Independent videographer shares his calling

Frakes was on campus April 7-9 as a Sense of Vocation visitor. He is an award-winning independent videographer who has produced major video documentaries in over 19 countries.

Along with speaking in chapel, Frakes visited classes, held a video production workshop and hosted an open discussion on campus. He gave students advice about discovering their vocations and talked about the path that led him to his own.

“Anxiety is a great motivator,” he said. “It’s like walking on a tightrope with no net. It’s exciting and energizing. It keeps your attention focused, and if nothing else, it gets you out of bed in the morning.”

In his conversations with students, Frakes discussed his understanding of vocation as a God-driven calling.

“Whatever honorable work you do is a holy calling from God,” he said. “What a blessing it is to fulfill that calling. Once we recognize it, there are two things we have to do: obey it and trust that God will work out the details.”

Frakes also emphasized the important role individuals play in living out their own sense of vocation.

“The moment you realize what you’re called to do, figure out what it will take to make it happen,” he said. “What market are you going to go into? Who do you need to contact?”

Sending e-mails to prospective companies, planning corporate visits and networking are key steps to achieving a career in any field, Frakes explained. Also, individuals looking for a job can benefit by reading trade publications and staying up-to-date on the organization and industry they are interested in.

“It’s never too early to start,” he said.

Frakes got his first job at a Chicago newspaper when he was a junior in high school. He attended Harding University, a small Christian liberal arts school in Arkansas. He first studied journalism, then radio broadcasting and finally settled on television production before graduating with a degree in mass communication.

After college, Frakes got a job at a Chicago television station. Over the following seven years, he worked his way up to a position as a producer. He then moved on to a corporate job with the network, where he spent four years producing videos. In that position, he worked with a wide variety of clients. One client he frequently produced videos for was the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

“I was working with them so often that they hired me to be their chief video producer,” Frakes said. “It turned out to be a blessing in a lot of ways.”

In his position with the ELCA, Frakes had the opportunity to make many interesting videos. His work took him all over the world: Africa, Asia, the South Pacific, the Caribbean and Europe.

“It was a great job,” he explained. “I liked the people I was working with, and I found meaning in what I was doing.”

Last March, after 14 years with the ELCA, Frakes left his position and started his own video production company.

“I could have worked with the ELCA until I was ready to retire, but I felt called to do something more,” he said.

Through his work with his company, Tim Frakes Productions, Frakes still gets to travel the world. He works for a wide variety of both corporate and non-profit clients. His recent projects include video shoots in the Palestinian West Bank and Nairobi, Kenya.

“I’m doing now what God was calling me to do all along,” he said.