What if I told you that there are true 360 degree videos out there? All you do is view such video on your smart phone and with the simple touch of your fingers, you can literally turn in a 360 degree circle and view all the things that would normally be lost behind the cameraman. With the ability to move around, and look up and down, it feels as though you are actually there in the middle of the action. What if I also told you I know someone who makes said videos? Well I do! Meet Emma Mankey Hidem, owner of Experience360.
Emma’s story is about a big leap of faith. Prior to starting Experience360, she worked as a film maker. After studying film at NYU, she landed her first job working for a successful documentary film maker. Since then, she has always had a full-time job doing what she loves. However she was itching for more.
“If I didn’t make the leap, my side projects would be just that: SIDE projects,” Emma wrote in a blog post she published back in August about why she quit her job to chase after her dreams.
In her last full-time film job, she worked with a company that documented college football. This is where she initially became familiar with this style of video. They would put the camera in the middle of the field as the players rushed in. Having a 360 degree video in that setting provides the viewer with such a neat perspective. Emma felt like this was such a unique product that could really be viable. This was an opportunity she was really excited about, so she seized it!
Starting out, it has been challenging to market the technology as it is new and many people do not know about it. It is a hard thing for people to understand and you can only experience it in full on the right device. When I first viewed one of her videos, I was on a desktop computer and very confused as to why things looked so odd. It was only when I switched to viewing the videos on my phone that I saw the technology for what it was. I was for sure impressed. The technology truly does sell itself, once you can fully experience it.
Through Experience360, she’s had some amazing experiences.
“Never did I think I would get to be a football field with 80,000 screaming fans as the team runs out,” remarked Emma.
Her favorite part, however, is the joy her work brings to others. People react very positively to the technology. They go nuts for it, in fact.
“I love giving people an experience that they wouldn’t be able to have in the real world,” she said.
She is very adamant about creating quality 360 degree videos. The most important factor in this is camera location. Some people are a bit more passive and put the camera off to the side. Not Emma. She described herself as fearless in regards to making sure the camera is placed in the center of the action, even if it might ruffle a few feathers. After all, you’ll really feel as though you’re there.
Emma is fearless both in camera placement and in her business in general. It takes a true badass woman to chase after her dreams. If you would like to learn more about Experience360 and consider their services for an event, feel free to click here. You can also learn more about the wonderfully talented Emma as a Multimedia Producer and read her personal blog by visiting www.emmamankeyhidem.com/.
Also, you have to see one of her videos!
Small Business Saturday is our weekly feature where we talk with a unique female small-business owner. Women being badasses at their best!
