From a young age, Richard Almes has been fascinated by motion pictures. After seeing the movie “Jaws” in theaters for the first time, he went back 10 more times, amazed at how powerful a film could be.
“I knew I wanted to be able to one day craft something in this medium,” Almes said. “It still fascinates me to this day how powerful and impactful video can be.”
What started as a childhood hobby with a single camcorder has now evolved into a full-scale media production company, capturing the stories of manufacturers, academic institutions, defense contractors and many more.
UniMedia Productions began as a side job while Almes was serving as a Mount Pleasant Police Department officer. Starting with weddings and promotional material for small businesses, he worked around his busy schedule to grow the venture.
“I picked up video as a hobby when I bought an 8mm video camcorder in 1989,” Almes said. “I used it to film our two sons growing up, some weddings, photo transfers and small business promotionals. Trying to schedule videotaping a wedding on the weekends while working patrol was quite the challenge since our police schedule was always changing.”
Along the way, Almes ensured every client received the satisfaction and appreciation they deserved. He says that individual attention is what sets UniMedia Productions apart from the competition. “We try to simplify what our clients need,” Almes said. “When we work on a video or marketing asset, we know how to target the audience and create the right message.”
Today, UniMedia Productions boasts a diverse portfolio of clients, including Fortune 500 companies, local nonprofits and small businesses. Over the years, Almes built an extensive network of skilled contractors within the Lowcountry. His team helps deliver special projects with the same high quality for which UniMedia Productions has become known. Each contractor is an expert in fields such as drone videography, animation and teleprompting.
“Since 2001, we’ve been operating as a small business that maintains global clients,” Almes said. “We have the best crew and talent for the job, which is what’s best for the client.”
In the journey of growing his company, Almes always engages with each client individually. Capturing footage and bringing it to life can be invigorating, but it’s the client relationships that make UniMedia Productions special. Almes says that his clients’ reputation is his reputation too, so failing a client is not an option.
UniMedia Productions has fostered strong connections in the Charleston area and brought to life many unique stories. Almes is proud of the work he’s done, but says film is an art form that can never be perfected; he is always looking for ways to improve his craft. Whenever a special story needs to be told, a training captured or content created, UniMedia Productions will enthusiastically answer the call and bring the vision to life.
For more information, please visit unimediadigital.com.
By Brooke Watson
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