Daily Inspiration: Meet Larry Elyea

Today we’d like to introduce you to Larry Elyea.

Hi Larry, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started in college. I was studying to be a civil engineer at ASU. I also played guitar in bands in the Phoenix area. I decided to record my band after several lackluster recording experiences. Miraculously, it came out pretty good. Other bands started asking who did our recording, and I started recording other bands almost immediately. It snowballed into me opening a commercial location and opened Mind’s Eye Digital Recording Studio. During the first year, I did very well and decided that this was what I would do. For the next 20 years, I won Best Studio in Phoenix several times, Best Engineer at the LA Music Awards, was nominated for a Grammy for best recorded Native American recording, and got to work on 12 songs that charted top ten on the radio. Also, I was lucky enough to work with some fantastic artists like Corey Taylor of Slipknot, Five Finger Death Punch, Eminem, D12, Snoop Dogg, Jimmy Eat World, Aaron Lewis, Big Tymers, Proof, Tech N9ne, and many others. Then 2014, I got a call to mix a feature film soundtrack. I had never done this yet, so it sounded fun and challenging. I became close friends with the film’s director, Matty Stiencamp. This experience made me fall in love with filmmaking, and I purchased cameras, lenses, lighting, stabilizers, tripods, and the like to start my filmmaking journey. I ended up mentoring Matty for a year or so. We worked on a film about Calais Campbell/Arizona Cardinals, an Amazon Alexa commercial with Matty as Director and myself as Director of Photography. I was utterly hooked, and I started taking projects on myself professionally and started Mind’s Eye Digital Productions. I started doing music videos, commercials, wedding films, and online content for artists and companies. I soon landed my first big commercial client, Lifted Trucks. I have done over 200 commercials for Lifted Trucks, and the relationship has taken me to Brazil, Texas, and Miami, and we have won 6 Telly Awards for Best Commercial.

Please talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned. Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No business has a smooth road, mine included. So, in 2007, when the Great Recession hit, people quit recording music as much as possible. Also, the trend became clear that recording gear was now affordable, and anyone could buy a simple setup to record at home for very little money. Then, kids do not pick up instruments as much, and the ones that do do do not form bands with other musicians. They tend to play alone in their room or are satisfied with sharing it online in a video. That resulted in fewer bands and a small group of artists who needed more money, and most of them were willing to have substandard recordings or do it themselves at home. So, business started falling off. So, in 2014, when I started my filmmaking journey, it wasn’t just a calling but a pivot necessary to survive. It turned out to be a successful move on my part, but at the time, I was worried that the business I had built for so long would not survive. Currently, I split my schedule between making records in the studio some days and filming on set other days. Every month is a different percentage, and I like that. I always get different experiences, and doing two distinct career paths keeps it fresh. It’s hectic, busy, and stressful sometimes but never dull. And usually a lot of fun. I feel blessed.

Thanks for sharing that. Please tell us a bit more about your work.
On the audio side of my career, in the recording studio, I became known for doing heavier music: metal, hard rock, etc. I was lucky to play guitar in a group signed to Interscope Records in 2001. This exposure afforded me a spotlight that brought even more bands to my studio. The band I was in was on the heavier side of music, so it made sense that I would be best at those genres of music. In actuality, however, I have recorded every style and genre of music there, from opera to death metal, K-pop to country; at some point, I have done just about everything. I am most proud of my reputation as a studio owner. Many studio owners do not have such a great reputation. To me, my reputation is everything. Once artists think you could cut corners, not put in your best effort, take advantage of the clock, milk the budget, or do any of the shady things some studios do, your reputation is mud. I have always tried to give my clients exactly what I would want as an artist. I understand that for most clients, their visit to me is the most exciting part of their month. To make a record, they have put 100s of hours into preparation. Recording is like getting a tattoo. It lasts forever. So we have to do everything to get it right and ensure the client has a stress-free, fun, exciting time doing it. This is the thing I’m most proud of. The things that set me apart from many others are experience, attention to detail, and commitment to the project, no matter the size of the artist. Of course, you have to be good at your craft first. If you add these things, people will be happy with your product and return.

I do not have a specialty in the video side of my career. I work a lot on commercials for businesses. I do music videos. I shoot wedding films. I work on many corporate events, like conventions, live broadcasts, and expos. I also work on films. It’s different every time, and it takes me to other places. I have brought my commitment to the client from the studio to the set. I always give the client exactly what they are looking for, even if it doesn’t align with what I would do. Their happiness is always the goal, and that is what creates return business. Being as transparent as possible and putting your wants and needs at the top will always pay dividends. I was an artist before a businessman, so I never claimed to be an expert, but this approach has worked well for me, so I will continue to do it.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting?
I get internships all the time in the studio. Young people are starting on an audio engineering career path. I always tell them the same thing. It takes a lot of work to break into. You have to be exceptional. You have to want it so bad you can barely take it. You do not have to imagine yourself doing anything else. You must possess these qualities, continue learning, and dive all in. If not, I recommend doing something else, as it’s simply too competitive. It’s way different than when I started. Talent would set you apart back then. Now, it takes talent, online marketing skills, people skills, communication, and a diehard failure, which is not an option attitude, and a lot of luck. This is a very tough business to break into and become successful in. I recommend it to someone passionate about it and highly talented. Video is still an attainable business. You still have to be educated, driven, committed, and talented, but there is a much larger need for it, many more clients, and it’s an easier path. It took me about 20 years to become excellent at audio recording/mixing/producing. It takes a lot less time to become good at video production. There is much more help out there regarding instructional videos and programs to help you. It’s still very competitive, but many more niches to fit into and find your space in. I would give the same advice to both fields; however, you must be called to do it, not just want to do it. You have no choice; you’re so inspired and driven that you must do it. If you don’t feel that way, I will keep looking for the career path you think about this way.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mindseyedigitalproductions.com
• Instagram: mindseyedigitalproductions
• Facebook: mindseyedigitalproductions
• Other: www.videoproductionscottsdale.com