Chris LeCrone's Elevated Perspective

This week was one of those nonstop weeks where everything just piles on... But honestly, it felt good to be busy. Between wrapping up the final assignments and projects for my senior year and managing a crazy flow of inbound client messages and leads, there wasn’t a lot of downtime. Somehow, though, the energy stayed high. I wrapped up a few school projects early in the week and then shifted into filming mode. Thursday night and Friday night were spent on the road, working in Pontiac and Decatur. Both nights had me behind the drone and the camera, shooting for a roofing company and an event with a few of my contractors, co-workers, and peers. Thursday's shoot was a cool creative challenge... Everything was drone footage, but the goal was to make it feel like the viewer was right up there on the roof with the workers. It’s tricky because drones naturally pull you into those wide, sweeping shots, but here we had to get close, really capture the grit and movement, and make the audie...

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how engagement actually works on social media. It’s not really about having the best camera or even the flashiest edit...Though that stuff helps. It’s about connection. You have to build an audience around something real. Something you actually care about, and something you know. For me, that’s Peoria and drone video. I’ve been posting videos of my city multiple times a week for the past year(ish), and I do it because I genuinely love it. But once you have that core, that truth people can feel...The next part is figuring out how to get people to actually interact. That’s where it gets fun. The trick is knowing how to stir the pot just enough. I’m not talking about fake drama or making people mad for no reason. I’m talking about using a little sarcasm, a little humor, and a bold caption to catch attention. My go-to move? Say something outrageous in the hook "The most hated city in the country,” “A place with nothing to see,” or even “The most ...

It’s wild how quickly things can change. Just last week, I was riding momentum with a few really promising leads and then seemingly overnight, everything went quiet. With the new tariffs and market swings recently occouring, a lot of prospective clients are suddenly pausing, reevaluating, or just ghosting entirely. There’s a lot of uncertainty in the air, and you can feel it in how people are spending. Even I’m feeling it in unexpected ways. I’ve been keeping an eye on a new drone release...something that could really level up my aerial capabilities and a drone I will be buying when it is released... But it’s now been delayed again. It was originally supposed to drop April 24th, but with DJI being a Chinese company, these new tariffs have pushed the release back to May 13th (if we’re lucky). It’s frustrating, but also just a sign of the times. That said, I’m really grateful to still be working closely with my retainer clients... Those relationships have been key in maintaining cons...

It’s been a minute since I last posted on the blog, about a week off. As I continue my work, It’s always motivating to know that my creations resonate with others, especially when it’s among such talented people.  One of the biggest things on my plate right now is a project I’m incredibly excited about. I’ve been chosen to create an image that will be displayed in the newly renovated courthouse here in Peoria, Illinois. The project is particularly special because it’s going to be a huge, 19-foot wide by 8-foot tall wall piece. The image we think will work best at this point in time is a sunset shot of our city with the courthouse in the middle ground. This is more than just a photo as it’s going to become a part of Peoria’s history. I’m pumped about being able to contribute to something so meaningful, and it’s truly an honor to have my work showcased in such a prominent public space. Courthouse Image   In addition to that, I’ve been busy creating some call to action ads for a...