For the May edition of our Creator Spotlight series, we talk to Cody Chesneau - a live stream producer who is the founder of Atlanta-based production company Film Quality Services. Check out what he has to say about how he got started and some of the lessons he can share from his time in the industry...
If you met a stranger at the airport and they asked what you do, how would you describe yourself to them?
We are a freelance broadcast production company that specializes in creating engaging content for the gaming, sports, and music spaces. We create unforgettable experiences for event-goers and audiences alike worldwide. We have collaborated with some of the largest brands on the planet - from creating original content on Amazon’s Crown Channel, working on one of the largest national football events of the year, to pioneering Georgia's first live streamed house and techno festival. All in all, I'd say I'm a live stream producer who focuses on creating the most engaging content possible for my clients.
Talk to us about the beginnings of your career and how you got started.
Funnily enough, I got started within the nightlife industry and it segway-ed me into the business I am in today. Back in 2015, I was DJ-ing in Atlanta and I was trying to find a way to grow my presence within the Atlanta scene. Around that time, live streaming became a way you could use platforms like Youtube, Twitch, and Facebook to reach audiences - and the social media platforms were pushing the content hard.
Being on the forefront of technology, I thought it was a great way to connect with the Atlanta community. I created a live stream radio show called “Spin & Chill”, a show where I would interview Atlanta’s great DJs and we would tag team and do DJ sets in my basement. I did that for 2 years until I realized that my live stream wasn’t subsidizing the costs it took to produce the content. Therefore, I decided to go bigger, with the thinking that the bigger I went, the more revenue I would earn. I threw my own music festival called “Sets at Sunset”, a House & Techno festival that took place right on the waterfront of Lake Lanier. I took what I learned from Spin & Chill and applied it to the music festival, being one of the first festivals to livestream their show in the state of Georgia. In 2018, I was looking for a change and a new challenge. I befriended John Smoltz Jr., who was another DJ in Atlanta trying to make a change to his life. He convinced me that gaming would be a better vertical to live stream than staying within the music realm. After we created that friendship, we went on a run of shows that proved our prowess. We produced a show with the Atlanta Braves playing Fortnite for charity. We did Cov-Aid, where we raised over $500k and 1 million meals to frontline workers and people in need. We started to work with the Crown Channel producing original content for them. From there, we were on the up and up.
Can you tell us about your earliest influences as well as the people that inspire you today?
To be honest, I have to say my team and the clients I have worked with along the way inspire me. They have been my biggest source of inspiration. When I made the change from music to gaming, I wanted to make a change in terms of the people I surround myself with. I can proudly say I enjoy the people I work with to make these projects happen, they are all so knowledgeable and talented in their own ways. I am blessed every day to work with people I enjoy working with.
People that inspire me today are the other production companies my size that are just trying to make it work like everyone else. People that come to mind are Direct Narrative, Siteline, Atomic, Mad City, Richard McClean, Odd Man Out Studios, DayDream, STS, and many more. We are all just people who enjoy making events and content happen. I love meeting other live stream producers. I enjoy learning and collaborating with all of them and us using our collective brain powers to solve problems within audio video. I think its the coolest thing that all of us, while we may be competitors in some way, are also great friends.
I will say though, without a doubt, my greatest mentors and the most influential figures in my life have been my parents. Watching them tirelessly work to run Fuel Quality Services, building it from the ground up without mentors or outside help or funding, has been nothing short of inspirational. They built a business out of their house, from blending their own chemicals out of a garage and renting a truck to deliver to their customers to a 7-figure business. They managed to sustain that business for over 40 years, a testament to their resilience, wisdom, and entrepreneurial spirit. They put everything on the line for me just to get my sister and I through school to give the best life for me they could, embodying the epitome of sacrifice and dedication. Their example taught me the value of hard work, perseverance, and what it takes to be an entrepreneur. I am merely following in their footsteps, but driving my own path. Their influence is the bedrock of my achievements and the lens through which I view my ventures in the creative and entertainment industries. I feel I can only honor them through using their gift to become successful and build my own path. That is why it was so important for me to keep the acronym within the family. FQS represents my family’s legacy of building their own vision rather than succumbing to others. I’d like to continue to build on that legacy the next generation of content for future generations, hopefully instilling these traits in my children someday.
Can you talk about the relationship between travel and filmmaking, and how that has influenced your career?
I honestly think this question is a tough one, but to keep this short and sweet, I think we as filmmakers and content creators travel too much. It means there are not enough knowledgeable people within our field, and that needs to change. Broadcasting, and being a live stream producer, needs to be shown to younger student audiences as an avenue for lifelong learning, and as a career.
The necessity of travel in our industry points to a gap in local expertise that we need to bridge. While travel has allowed me to work on incredible projects and meet amazing collaborators, it also highlights the importance of nurturing talent everywhere. My career has benefitted from these experiences, underscoring the need for more accessible education and training in broadcasting and content creation.
My company’s initiative, Not a Real Show, serves as a direct response to solve this problem. This project isn't just about creating content; it's about cultivating a local ecosystem of talent, knowledge, and resources in broadcasting. By mentoring aspiring media professionals, we're working to democratize the industry, making it more accessible to those just starting out. Not a Real Show is my way of paying forward the opportunities I've had, by providing practical experience and opening doors for the next generation of creators. While it is currently only available locally, my goal is to make this program available online, reducing the need for constant travel by fostering local talents who can produce world-class content in the future.
How has technology affected your career? Does anything in particular excite you about where technology's going right now?
Technology is the backbone of what we do at FQS. The leaps in live streaming, interactive media, and now the potential of AR and VR technologies are reshaping our field. What excites me most is the democratization of content creation these technologies offer, allowing for more voices to be heard and stories to be told in innovative ways. I am looking forward to diving deeper into Volumetric Scanning and Unreal technologies, incorporating them into livestreams and more engaging content. My team is doing R&D on this currently.
Can you tell us about how you utilize Glyph products in your workflow?
Incorporating Glyph products into our workflow at Film Quality Services has been a game-changer for how we manage our projects, especially when it comes to reliability and speed in our data management. Glyph's storage solutions offer us the peace of mind that our content is secure, whether we're in the middle of a live broadcast or out in the field capturing footage for our next big event. We rely heavily on Glyph's rugged SSD drives for on-the-go editing and backup. Their performance is unmatched, providing us with fast data transfer speeds that are essential for meeting tight deadlines and ensuring that we never miss a beat. Using Glyph products means we can focus on creativity and production quality, knowing our data management is in good hands. It's an integral part of our toolkit that supports our mission to deliver exceptional content to our audience.
Can you tell us about a time having a data storage strategy prevented you from losing important work?
As a live stream producer on live broadcasts, it is super important to have redundant backups for every system, from power, to network, to data. I can’t tell you how many times the main recording has failed on our shows, in which it has been imperative to have backups. Given it is live entertainment, we normally don’t have a second take. Being prepared for the worst allows us to always deliver on our promises for our clients. This underscores the value of having reliable, high-capacity storage solutions at the heart of our workflow. It wasn't just about preventing data loss; it was about ensuring the continuity of creativity and delivery that our audience expects from us.
Can you touch on some of your more recent career highlights? What were some of the most gratifying moments of your career?
Working on one of the largest national football events of the year and producing content for Bella Poarch have been among the recent highlights. However, the most gratifying moments come from witnessing the direct impact of our work – like raising over $500k and providing 1 million meals through our charity events like Cov-Aid. These achievements remind me of the power of combining creativity with a cause and how much impact they can make.
What are some of your challenges as a filmmaker?
Keeping up with the rapid pace of technological advancements, managing the complexities of live productions, and continually engaging a diverse audience remain my top challenges. Each project brings its own set of hurdles, but overcoming them is part of the thrill.
What are the three ‘must haves’ for every filmmaker?
Creativity, to see the world in new ways; resilience, to weather the industry's highs and lows; and adaptability, to embrace change and new technologies. These qualities are essential for anyone looking to make their mark in the world of filmmaking and content creation - and definitely qualities you need as a live stream producer.
Thank you for sharing your story with us. Looking forward to seeing what you do next!
That concludes our Creator Spotlight on live stream producer Cody Chesneau, but stay tuned for more great community features like this coming soon. Are you interested in being featured in our Creator Spotlight? Drop us a line at community@glyphtech.com
