About

Glad you could make it. Below, you will find the story of the up-and-coming Photographer and Film maker.

Ben started video editing when he was 12 years old and he has loved the art ever since. Over his time working with film and photography he has learned a lot. One of the important things that he keeps in his mind is that …

“No one is too professional to learn a new concept or way of doing something, stay open to new things and always think creatively.”  - Ben Burns

Ben Was Diagnosed with Osteogenesis Imperfecta type 4 in 1998. He has since broken over 60 bones. Ben fell in love with the idea of film and media after being on the TV show Extreme Makeover Home Edition in 2004, where the show built him and his family a new house to help Ben get around in his wheelchair easier. He became interested in all of the film gear and seeing it in action. As soon as his parents let him have his first computer at the age of 10 he began watching YouTube videos on film and how to edit. He started making his own videos with an old plug in webcam. At the age of 12 he was making short videos and posting them on to his YouTube channel. He became infatuated with the concept of storytelling and was constantly looking for ways to improve his skills. 

At the age of 14 Ben received his first camera, a Canon point and shoot from his Aunt who is an amateur photographer. His Aunt took him on many different outings to learn the basics of photography. After learning that his grandfather was a photographer in World War 2 and seeing some of his amazing pictures from the war, he was hooked on to a new art form called photography. Ben ultimately took his first photography class his 8th grade year of middle school, which gained him his first award in photography that same year. 

Going into his freshman year of high school, Ben was looking to try to expand even more into the art of media. After attending his first pep assembly, a man by the name of Jonathan Ott came out and showed a music video that he and a couple of other students made to welcome the incoming freshman. After seeing the video, he knew he needed to become friends with him. Moving forward a couple of months he found himself on a bus with those same students in the video, going to UCI to film a commercial for the University.

During his time in high school he tried hard to get as much experience with the media sector as possible. Taking classes such as Product Design, Web Design, and Graphics Design. Ben eventually went on to become part of the yearbook committee to learn about journalism and writing. While he was going through the passes of High School Ben was active in his NJROTC program acting as the Assistant Public Affairs Officer where he learned how to keep the parents updated about events of the unit and upcoming competitions. During his Senior year he moved up to become the Head Publications Officer for the unit in-charge of his own cadets; leading them on how to use the social media sites like Facebook and Instagram, to keep everyone updated about the health of the unit. 

In 2016 Ben graduated High School, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout In the Boy Scouts of America. He also graduated with the rank of Cadet Ensign in his NJROTC unit being second in command of his platoon. While going through all of the endeavors of High School Ben also earned his varsity letter for being a long distance swimmer. 

But, high school wasn’t enough for him, he wanted to learn more…

Ben went on to attend Golden West College from 2016-2021 taking as many courses as he could to learn as many skills as he could. The classes ranged from Beginning Photography all the way to Audio for Video and Gaming. Ben became part of a select group that the professor would send around the classroom to help others finish their projects. The same group that was asked to go to an Adobe Premier Pro event in Hollywood to listen to editors of big time motion pictures and tv shows talk about their jobs and more importantly ask questions. 

One of the last requirements for his degree was that he needed to do an internship. After a meeting with the Dean of the Arts department of his college he was highly recommended to interview with the Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce. The next week Ben was hired on the spot. Ben gained a lot of work experience such as working in a deadline oriented environment, as well as working with the real world applications of everything that he learned in school. Ben worked directly under the head of the social media department doing everything from taking the photos and videos, to designing graphics for the videos that he edited. 

At the end of his time in college one of his professors gave him a call and offered him an opportunity to apply for a contracted Social Media ambassador program that the colleges in Southern California were having. He told her yes and immediately submitted his application. Ben became 1 of 6 chosen for the program. The main idea of the program was to teach the Vice Presidents of Cox Communications about how to use social media to benefit the morale of their employees. Unfortunately, his time with Cox was cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Ben is currently looking for his next journey…