Profiles of Tenacity: Nick Selgrath

Entertainment and Media Studies student Nick Selgrath enjoys using his photography and videography skills to uniquely and creatively tell people’s stories. He views these mediums as an art form that allows him to capture and share moments with others.

Why did you choose your major?

I chose Entertainment and Media Studies because I have an extremely wide range of interests, but the one thing that ties them all together is that I want to capture my interests on camera. I believe that the accessibility and quality of our media have one of the biggest impacts on our society today. I want to be a part of the people making genuine content.

What does tenacity mean to you?

To me, tenacity refers to a relentless pursuit of what one believes in. It means putting the work in even when you are tired or burnt out. It involves persistent effort toward a goal in the face of adversity.

What is one piece of advice that you would give to other Grady students?

Find a place to store and document the things you create over time. Whether it’s an Instagram account, a YouTube channel, or just a folder on a hard drive, keep the projects and videos you create. This allows you to look back on them to see how far you have progressed, and it enables you to study and learn from them to see what you could improve on. It is hard to measure progression and success as a creative person, so I recommend focusing on improving from last time as opposed to comparing your work to others.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Probably in a mirror. Actually though, probably on the West Coast—most likely L.A. This is where many of the smaller media companies that fit my specific interests are. I’m not necessarily interested in working in mainstream film and TV, so I’d like to work for a smaller YouTube-based media company that covers a specific topic like automotive media. I want to work both in front of and behind the camera to make entertaining and educational content for millions of viewers. Oh, and I’ll have a dog who is a rescue and an orange cat, of course.

What motivates you?

I enjoy being able to capture moments on camera and give memories a place to live forever. I like the reaction people have when they see themselves from a perspective they never had before. Video and film are art forms that have the unique ability to transport viewers to another world or back to another time, so I like to make content that has the power to do that.

What advice would you give to your freshman self?

Start a professional social media account as soon as possible. I only created my photography and videography account earlier this year, and I should have had it longer. As an EMST major, it’s essential to have an accessible place to build your portfolio and showcase what kind of work you can do for other people.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve received?

Pursue progress, not perfection. I often get caught up in trying to make projects perfect which can massively slow the process or even halt it completely. It is better to get a solid but imperfect version of something done first and learn from it for future versions rather than spend weeks, months or years pursuing perfection.

Who is your professional hero?

My professional hero is Marques Brownlee, otherwise known as MKBHD. He is a tech reviewer, media company owner and entrepreneur who got his start on YouTube. His first video from 2009 is still visible on YouTube and I love to look back at where he started and see how he built one of the largest and most influential YouTube channels on the platform to date. He is a role model for me because he is in a line of work that I would love to do in the future, and he basically started out just like me. He is proof that I can achieve my goals.