Today we’d like to introduce you to John Vonmutius
Hi John, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Today, I am a full-time editor and cinematographer. But it all began as a joke – I was very nearly born on April Fool’s Day. After narrowly escaping that fate, I pursued traditional art until I realized it wouldn’t make me any money. So I pivoted. I entered the workforce fresh out of high school as a freelance graphic designer for a large corporation. Clearly, I was set for life, and the rest would be easy. Right?
The woman who would later become my wife convinced me I’d be better off with a college degree, so the two of us headed to Tallahassee, Florida, where I once again pursued traditional art. I already had a career, so why not get a degree in something I enjoyed? When I returned to that large corporation with a Bachelor’s Degree in Studio Art and Art History, they regretfully informed me that they didn’t need any more designers. But…They did just start a video production team and for some reason asked me to join it. So I pivoted. Again. I immediately began teaching myself everything I could about cameras, lenses, editing, motion graphics, audio, and so much more. My manager put a lot of trust in me, and I was determined to justify it.
Seven years later, I was the one managing that team, handling video projects for a Fortune 500 company from concept to completion. A team member I had recently hired asked me to be his cinematographer for a short film, so of course I said no. It took some convincing for me to eventually agree, and I’m really glad I did. A year later, that same team member wrote a short script that was accepted into a local film challenge. He didn’t feel like making the film, but he asked me to do it because he thought I’d be good at it. Again, I said no. After more convincing, I made my first short film. Almost as soon as I clicked the export button, I was laid off by the Fortune 500 company as part of restructuring. With two short films on my resume, I was clearly an expert, so I decided to try working as a freelance editor and cinematographer.
In January 2019, I created Mute Majesty Productions, a play on my last name. (“Mutius” is Latin for “mute” and the “Von” supposedly indicates some minor royalty in my Austrian/German lineage.) Since then, I have learned countless lessons about things I “knew” and things I didn’t even know I should know. Today, I am still a full-time freelancer/business owner, working at home with my wife, Laura, who is my assistant editor and an excellent script supervisor. It took a lot of help, a little luck, and some privilege to get here, but what has stayed consistent from the start is my 100% commitment to make every project the best version of itself.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Working primarily in arts and entertainment, the greatest challenge is finding paid projects. It’s one of the only industries where I need to specify “paid” because so many people ask for free help and so many others are willing to give it. This is not a glamorous life, but I am doing what I love and truly feeling most days like I’m not even working. I’ve found the best way to ensure that there’s another project down the road is to simply treat people well and equally. Most work in this industry is word-of-mouth, and someone who’s a Production Assistant on one film set may have money to hire you for their film a couple years later. Maintaining good relationships and mutual respect is crucial.
As a full-time freelancer, I’m also a small business owner, whether I want to be or not. Unfortunately my goals as a business owner are often at odds with my goals as a creative storyteller. The storyteller wants to spend just one more week perfecting something, but the business owner knows I have another project to move on to, and bills that need to be paid. I have majorly struggled with managing the politics, contracts, and payments of running a business. It seems like on every job I discover some key element that’s missing from our contract, so I learn from it and adjust going forward.
Another challenge is keeping up with technology. As an editor, I’m always concerned with drive space, data transfer speeds, CPU power, and new plug-ins. As a cinematographer, I have to worry about new camera sensor technology, lenses, lighting, and much more. It’s very easy to fall into the trap of always wanting the newest and best, even though what I have is sufficient. But it’s also important to keep my gear in good condition and ensure I have the right tools for my next project, whether that’s a specialty shot that requires a specific camera mount or a documentary film that requires accurate transcription for the editing process.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Mute Majesty Productions?
Mute Majesty Productions is a team of just two – me and my partner Laura – but we have a host of businesses, freelancers, and other professionals to call on as needed. We are a full service video production company, Together, we have planned, shot, and edited broadcast commercials, conference videos, corporate messages, promotional videos, educational video series, and much more. We love telling all different kinds of story in motion, but we work on films as much as possible, and our specialty is post-production. My real passion is editing, but I have also worked as a post-production supervisor for a number of projects, where I oversee the entire post-production process from the end of filming through delivery. Some of these projects include the soap opera A House Divided, which was at one time the most popular show on ALLBLK, a streaming subsidiary of AMC; the family drama feature film I Win, which is now available on Amazon, Tubi, and most other streaming platforms; and Fight For Freedom, an upcoming documentary about wrongful imprisonment.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
As a true native of Orlando, born and raised, I see a lot to love. The theme park culture is probably the best and worst thing about the city. It brings a lot of traffic and tourists, but growing up with access to the parks is a singular experience. It also means we have a thriving theater community, full of future, current, and former theme park entertainers. During 2020, I filmed interviews with the longest-running performer at Disney for a documentary called Billy Flanigan: The Happiest Man on Earth, available on Amazon Prim.e.
My favorite Orlando event every year is the Orlando Fringe Festival, a two-week theater festival that celebrates all forms of live entertainment in an unjuried, uncensored format. Getting into it can be intimidating because there are so many shows to choose from – and there’s no guarantee they’re all good – but I’ve found it’s absolutely worth the effort. I’ve been either a volunteer or patron for 26 years, and for the last few years, Laura and I have been “official videographers,” capturing shows, testimonials, and b-roll.
Pricing:
- I Win – $2.99 on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/I-Win-Robin-Hofmann/dp/B0DB4N8CXS)
- Billy Flanigan: The Happiest Man on Earth – $2.99 on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Billy-Flanigan-Happiest-Man-Earth/dp/B0B7286GGZ)
- A House Divided – Season 1 Free on ALLBLK (https://allblk.tv/housedivided/)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mutemajesty.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mutemajesty/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mutemajesty
- Other: https://johnvonmutius.com
