination to photography, videography, DJ and sound services, and content creation. No matter if it’s a corporate event, a community showcase, or a full production, we take care of it.
We focus on bringing quality production to places that often get overlooked. Many companies in this industry set prices too high for the community, nonprofits, and local artists. We’re different. We built BMM with a community-centered pricing model because we believe good media should be available to everyone, not just those with big budgets. I’m truly proud of that.
What sets us apart is all our in-house equipment, our own sound system DJ’s, and photography gear. So, we are able to be flexible and do the things we want without depending on another business. We also have our own community space in the Edison neighborhood. That allows us to host our own events and rent it out to community members.
Our mission statement is as follows: “Black Magic Media aims to disrupt the commercial systems in nonprofits and community organizations while connecting underground talent with mainstream businesses and clients. While providing elevated services to outward-facing organizations and nonprofits emphasizing antiracism and equity to disrupt the systemic barriers for marginalized and emerging artists.”
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
We love the work that we do and are always open to collaborations. You can find us on IG as @blackmagic__media and our website is https://www.blkmagicmedia.com/.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.blkmagicmedia.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackmagic__media/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Blackmagic-Media/61550772072925/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@blackmagicmedia-3690
