Brian Kluska on Media, Challenging Assumptions and Being A Military Spouse
“Everyone’s experience is there own, and you make what you can of it. And you shape it how you want to.”
— BRIAN KLUSKA
In this episode, we are joined by Brian Kluska. Brian grew up in Blairstown, NJ, and received a B.A. in Mass Media and Communications from Mount Saint Mary College. Brian worked for ten years as Videographer and Video Editor for a few production companies. Projects spanned from corporate commercials, interviews and deposition, long and short-form comedy, and even a product highlight video for U.S. Senate Appropriation Committee.
Brian's personal and professional path has provided experience in various situations and experiences. Marrying his high school sweetheart of 13 years has brought even more opportunities in life. Brian is now a military spouse who brings a new chapter that has enabled further personal and professional growth.
Highlights from this conversation:
How Brian's fascination with film and media began.
Challenging the assumption about what to pursue when you've never asked yourself what is fulfilling.
Marrying his school sweetheart. How Brian adapted and committed to supporting her decision to join the military.
Fostering meaningful relationships through the internet and how being physically present is not a requirement for friendship.
Show Notes:
[00:05:35] - Where Brian grew up
[00:06:35] - Brian's first exposure to media
[00:07:45] - Team America: World Police
[00:08:10] - Linear style film editing
[00:09:55] - Explaining VHS
[00:12:40] - The Original iPod
[00:13:35] - What was it about a film that made Brian want to create with it?
[00:15:35] - Red Vs. Blue
[00:16:25] - The first film project: Black and Blue
[00:18:35] - High School Storytelling Project: Read the book and watch the film.
[00:19:15] - Road to Perdition
[00:20:05] - Pre widespread Adobe editing
[00:21:35] - Brian's parents had decided he would be a doctor or a lawyer at a very young age.
[00:23:25] - Mount St. Mary's College
[00:26:05] - Television Production Course
[00:27:35] - The teacher was thrown off my Brian's choice to be pre-law.
[00:29:25] - How did Brian's parents deal with his decision to switch majors?
[00:30:05] - Brian's parents background
[00:33:05] - Not a lot of digital media jobs existed outside of the major cities at this point.
[00:34:05] - Brian felt he was overqualified for the internship level job and feels misguided on that decision.
[00:34:55] - Working for a chemical clean up company
[00:37:05] - Home Movie Transfer and Editing Company: Brian starts doing freelance work
[00:39:15] - Expanding the studio and working full time
[00:41:10] - Marriage and how the relationship developed
[00:43:25] - A small wedding that made the most sense for them and their circumstances
[00:45:45] - Practical in their decision together
[00:46:35] - Fourteen years of being together and five of which were married. People can still surprise you.
[00:47:55] - Brian's wife decided to join the military and supporting her decision.
[00:50:15] - The Radiology program in the army
[00:51:05] - Changing job to retail position to allow for stationing uncertainty
[00:53:45] - Supporting the aspects of her military career
[00:55:55] - PT in Upper New York State
[00:57:25] - Fort Drum and 10th Mountain Division
[00:59:25] - Did Brian ever expect to be connected to the military?
[01:00:25] - Veteran of Foreign Wars (VFW)
[01:04:35] - Still learning and growing professionally by attending Retail Management Academy
[01:06:10] - Seeing his out lack of discipline and wanting to strive for more physicality
[01:07:05] - Physicality first came from Hockey
[01:09:05] - Erich's view of Brian keep a commitment to supporting his wife and personal drive
[01:10:25] - Meeting through World of Warcraft
[01:11:15] - Meeting people online in general
[01:12:55] - Realizing that many people in Brian's life joined the military
[01:14:05] - Entering The World of Warcraft
[01:15:55] - Mr. T World of Warcraft Ad
[01:17:35] - Developing relationships through shared experience, but physical proximity doesn't matter.
[01:19:25] - Talking high-level rewards for any cooperative sport.
[01:20:55] - Feeling how even though we never met in person Brian is as much a friend as anyone else
[01:23:35] - This is about building relationships and a future round two talking about the positive aspects of gaming
[01:25:25] - Playing video games with friends became the same stress reliever that is going to have a few beers with friends provides.
[01:27:05] - Advice to a college-age person about to enter the real world?
