In Focus | Curtis Allen of Solid Rock Video

In Focus is our gift to the community. A way for us to help show our recognition for the people, businesses, and organizations that help make our city great. The team at KelownaNow.com is passionate about this community and the people that make it amazing. We want to show our friends, neighbours, family and colleagues that we notice them and the fabulous things that they do.

What is your name?
Curtis Allen.

Where are you from and how long have you lived in Kelowna?
I'm originally from Kamloops, but I moved to Kelowna five years ago.

Who is your favourite person to spend time with and why?
I’m lucky to have a lot of people I really enjoy spending time with, people I can chat with for hours or share a common hobby with. That being said, my favourite person to spend time with? That’d be my wife, of course!

If you could go anywhere in the world right at this moment where would you go and why?
I’d love to explore more of France, I was there a couple years ago for work but didn't get to see as much as I would have liked to. Right now though I’d settle for anywhere warm!

What is your favourite local store in Kelowna and why?
Wine Central. I like to make wine and the staff at Wine Central are so helpful, knowledgeable and just all around great people! They’ve helped me out of a couple binds when things have gone horribly wrong too.

What is your favourite activity?
Recently I’ve really been getting into fishing, thankfully there are many great lakes to try around Kelowna!

If you had to choose: pizza, tacos, or burgers?
Oh, burgers for sure.

What is a hidden gem you enjoy in the Okanagan?
I recently drove up to Postil Lake to do some fishing and loved how peaceful and scenic it was up there. Spending a day on the water there was a great way to recharge!

What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you?
Somewhere out there, there is video of me with really bad facial hair, which wouldn’t be too bad except it aired on a TV documentary I was working on. Not a wise choice.

What is the most inspiring thing that has happened to you?
People inspire me. I meet so many people that do incredible things and it inspires me to keep giving it all I have, even when things are a bit tough.

Tell us your favourite childhood memory.
Summer vacation, riding my bike around all day. No school, no responsibilities. Those were the best times.

Where do you volunteer or give back to in the community?
I create videos for non-profits I want to support and they can use the video to promote what they’re doing, or to ask for financial support. It’s nice to know that I can use my talents to inspire others.

If you could change one thing in the world what would it be?
Poverty. I’ve spent time in Haiti and rural Mexico and it’s heartbreaking to see people living in the conditions they are. There’s no quick fix, but I’d sure like to see things improve. We truly don’t know how lucky we are to live in Canada.

What is your favourite activity in Kelowna?
I really enjoy cycling the trestles in Myra Canyon. Fresh air and an amazing view, it can’t be beat.

Where would you sneak away to in Kelowna to spend some time alone?
I think to be truly alone you got to go a bit out of town. I got a chance to go to Jackpine Lake this summer and found it to be very peaceful. I’ll be back.

Where would you like to see positive change in Kelowna and why?
As someone who commutes into Kelowna every day from West Kelowna, I’d love to see some changes in how traffic is managed. We’ve made some great steps over the years, and the current bridge is a whole lot better than the old one, but still I find myself getting frustrated with the morning/evening commute! That being said, I’ve found 6am to be a great time to travel into town.

If you were granted one wish for work or in life, what would it be?
That’s a tough one. I think it would be that my business could get to the point where I could work a bit less and spend more time with the people I love. The 40-60 hour work week can take a lot out of a family, and I want to make sure I’m around for my kids.

Tell us something that not everyone may know about you.
I once stood in a hurricane in Haiti so that I could do a report to camera for the TV Station I was working for. I looked like a drowned rat.

What is the name of your business/organization?
Solid Rock Video.

What does your business do?
I own and operate a video production company specializing in professional videos that people can actually afford. I feel that everyone has a story to tell, whether it’s a story about a company, organization, product, current event or even an idea. I think that there is no better way to tell it than through video and creating a video shouldn’t break the bank.

How do people connect with you through social media? (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest)
Facebook
Twitter

Where can people find your business online?
I can be found at solidrockvideo.com

Why did you get into/start this business?
10 years ago I got my start working professionally in the world of video at a TV Station in Kamloops. I quickly got a job in the newsroom shooting and editing daily news stories as well as occasionally reporting on camera. I learned a lot in that career, but recently I felt a pull to do more than just the news so I launched my company. Since then I’ve been busy with promotional videos, music videos, live events, TV shows and I recently completed a ‘promotional documentary’ for The Pursuit Of Excellence Hockey Academy.

What is the goal of your business?
I’d like to get to the point where I don’t have to work too hard in the business end of things and instead, focus on creating great content. I’d love to train young people, show them some tricks of the trade like so many people did to me when I was just getting my start. Ultimately, I’d like to just give back and shoot videos for non-profits that I find interesting. One of my favourite things to do is travel with non-profits and see the change they’re making in other countries.

What has been your biggest struggle either in work or life?
Before I got into TV News, and was just starting out as a videographer, I found that some people seemed to think I wasn’t capable of doing the job because I was ‘too young’. I ended up never telling people how old I was, and it took some time to break those walls and let my work speak for itself. If you’re a young person who’s going through the same thing, keep going, believe in what you know you’re capable of and you’ll be proud when you look back at it all in several years.

If you could start all over again would you do things the same or would things be different?
I’d do it all the same. Every stage of my life and career was important in growing me to who I am today.

Why do you think it is important to shop local?
As a local business owner I think it’s hugely important to shop local, to support the people who work hard right here at home and almost always provide better products, services or advice than the big chains. I love this community and believe that we need to support those people who are risking their livelihood by running a business. I believe they deserve our support.

Give someone that you think deserves it a shout out and explain why!
Can I name a few? The people who mentored me as a young videographer were Trevor Rockliffe, Kent Simmonds, Marcel Forest, Steve Murray and Steve Hughes. These are just some of the people who came alongside me when I was just starting out. I owe my career to them. Thank you all.

My nomination for the In Focus spotlight is:
Mike Penninga! Pastor, Father, ex-journalist and (failed) Amazing Race Canada Applicant. The man with Kelowna’s best laugh.

Other information you would like to share:
I’m grateful to live in a city that I love, work in the career that I’ve always wanted to be in, and tell stories about interesting people, places and things. Hope I can meet more of you soon.

We encourage you to leave your comments and words of support below and submit your own nomination by clicking HERE. You are also welcome to submit a form of your own by clicking HERE. Thank you, Kelowna.