From scaling rooftops to diving underwater, Josh Lucia has filmed it all. But his journey into videography began in an unlikely place: a second-grade classroom where he channeled Jim Carrey’s character from The Mask to entertain his classmates. That early taste of performance, combined with a childhood spent practicing magic tricks and consuming films, laid the foundation for what would become a dynamic career behind the camera.
“I think I have always enjoyed entertaining people and making them react to something,” Lucia says. His first major production—a thirty-minute mockumentary complete with music, graphics, and fake commercials—was created for a high school English project while his classmates submitted basic home videos. He hasn’t put the camera down since.
The Art of Adaptation
In the world of video production, Murphy’s Law isn’t just a possibility—it’s practically guaranteed. Lucia has battled everything from temperamental weather to technical gremlins, often having to think on his feet to save a shoot. “I’ve used jackets as covers for my camera while I freeze in my shirt. I’ve used the air conditioning in my car to cool my camera down,” he shares, describing the improvised solutions that have become second nature.
One of his most memorable mishaps occurred during what should have been his most carefully planned shoot: his own marriage proposal. “The last time I made that mistake was when I went to record my proposal to my wife,” he recalls with a touch of irony. “I have a great POV video of me getting ready to propose and then the video ends.” It’s a reminder that even professionals aren’t immune to the classic “thought-I-pressed-record” syndrome.
Behind Every Perfect Shot
The general public often sees only the final product: a polished video that might run for just a few minutes. What they don’t see is the mountain of preparation, expertise, and technology that goes into creating that seamless experience. “That 10-minute shoot may have included twenty thousand dollars in equipment used, hours contracting the job, meetings, pre-production, and finally two days of editing,” Lucia explains. He’s spent up to eight hours crafting visual effects that appear on screen for mere seconds—effects so seamless that viewers don’t even notice them.
His five-year stint at an ABC news affiliate taught him one of the most valuable lessons in the industry: “Sometimes complete is better than perfect.” With his self-described OCD and ADHD tendencies, Lucia could easily spend years perfecting a single project. Instead, he’s learned to work within constraints, whether they’re budgetary, temporal, or technical.
From the Extraordinary to the Restricted
Lucia’s camera has taken him places few people ever see. He’s filmed from planes soaring through the sky, captured footage in swamps and landfills, and documented moments in restricted areas closed to the public. Modern technology has expanded these possibilities even further, with drones providing bird’s-eye views and miniature cameras offering perspectives from inside machinery.
Sometimes, the job requires more than just technical know-how. Military projects have demanded learning specific protocols, while cultural ceremonies have required understanding traditional customs. Though, as he admits with a grin, some protocols are made to be broken—like when he enthusiastically waved at the Queen during her visit to Williamsburg, despite explicit instructions not to do so.
Words of Wisdom
For aspiring videographers, Lucia’s advice is both practical and philosophical. “Always be rolling,” he insists, noting that while you can always delete footage, you can’t recreate missed moments. But perhaps his most emphatic advice concerns knowing one’s worth: “You have skills that very few people have. Do not be afraid to charge people an appropriate amount for the value of what you provide.”
In an industry where clients might readily spend five thousand dollars on a still photographer while expecting to pay just five hundred for a videographer, Lucia emphasizes the importance of valuing one’s expertise appropriately. It’s a lesson he learned through experience, and one he considers crucial for anyone entering the field.
Through all the technological advances, unexpected challenges, and evolving industry standards, one thing remains constant: the thrill of capturing moments that matter. Whether it’s a perfectly executed commercial or a slightly off-center shot of an unrepeatable moment, Lucia’s work reminds us that sometimes the magic isn’t in the technical perfection, but in the authentic moment captured through the lens.