Meet Lauren Caldwell (she/her) owner and founder of LaRose Media. "I fell in love with film at a very early age and knew it would become my passion." Lauren creates artistic video content for companies small and large. "My favorite part of film production is telling a story and bringing it to life in the editing room." Her 9th grade cinematography teacher Mr. Hanley told her something that would change her life, he said 'Once you fall in love with cinematography, you will never watch a movie the same way again.' "He was right," she said. "I was hooked! I loved how all the pieces fell together, how the framing and light influenced a scene and how a cut could change the dynamic all together." Over the last ten years she has built LaRose Media from the ground up.
Like many 'non essential' business in the area LaRose Media has been effected by the pandemic as well. During the summer and fall season, Lauren relies heavily on the wedding industry. Weddings for 2020 are now being rescheduled to 2021 or they are being cancelled all together. "It has been difficult income wise but I like the slower pace. As a creative person, I like not having a time limit to how long I can sit down and create. I can wake up, feel inspired and not have to go work on a wedding day timeline or gear up to shoot a long wedding weekend. I'm enjoying this to be honest."
The positive outlook Lauren has is not uncommon. Taking this time to reset, refocus and recenter is an important part of growing a business or mourning the loss of one. Lauren has her own share of struggles with this pandemic - professionally and personally.
"The biggest struggle professionally has been losing the income that I thought was guaranteed for the summer and fall. Not knowing where that will come from now is for sure the hardest part." Fear of the unknown has been what many people are struggling with. Not knowing what the world will be like on the other side of the pandemic is eerie. What will the 'new normal' be? "I don't like coming out and saying 'I'm having a great time!' I know how serious the situation is - people are dying. What I like is having the extra time with my family, the time to take care of my home, the time I have to spend with my dog and as an artist having all the time to create - uninterrupted." Lauren lives with her sister and boyfriend Blake who are both essential workers. She helps them with lunches for work and tries to have dinner ready when they get home after their long stressful days. Doing what she can to ensure that some 'normal' is still around at the end of the day.
Dave Matthews is a huge passion for her entire house. Anyone who is a big fan of DMB knows they are more than a band, they are a way of life and for Laurens' household that statement could not be more true. During quarantine Dave has live streamed a few concerts from his home making for a very happy Lauren. Jokingly, I commented about the 2020 concert season. She typically travels to see him during summer tours and has 5 DMB concerts lined up for this July. "I don't want to talk about that! I'm still on a hope and a whim!" she exclaimed.
During this entire interview, a smile never left her face. We were standing in the Empire plaza in downtown Albany. She wanted to get a few shots for a short piece she's producing regarding this pandemic and its affects on the 2020 wedding season. It was the first nice day we have had in Albany for a while and the sunset did not disappoint. Currently 'NY TOUGH' is illuminated on the Corning tower. Lauren, along with many of the humans highlighted in this project are the inspiration to this new mantra. We are truly NY Tough. Tough is more than just physical. It is a mental endurance, it is a maturity to look at this pandemic with a 'glass half full' mentality. Tough is admitting that is is okay to not be okay. It is doing the best you can, everyday and pushing for a better tomorrow. "I'm taking out of this pandemic what I hope a lot of other people take as well...that everything can change in a second. You could wake up tomorrow and life as you know it could be completely different. So always remember what is important, the people in your life, your social connections, love - don't take any of it for granted."
As a fellow creator, being able to continue to create during this time of uncertainty has been extremely grounding. Thank you to everyone who continues to champion others passions. We say that a lot here at Faiella Studios and we mean it. Continue to support your creative friends. Like their posts, comment on their content, leave reviews and share their works! There are many ways to show love and support now and after this pandemic ends. To have creative vision is a gift and we must continue to uplift each other. And as Lauren said, don't take anything for granted.
Thank you Lauren and LaRose Media for continuing to create and document the world through your lenses, your creative input truly makes the world a more beautiful place. LaRose Media offers a wide range of production services for businesses small and large. Content creation, documentary style film work and editing are her passions. For more information on the company, to see what projects she is currently working on or for any questions related to booking please visit larosemedia.com. You can also follow along on Instagram at @larose_media.
// Please note all quoted statements above are those of Ms. Caldwell and not reflective Faiella Studios.