Baltimore videographer gives advice to aspiring freelancers

By Noah Reem
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer

As a freshman at Robert Morris University in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, Rashad Christian had his sights set on becoming a sports reporter and was following that path while working for the school’s TV station.

Then Christian transferred to Towson University and rekindled a passion for something  he had loved since middle school: videography. Christian is now behind the scenes rather than in front of the camera.

“I really loved videography and editing so it developed into something I did purely for fun, while also doing it for money,” the Laurel, Maryland native says.

Though freelancing isn’t like any regular 9 to 5 job, Christian says the work provides a stable income while still in college.

Christian started interning for Towson Sports Network where he filmed and edited the university’s athletic events.  Also, he would add commentary to his job description.

While getting paid for his services at TSN, Christian found other opportunities as a freelancer in the Baltimore area.

“I’ve worked with a car repair company called RevitAuto,” Christian says. “I edit their YouTube videos and film their projects. I’ve also worked with the sorority Delta Phi Epsilon here on campus. I made two videos for them and filmed a total of four events.”

The 22 year-old Christian, who now lives in Towson, says recording and editing videos was a hobby that started while he attended Dwight D. Eisenhower Middle School in Laurel.

“It was around 10th grade when I fell back in love with it,” he says. “I did YouTube pretty regularly in middle school but stopped when I got to high school. I got a bit nervous that people would discover my channel and see my old work which wasn’t that good.”

Christian says that he has several influences in his life pertaining to both his videography and his everyday outlook on life.

“In life, it’s my mom, dad and brother,” Christian says. “I want to become wildly successful in order to pay back what they’ve done for me by simply being my family.”

Christian says that his parents Nikki and Scott Christian as well as his little brother Jamil, have all been supportive of his freelancing career.

As for his profession, Christian says that his influences include YouTubers JR Alli, Casey Neistat and 4YallEnt.

While Christian says that freelancing in Baltimore has taken him places he never thought he would be, it still comes with its challenges.

 “Initially, my biggest problem was establishing a name,” Christian says. “Lucky for me, that problem was quickly solved as a lot of people started to like my work. I also had friends who believed in me and referred me to people.”

Christian acknowledges that some of the failures he’s experienced help get him to where he is today.

“I made a video for TSN that was set to go on the big screen in the SECU Arena,” Christian remembers. “The audio wasn’t equalized and the music in the video was louder than the voices of the people in it… To this day I always double check every single thing I do, whether it’s in video editing, school work, or everyday life.”

Ever since the COVID-19 epidemic started, Christian says he has been keeping busy by practicing his editing with old footage as well as developing his photoshop skills.

Christian has never shied away from offering advice to those wanting to go into the freelancing profession and often tells people to “make sure you’re in it for the right reasons and keep a level head.”

Christian has impacted many people through his work with TSN and as a student at Towson, including classmates and co-workers.

“He’s gotten more comfortable over the years at being a leader and taking initiative,” says Ben Rosenbaum, Towson athletics director of Digital Media. “From teaching other interns to producing and running his own projects… He’s the ultimate team player and ultimate friend.”

“You can really tell how gifted he is,” Towson senior Tommy Parker says. “Whenever he sees me struggling in class he’s quick to lend a helping hand.”

“He puts a smile on my face,” TSN coworker Ryan McGettigan says. “He pushes me to be better at my work.”

“If you’re confident in yourself, people will see that in you and the work that you do,” Christian says. “Make sure when you’re creating projects, you’re constantly thinking that it’s amazing. And when putting your work on social media for people to see, put it on as many different platforms as possible.”