STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: JARON PADELLO, FLYING FISTS MEDIA

Nationwide University students had another great year jam packed with courses ranging from Projection Essentials to Barco Event Master Essentials. Plenty of incredibly skilled A/V pros have come through the doors of Nationwide University this year so we wanted to highlight one of those pros, Jaron Padello of Flying Fists Media.

 

NW: Hey Jaron, thanks for taking the time to catch up with us after a couple Nationwide University training courses. Can you tell the readers a little bit about your experience in the industry and what you’re up to now? 

JP: Natively, I worked in the audio visual industry for 16+ years now. However, I currently work in two industries. I work in audio visual live production and the film/tv industries. Within the two industry brackets, I work as a video engineer (projection, V1 switcher, camera switcher/TD, camera shader, etc.), 2nd  Assistant Camera, and Digital Imaging Technician (DIT).  

  

NW: You have a very cool presence about you and your company is called Flying Fists Media. Can you share the story behind Flying Fists Media and how it relates to you? 

JP: I’ve been a martial artist my entire life since I was 4 years old. I’ve studied various arts, competed as a cage fighter, and taught the arts. It wasn’t until my 1st year of community college that I took my craft as a filmmaker seriously and that led me into film school. My idea to mesh both passions together is what led toward my decision to create a company, Flying Fists Productions, to symbolize my craft and the genre I was interested in. The premise of my company was to develop stories that represent the culture, realism, and artistic integrity of the martial arts, more so than just the fancy fighting. The fighting and choreography were to enhance the representation rather than it being the forefront of the stories.  

However, with all I’ve experienced and where I am in life today, I thought the term “media” had a broader significance and gamut in representing the work I do in both industries. The term “Flying Fists” was more of an homage to the traditional martial art films like the Shaw Brothers and Bruce Lee.        

 NW: In looking at your career experience and work history, it’s very apparent that growth and self-development is very important to you. Can you tell us a bit about how training courses have helped with your career opportunities? 

JP: Between the Nationwide University training courses and YouTube, I was able to build more confidence in myself that I am capable of working in the field. I also have fewer questions on how to operate and/or troubleshoot a scenario regardless of whether I’m working with cameras, switchers, or any other piece of equipment. There is so much more to learn in regards to technology and its rapid growth, but the foundation of video science still holds true by all means. The courses I’ve taken represent those truths to the fullest extent and apply to all the advanced technology I work with.

NW: We’ve been lucky enough to have you at our Barco E2 training course and our Projection essentials course. What was your experience like in the NWU classroom? 

JP: My experience has been nothing but educational and relaxed. Kevin Ring is smarter than he gives himself credit for. I can relate to someone like him who is very humble, but not afraid to be an advocate to their craft. His approach as an instructor not only allowed me to feel less pressure to get it right the first time and/or master it by the end of the course, but it gave me hope that I will master it quickly and be able to continue growing.  

NW: To get a little technical, can you share some things that you learned from the Nationwide University training courses you’ve taken? 

JP: For the Barco E2 course, Kevin gave me a better understanding of layer structure and organization. Also, we had a more in-depth conversation about pixels and what to consider when approaching resolution and your canvas, whether it is for projection, LED walls, or backgrounds.  

For projection, I always wanted to get a more detailed process with blending projectors (especially with converged blends). I also wanted to understand what to consider when applying your lens choices and color matching. Kevin, gave us a more scientific definitive roadmap in that process. I was grateful to learn that and I apply it to the work I do to this day. 

 

NW: What’s on the horizon for you next year? 

JP: Thanks to the courses I took with NWU and the work experiences I’ve had this year, the new year already has gigs lined up because of the professionalism and care I was able to put into my craft as a video engineer. The demand for my services are more consistent now that many companies’ confidence in my professionalism exceeds my own. Consistent with all that I’ve learned through martial arts in my life, my reserved level of confidence within myself only keeps me motivated to continuously learn more and maintain a constant state of growth. Next year should definitely be even better than this year.  

 

Thank you so much to Jaron Padello of Flying Fists Media for taking courses with Nationwide University and sharing his experiences. To learn more about Nationwide University and see the complete list of available courses, click here.