{"id":78934,"date":"2021-12-02T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-02T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/?p=78934"},"modified":"2021-12-09T18:14:01","modified_gmt":"2021-12-10T00:14:01","slug":"the-passion-behind-the-storytelling-with-yes-theorys-tommy-dajer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/78934-the-passion-behind-the-storytelling-with-yes-theorys-tommy-dajer\/","title":{"rendered":"The Passion Behind the Storytelling with Yes Theory\u2019s Tommy Dajer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Tommy<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Telling stories is an extremely powerful way to influence, teach, and most importantly, inspire <\/em>others. This is precisely why the digital media brand Yes Theory<\/a> was founded. In a Forbes interview<\/a>, co-founder Ammar Kandil explained that at its core, \u201cYes Theory is a movement that encourages individuals to say ‘yes’ to doing things that take them out of their comfort zone in order to grow as individuals.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes Theory was originally built around a YouTube channel<\/a> and has now expanded to multiple mediums including the Yes Theory Podcast<\/a>. We interviewed Thomas \u201cTommy\u201d Dajer, Lead Video Editor, to learn about his passion for storytelling, and how the team has successfully used OWC solutions to their advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It all starts with passion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tommy spoke with great fervor about his reasons for getting into editing and telling stories. He explained that his reason for creating is not a \u201cwant to\u201d but rather a \u201chave to,\u201d and for him, it\u2019s a way of sharing his feelings and emotions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason I got into editing in the first place is that I love movies\u2014and just storytelling and adventures. I make the stories I want to tell and edit the videos that I feel like I would want to watch.<\/p>Tommy Dajer<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Making memories<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to shooting videos and editing, Tommy said that posting once a week is hard, and it\u2019s an endless grind. But, he also said that he and the team love what they do, and \u201clove the message that they preach.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s most definitely a team effort, and it takes a group of people working together with the same belief to make the magic happen. At Yes Theory, there are usually four to five people working at a time on a video\u2014to collectively make it better, the best that they can. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tommy said that one of the most impactful videos he edited was when one of the creators, Ammar, couldn\u2019t go back to Egypt for seven years because of his obligatory military service. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The team traveled to Egypt in 2017 and came back with a lot of footage\u2014that Tommy used to make a Super 8 type video to recall the memories they made there. The nostalgic video montage sequence included a reunion with Ammar\u2019s family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To me, that was one of the most impactful videos that I\u2019ve released. It felt like a personal project that I released to the world\u2014and I think it touched a lot of people around the world who are in the same situation as him. They miss their families and they miss their community\u2014and they love them, but they can\u2019t go back for military or political reasons. That definitely touched me when I released. <\/p>Tommy Dajer<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The creative process<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tommy would love to be involved in every aspect of the creative process, but doing that for large-scale videos every week is nearly impossible. That\u2019s why putting the right team in place is so crucial. He enjoys working with people who are excited to work on a particular project or part of a video. In Tommy\u2019s words, it\u2019s about \u201cputting the passionate people in the right spots.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of the creative process, Tommy reviews everything to ensure that it\u2019s moving smoothly with the rest of the channel\u2014and most importantly, to ensure that the message is consistent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The creators brought on four additional editors over the last few years\u2014and for the first time, they can now all edit seamlessly without moving computers, shuffling things around, and getting disorganized\u2014thanks to OWC\u2019s technical solutions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The OWC solutions that work <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When looking for a technology partner, Tommy said that it\u2019s all about \u201csynergy.\u201d It\u2019s important that everyone is on the same wavelength of the philosophy of life, and mainly just being genuinely kind and good humans. \u201cIt\u2019s cool to know that the tech side also supports the philosophy that we\u2019re constantly putting out,\u201d said Tommy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jellyfish<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Tommy explained that OWC\u2019s Jellyfish<\/a> storage has made the editing process run smoother than ever before. Previously, the team was switching computers while editing, which made things difficult with so many people. Now that they are using the Jellyfish, they are all hooked up together\u2014there are four people on the main system, making it easy to swap projects in and out. This has greatly simplified their process compared to how they used to operate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve edited two full documentaries on the Jellyfish and we\u2019ve edited all of our videos over the past three years on the Jellyfish. And it\u2019s been super useful for us to maintain the speed at which we\u2019re posting videos, and also the quality of them.<\/p>Tommy Dajer<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\"Jellyfish<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Thunderbay<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Thunderbay\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

When the Jellyfish was loading up and getting close to full storage, Tommy said they offloaded a lot of their older footage to OWC\u2019s Thunderbay 8<\/a>. Having the footage secured in more than one place gave him the peace of mind he needed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When he first started out, Tommy was afraid that he didn\u2019t have the right equipment. Now, he says that you don\u2019t need great editing software to be a good editor. \u201cYou just need the passion and the need to tell stories. That\u2019s what makes you a great creator and there\u2019s no replacing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mission<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Along the way, the creators of Yes Theory realized that their mission was to \u201cseek discomfort.\u201d In short, that means pushing yourself beyond your limits, enjoying life\u2019s most beautiful moments, and making meaningful connections\u2014all outside of your comfort zone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sky has certainly been the limit for these creators\u2014they have since exceeded 7 million subscribers on YouTube, launched an apparel line\u2014poignantly called \u201cSeek Discomfort<\/a>,\u201d and bungee jumped out of a helicopter with Will Smith<\/a> into the Grand Canyon on his 50th birthday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One day, Tommy hopes to make a Yes Theory documentary that will look back on everything they\u2019ve done over the years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stay tuned\u2026 because I have a feeling that there\u2019s still a lot more to come from Yes Theory! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

View the complete OWC interview with Tommy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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