You selected the tab “about us.” Truthfully, it’s really all about you!
We have been blessed to experience continued growth over the past 15 years because we care more about you than our own success. Please take a look around our website and blog to discover how we might be able to produce a one-of-a-kind video of your special occasion. We thank you in advance for the opportunity to capture the priceless memories of your wedding or event. We look forward to exceeding your expectations.
With Appreciation,
Tom Johnson, Owner/Producer
We also know it’s important to you, to know about us. Much information about our team can be obtained by reading reviews from our happy clients. Our team continues to grow as has our business. Presently, here are Alliance Video’s key producers.
TOM JOHNSON
Tom is the owner and operator of Alliance Video Productions. Tom began his business career at a very early age, 13 to be exact. From here on, I will briefly summarize my background, as it relates to video, in first person. In the early 90′s, I began filming training videos for a company that I was working for at the time. My role as a Human Resources Manager for this retail organization was very diversified. Nonetheless, this is where I got the itch and interest in creating videos. My passion in video grew over the years as my wife and I raised 4 terrific children. Needless to say, each of our kid’s lives are very well documented with hundreds of hours of video, with their dad a video enthusiast and sentimentalist. Someday, they will appreciate it.
I began running small ads in local newspapers while still employed. I created many photo montages and produced a few weddings as I invested in new equipment with the profits generated from this work.
In 1994, I was faced with a difficult decision. Due to financial troubles, the company that I was with for over 15 years filed for Chapter 11 and never recovered. I don’t want to bore you with all of the details, but it was definitively a crossroad in my life. It has always been a dream to run my own business. I have a very supportive wife and we took a leap of faith. It wasn’t easy, but we were confident that I was prepared for this moment, launching out on my own and leaving my HR career behind.
Over the next several years, I read a lot, attended networking meetings and met people in the video business. I filmed weddings, sporting events and television programs for local networks, while trying to build my own business. Finally it was time, on May 22, 1997, Alliance Video Productions was registered and established in the State of New Jersey.
We have been incredibly blessed over the years to have met so many wonderful people. Whether it’s a corporate production, sports video, event or wedding, I am passionate and absolutely love what I was called to do. I have found my vocation, which I believe is much different than a job, occupation or career. Producing video is something I was specially drawn to do and want to make a difference in people’s lives. Video has a way of doing this.
I’m a “quote” guy. I love reading, memorizing and writing quotes. Here are a few of my favorites;
“Your attitude, almost always determines your altitude in life”
“The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible and achieves the impossible”
“You will have everything in life you want if you just help enough other people get what they want”
“Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom”
Thank you for reading! I look forward, with the help of the rest of the Alliance Video team, to capture your special memories!
JAY GARRISON
I first became interested in making videos when I was enrolled at Temple University. My Freshman roommate was a film major, and after seeing the creativity involved with his assignments I decided to switch my major from business to film. I went from getting C’s in my business classes to receiving nothing lower than a B in my film classes (and they were even few and far between). I graduated from Temple University with Honors in the spring of 2004 and headed directly for Hollywood.
In Los Angeles, I had a great experience of seeing how big time movies are made. It actually requires a lot of manual labor, the right chemistry on set, and a few small miracles. One thing I learned was that there are thousands of movies being made everyday, but nobody ever gets to see them (go to www.imdb.com and search “Jay Garrison.” You probably never heard of any of the titles I worked on). More than that, when people do go to the movies they are never there watching the screen because of the people who worked on it. That’s why everybody gets up and leaves while the credits roll. I always saw myself as a personable human being who could make a difference, no matter how big or small, in people’s lives. Hence, my return to New Jersey.
I began working for Alliance Video in the summer of 2007. Right away I felt at home with the mission and philosophy of Tom Johnson and his company. Our job is to make memories last a lifetime. We make people smile, laugh, and cry tears of joy. Very few careers come with the perks of “Thank You,” but this is certainly one of them. Nothing, not even a best picture Oscar, is more rewarding or gratifying than knowing you’ve made a positive difference in someone’s life through your work. If you don’t believe me, tell me off the top of your head which film won best picture in 1999 (no cheating). Don’t you know it was “Shakespeare in Love?” Probably not. But I can almost promise you, when your wedding anniversary comes around you will remember who produced your wedding video…
One quality which makes me good at my job is attention to detail. I know when to step in and set up a shot, and when to just stay back and capture candid moments. The best compliment we can receive is that our brides hardly knew we were there, and they saw so much more in their video than they ever expected. I am easy to get along with, and like having a good time just like the rest of the party.
CHRIS McCARTY
My name is Chris McCarty, I am 24 years old and I am an employee here with Alliance Video. I graduated from Salisbury University in 2010 where I received my bachelors in Communications. During college I was taking Media Studies classes, but I took a production class for fun and I ended up really liking it so I switched my track over to Media Production. I really enjoy editing wedding videos because it is like putting together the puzzle to your eventful day. With each video I try my best to capture the feel of the entire day, while also paying attention to detail. When working on a video I always keep in mind what things the client would want to see in their finished video, and also to make it something you will want to watch over and over again with friends and family.
MIKE PILCHER (profile/photo coming soon)
RYAN SIMRELL (profile/photo coming soon)
