SPC alumnus Brent Pierce imparts expertise to aspiring videographers

Passion, persistence and patience are values Brent Pierce has carried with him from his time as a South Plains College student to his leadership at Round Rock Studio, where he strives to share the knowledge that has helped him succeed.

As owner of a production and podcast studio, Pierce serves the north Austin community by providing a space for aspiring and professional videographers to bring their stories to life. Teaching eager creatives is a purpose he has fostered since attending SPC.

“Fresh out of high school, I went to South Plains and was there for two years doing commercial music and video production,” he said. “I learned so much. I’ve been able to apply everything that I learned at South Plains—from the great instructors and great facilities there—throughout my entire career.”

While at the College from 2007-2009, Pierce not only learned the theory behind videography but also worked with the tools of the trade, gaining valuable hands-on experience necessary to become a versatile professional in the field.

“I always encourage people to check out South Plains,” he said. “It’s going to be worth it if you want to do the technical arts, if you want to do video production, if you want to do photography, if you want to do music, if you want to do anything like that. I can’t think of a reason not to check out South Plains.”

SPC took a passion Pierce had since high school and turned it into a long-lasting career. His experience at the College showed him that pursuing content creation as a job was possible.

From former instructors, like Tom Stalcup, to SPC professors who are still teaching, like Greg Cook, the faculty at the College passed on valuable skills, Pierce said. Classroom peers, such as Cody Nitcher, also opened doors that led to great opportunities. A few days after they graduated from SPC, Nitcher helped Pierce get his first job.

“I went from doing South Plains every single day and making fun videos there, and then I graduated and immediately entered the workforce at [First Baptist Church in Lubbock] doing video production,” Pierce said. “It was the perfect trajectory for my career.”

A few years working at First Baptist Church set the foundation for five years as a video director at Shoreline Church in Austin, a dream city Pierce moved to after getting married.

“I had so much to learn from these people, so I met everybody that I could, and I was just willing to work for free: put me on set, let me hold some C-stands. If I can touch a camera, that's a plus,” he said regarding the big creative pond in Austin. “I was at a megachurch for five and a half years, and I had built up my freelance career to be confident enough to resign.”

At the end of 2017, Pierce said he became a full-time freelance videographer and later established his production company, Paper Dog Media. Years later, he had a dream of opening a large studio to serve local creatives.

“I have this studio where I can offer the space for them to do their music video or to take portraits, and I also offer classes where we teach editing, we teach cinematography, we teach photography,” he said regarding Round Rock Studio, which opened in January 2023. “I feel extremely lucky to be in this scenario.”

In addition to offering classes for local content creators, Pierce said Round Rock Studio aims to uplift the younger generation. Last year, the studio hosted a Teen Filmmakers Camp where students gained hands-on experience filming a music video across four days.

For Pierce, teaching opportunities like these represent a full-circle moment, reminding him of how he was once an eager filmmaker willing to learn everything about the trade at SPC. Since then, he has loved teaching people the skills he has acquired.

“Now that I have the platform that I have, I’m able to host workshops and teach a larger audience and spread my reach a little bit,” he said. “I just love teaching.”