Today we’d like to introduce you to Jayden Hughes.
Hi Jayden, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve had a strong passion for photography, filmmaking, and storytelling. However, my path into the industry didn’t begin behind a camera. In 2019, one week after graduating high school, I started working nights at a factory in Hanover, Pennsylvania. I performed a lot of repetitive, mindless tasks that gave me plenty of time to think about my future.
My plan was simple: I would save enough money to put myself through some type of career training program while also purchasing the equipment I would eventually need to start the company I have today. As time passed, however, that plan slowly began fading into a dream.
I chose night shift because it paid the most and seemed like the fastest way to reach my goals, but it also took a serious toll on my mental health. For two years, I barely saw the sun, and the lack of purpose I felt began contributing to depression. Eventually, I was promoted to an office position during the day, and life started getting better. The new job was stressful and chaotic, but it taught me valuable lessons about organization, communication, and the importance of having reliable processes—lessons that later helped me build my business.
After three more years, I was 23 years old and still working at the factory. I finally decided it was time to take the risk. I quit my job, officially started United Media Empire, and enrolled in a career training school in McSherrystown, Pennsylvania, called the Academy for Media Production. There, I worked to master my craft in photography and video production.
It was the first time since high school that I had been surrounded by people my age who shared the same interests and goals. Together, we formed a creative network that I still rely on today when assembling crews and collaborating on productions.
After graduating from AMP, my short film *Tensions*, which we filmed in Harrisburg, helped introduce my work to more people in the regional filmmaking community. That eventually led me to meet Diego Sandoval, the guitarist for the Littlestown-based funk-rock band Heads or Tails Experience. Diego also owns Audio & Visual Entertainment, a venue in Hanover that became a gathering place for local creatives.
Diego had a vision of building a network of photographers, videographers, musicians, and animators who could help one another grow their businesses. He also wanted Audio & Visual Entertainment to become a place where local musicians could find the creative resources they needed to succeed.
While working there, I frequently collaborated with Kenzie Hull and Emma Osborne, whom I knew from AMP. Whenever one of us booked a project, we would call the others to help as second shooters or capture behind-the-scenes content for social media. We spent a lot of time in the studio helping one another develop our brands, build portfolios, and determine how to price our services.
Diego also began introducing me to the local music scene. One of my first major music-video projects was *My Intentions* for local pop-rock artist Brenden Starr, which I created with the help of Emma Osborne. That project led to more opportunities filming and photographing regional musicians.
Today, United Media Empire serves as the primary video-production contractor for Audio & Visual Entertainment. I help its clients with festival advertisements, social media content, EPKs, live band sets, headshots, album-cover designs, and other promotional projects.
As I continued sharing my work on social media, I began connecting with other filmmakers, including Ryan Anderson of RJA Films, as well as actors David Starr and Lisa Barrett-Brown. We collaborated on the short film *Ascension Summit*, which won Best Cinematography at the CineSpark Film Festival in Harrisburg.
More recently, I connected with Nick Carr of Nick Carr Studios in Hanover. I’ve since helped film, photograph, and edit commercials for Diversified Cuts Barbershop and Acts of Kindness Theatre Company, with several larger projects currently in development.
The past two years of running United Media Empire have led me into a life I never could have imagined while working at that factory. The road hasn’t been easy. There have been plenty of moments when I thought the business might be over or questioned whether I was going to make it as a filmmaker. Somehow, God continued providing the opportunities I needed to keep going—and I kept moving forward.
Today, I’m continuing to grow United Media Empire, strengthen the creative relationships around me, and take on larger projects while staying connected to the reason I started: my passion for photography, filmmaking, and telling stories that matter.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road has definitely been challenging. Before I started United Media Empire, one of my biggest struggles was my mental health. Working night shift at the factory left me feeling isolated and without much purpose. When I eventually moved into a daytime office position, my life became more comfortable, but that also made the decision to leave a predictable paycheck much harder.
When I finally quit, I traded stability for uncertainty. There was no guarantee that another client or paycheck was coming. I had to trust God to provide and guide me if it was His will for the business to succeed. At the same time, I had to believe that the money I had saved, the equipment I had purchased, and the skills I was developing would be enough to give the business a chance.
I also learned very quickly that being good with a camera is a very small part of owning a production company. I suddenly had to understand contracts, pricing, taxes, marketing, scheduling, client communication, equipment costs, crew management, and project delivery. I’ve underpriced projects, taken on more work than I should have, and learned that a job can appear profitable until you calculate the travel, crew expenses, equipment, and hours spent editing.
Another ongoing struggle has been balancing client work with my own creative goals. As the company has grown, I’ve become responsible for telling more of other people’s stories, which sometimes leaves less time to develop my own films and personal projects. Learning when to accept an opportunity, when to ask for help, and when to say no has been one of the hardest parts of growing the business.
There have been many moments when I questioned whether United Media Empire would survive or whether I was truly going to make it as a filmmaker. Creative work can be unpredictable, and it’s difficult not to compare your progress with other people who appear to be further ahead.
What has kept me moving forward has been my faith, the support of my family, friends, and creative community, and the belief that every project is preparing me for something larger in the future. Every mistake has taught me how to create better processes, price my work more responsibly, communicate more clearly, and become the person I hoped to be seven years ago. I strongly believe that without going through those struggles, I wouldn’t be the same filmmaker, producer, and business owner I am today.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My work consists of photography and video production through my company, United Media Empire, based in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. I work across several areas of media, including narrative films, music videos, live performances, commercial productions, promotional campaigns, and event coverage. Although my work covers a wide range, my strongest specialties are cinematography and editing.
Locally, I’ve become especially known for my work with musicians and live events. I produce music videos, electronic press kits, festival advertisements, social media content, and multicamera recordings of live performances. I enjoy capturing the energy of a performance while also creating content that artists can continue using to promote themselves long after the event is over.
At the center of everything I do is simply telling a story. I never want a project to feel like I just arrived, pointed a camera at something, and hit record. Whether I’m working with a musician, business, filmmaker, or family, I try to understand who they are, what matters to them, and what they want the audience to feel. A technically impressive video can still be forgettable if the viewer doesn’t connect with the story.
One of my greatest strengths is understanding the entire production process and thinking beyond the production itself. I don’t only consider how the video should look; I also think about where it will be distributed, who needs to see it, and what type of content will benefit the client most. Depending on the project, I may help develop the concept, organize the crew, produce, direct, light, photograph, operate a camera, edit, and prepare the finished content for different platforms. Through the network of creatives I’ve built, I can also expand the crew for larger productions while maintaining the personal attention of a smaller company.
One of my proudest professional accomplishments was serving as the cinematographer on *Ascension Summit*. Our team shot and edited the film in only two days, and it went on to win Best Cinematography at the CineSpark Film Festival in Harrisburg. However, what I’m most proud of overall is turning an idea I carried with me while working at the factory into a real company that people now trust with their businesses, music, performances, films, and personal memories. I’m also proud that the company has allowed me to collaborate with other local creatives and give people within that network more opportunities to grow alongside me.
What I believe sets United Media Empire apart is that I bring a narrative-filmmaking mindset to every project, regardless of its size. I believe local musicians, small businesses, and families deserve work that is just as thoughtful as something created for a major company. I try to bring the same level of care, preparation, and creative intention to every production while remaining honest about what will best serve the client.
Ultimately, I want the people I work with to feel understood and accurately represented—not simply recorded. My goal is to create work that looks cinematic, serves a real purpose, and leaves people with something meaningful they can use to tell the world their story.
What matters most to you?
What matters most to me is living a life that honors God and has a genuine sense of purpose. I know what it feels like to spend each day simply going through the same motions in what feels like a never-ending cycle. While working at the factory, I had a decent, predictable paycheck, but I felt mentally and emotionally disconnected from the person I wanted to become. That period taught me that comfort and stability don’t necessarily create a fulfilling life.
Because of that experience, I don’t measure success only by money, awards, recognition, or the size of a project. Those things can create opportunities, but what matters more is whether my work has a purpose for existing. That could mean helping a musician share a song, giving a local business the content it needs to grow, preserving an important memory for a family, or creating an opportunity for another local creative.
At the end of my life, I want to look back and know that I used the talents and opportunities God gave me to leave the world a little better than it was when I entered it. If I can do that, maybe I’ll be able to say I lived a successful life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.unitedmediaempire.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayden.t.hughes/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jayden.tyler.7921
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayden-hughes-b63bb5187/
- Twitter: https://x.com/jaydenthughes
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JaydenTHughes
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/united-media-empire-gettysburg
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm17603009/
