Conversations with Dani Venen

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dani Venen.

Hi Dani, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Ever since I was little, I’ve always loved visual media. From drawing to taking pictures to making short movies with my friends and family. My grandparents on my Dad’s side would travel a lot and take videos and photos of nature. They and my parents would also take home videos of us in our everyday lives and holidays — I was always so intrigued by the camera.

From middle through high school, I would write stories which eventually turned into script-writing. I would enter online film contests as well as just make short films for fun. Horror was always my favorite to create, the possibilities were endless. I got accepted into a tech program my junior and senior year and was able to make visual art for class. Finally homework was fun! My friends and I still support each other to present day.

After graduation I went to a local community college in where I met my husband, John (we’ve been together for 12 years now) and all his friends who were in theater. What do theater kids like to do? Act! We all made so many films, entered local film contests, and did photoshoots together. Eventually I got a full-time job as a videographer, photographer, and social media director at a local mental health company from 2015-2020. I was able to do what I loved professionally, but I still never felt like I was at my fullest potential.

In 2016, I started a YouTube channel called Editing Is Everything where I re-edited popular movies into different genres of trailers. I would tell brand new stories using existing media and change the way people look and hear different visuals and dialogue. It’s something I had been wanting to do for years and decided the time was now. Video editing made me so happy and fulfilled, and I never expected for it to take off as much as it did. I reached over 500K subscribers and in 2019, I was invited to VidCon as a Featured Creator and hosted two of my very own workshops for 300+ people. I was getting recognized all over the event. It was the closest to “fame” I had ever felt, and I never consider myself to be famous. John and I got engaged during the event as well!

April of 2020 I was let go from that job due to the pandemic (marketing is always first to go). It was very rough at first, but it was a blessing in disguise. I was inspired from TikTok to go head first into creative photography full-time, which actually took off pretty quickly to my surprise. From doing fun photoshoots with friends to getting bookings for weddings and senior/family photos, I always put 100% into my art and would challenge myself to try something new as often as I could. This is what I’ve been doing ever since. I am so proud of my growth and how much I have learned.

In 2021, John and I started watching All Elite Wrestling. He’s been a lifelong wrestling fan and I dabbled a little in watch parties and such when we first met. But it wasn’t until AEW’s All Out 2021 show where I dove headfirst into becoming a fan. We’ve been watching weekly for years now, and early on I thought it would be fun to do photoshoots with some of the wrestlers. It was a goal to get creative and make some fun art.

July 2023, Julia Hart found me on Instagram and wanted to book a photoshoot with me. The scream I let out was hilarious. I curated three concepts for her and we got to meet and shoot together mid August. She even got me and John ringside tickets for Collision that night. It was one of the most fun days I’ve ever had. And from those photos, I had more wrestlers follow me on Instagram and Twitter. When AEW came back to Cleveland in September of that year, I asked Julia if she wanted to do more concepts including a video just for fun for spooky season. Little did I know that my life was going to change from this one shoot.

After we made the video, I asked her if she could send me a promo voiceover to put in it just to see how it would look. It was perfect. And Julia said AEW wanted to air it on the show. It became a canon storyline for her, which was unreal, and it lead to her winning the TBS Championship. I’m so proud of her and I’m so grateful she has become a great friend. From that video, I have gotten the opportunity to work with so many more wrestlers including my favorites The Righteous, Skye Blue, Thekla, Brian Cage, Lio Rush, Lady Frost, Queen Aminata, Red Velvet, Danhausen, EC3, and so many more. I feel so blessed and honored to have been given these opportunities and that all these incredible people have trusted me with their visions for entrance videos and cinematic vignettes.

I’m just a goofball from Cleveland, if you were to have told me 10 years ago where I would be today, I wouldn’t believe you. I have worked so hard to get where I am today and I am beyond grateful. I’m 32 now and I’m so excited for what is to come the rest of the year as well as the years to come.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
For as many opportunities I’ve had and how much I’ve grown as an artist, it has taken a lot of hard work and pushing myself beyond my limits. Creating art in the age of social media might sound easy, but it’s more difficult than most make it out to me. EVERYTHING you do is work, from marketing yourself to pricing to showcasing. The algorithm is also never on your side ever. The art you put the most work into will always be overshadowed by a random effortless post.

I’ve put my blood, sweat, and tears into my art for decades. Even if no one would see it or care, as long as I was happy with it that’s all that mattered. There have been so many sleepless nights, days where I can’t stop crying, and times where I just wanted to give up completely. Imposter syndrome is real, and a lot of the time I don’t feel like I belong in this community. Comparison and jealousy are killjoys, and it’s taken me many years to look at my art with pride and love on its own.

I’ve been rejected, canceled on, and ignored many times leading up to and during my career. Being told “no” can be hard to hear, but it’s just another opportunity for a “yes.” And I’ve been told “no” a lot. Believing in yourself as an artist is the most powerful tool you can behold.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
On paper I’m a photographer and videographer, but I like to refer to myself as a full-time creative visual artist. Aside from creating images and editing videos from years of self-taught experience, I can tell stories with my art. Photoshopping by hand and bringing films to life from the ground up are definite skills I have, but everyone says that I can take a “nothing idea” and turn it into something great. I have a way of understanding visions and directing in a way that makes people who are in front of the camera for the first time feel so comfortable and fearless. It’s not just a photoshoot or a project, it’s a fellowship and a time to feel creatively rejuvenated.

I love to push the boundaries of reality with my art. With photos, I can transform a simple set into something only out of a dream. With videos, I can bring a vision to life to tell a story or get people excited. I love showing who I am on the internet, as I am exactly the same in person. I’m goofy, kind, and passionate, but most of all I am authentically and violently myself. I can shoot and film virtually anywhere even if people are watching, it doesn’t bother or intimidate me anymore. People are going to look at what you’re doing because they’re curious and you’re only going to threaten the boring people.

In the photographer community, I’m known as a bold creative who is always willing to keep raising the bar for myself. I love to think outside the box and get weird with my concepts, from simple to extravagant. In the wrestling community, I’m known as the videographer who creates cinematic packages and titantron entrance videos that capture the essence and vibe of the wrestlers’ characters and story. With a background in filmmaking, I feel like my work stands out in a way that hasn’t been seen much or at all in wrestling, and I’m so grateful to be where I am today.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
You will never get to where you want to be if you don’t take that first step. Every decision can be seen as a “risk.” From something as simple as just posting your art on social media to a brave move like emailing/messaging a company or personality. You NEED to put in the effort, even if it’s just a proposal, and you’ll never hear an answer if you DON’T ask.

Staying in your comfort zone will unlikely allow you to grow. Trying new things like a new editing style, using a different camera or lens, changing up your lighting, or working on a concept different to what you’re used to are all progressive risks to help push you into a new direction. It will take time to get your footing right with any decision, big or small. But it’s not impossible. If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you. You might even find you love what you hadn’t tried before!

If a risk leads you to a “no,” it doesn’t mean you failed. It’s an opportunity to try again or to learn from that and make changes so taking that risk will lead you to a “yes.” And even with the success of a yes, keep trying new things and experimenting. The more you challenge yourself, the better you’re going to get. Practice makes progress.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theeditorialstyle.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theeditorialstyle
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theeditorialstyle
• Twitter: https://x.com/EditorialDani
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/EditingIsEverything