Kyle Parsons is still in the process of earning his B.A. in Media Communication Studies, but he’s already making a name for himself in the filmmaking industry. The 21-year-old started a wedding video business called Beachfront Productions back in high school, and he’s filmed 65 weddings in the past four years. The smart business idea has been able to fund the majority of his college living expenses. These days, Parsons spends a lot of his time filming a documentary with his business partner Bobby Wagner and FSU alum Maryann Shirley.
Entitled “The Reel Destin Documentary,” the film is inspired by Parsons’ love for his hometown of Destin, Florida and the changes that he’s seen as the town’s old culture is replaced with modern tourism.
Parsons explains, “Moving forward, I want locals and tourists to understand the history of the city and hopefully respect it for generations to come.”
Parsons is currently filming the project and filming the city’s founding families. He always has his camera on him when he’s in Destin so that he can constantly film b-roll. This is just one of many techniques that the budding filmmaker has learned throughout his time filming and studying at Florida State. One class in particular that has helped him the most is Malia Bruker‘s documentary class. He’s also learned a lot from filming live sporting events with Kirby Kander and Seminole Productions.
As someone who has always had a keen eye for detail, Parsons enjoys the editing aspect of filmmaking the most.
He shares, “I like what goes on behind the scenes of moviemaking with production, the type of working people don’t see when watching a film. It is very satisfying to see your detailed work come to life.”
Parsons spends most of his spare time video editing and brainstorming new production ideas. Other than that, he also enjoys skateboarding, fishing and exploring Tallahassee’s local parks.
For people interested in the world of video production, Parsons advises, “Just set yourself goals, and don’t stop until you’ve reached them.”
To learn more about the Media Communication Studies program at Florida State, follow this link.