Alumni innovate their business, give back during pandemic

Videographer Jay Dobek ’89 (on right in photo above) and national producer Jim Johnston ’89 (on left) were roommates at Saint Joseph’s. Today, they own a video production company called Last Minute Productions (LMP) in Needham, Massachusetts, which Jay started LMP more than 16 years ago from his home.

Since then, LMP has grown to a company of six, with state-of-the-art studio production space, and has a reputation for quality video production – working with a variety of organizations, including every major hospital in the Greater Boston region.

Jay and the LMP team were able to ride out the uncertainty of the pandemic and continue to thrive as a small business. Jay recently blogged about the early days of COVID-19 and not knowing if they would make it through as clients canceled in-person events that required video production, and it wasn’t certain if other clients would be able to continue to pay invoices for their services.

The team doubled down on their commitment to their clients; learning everything they could about streaming so they could offer this much-needed service during the “new normal;” offering free crisis communication videos to clients; and producing a series of “how to” videos for individuals and businesses.

The addition of streaming services was critical to LMP’s survival and it remains a vital part of their offerings today.

Jay Dobek shares how Saint Joseph’s prepared him for his chosen career path.

“When I think back on my years at St. Joe’s, I know it was the perfect place for me. The communications courses taught by Bill Yates encouraged us to take risks, fail, and then learn (and grow) from those moments. It was great hands-on experience right away.

My senior year in particular prepared me well for a career in video production, which eventually led to starting my own company. First semester, I participated in an Independent Study course. I followed a band around Portland, Maine for three months as they prepared to head to Nashville for a number of auditions. Every week, I was in a bar or a recording studio learning how to ask questions, get quality sound, and create images that would tell a compelling story.

A couple of years ago, I found the VHS recording still in good condition and re-watched that video. There was a lot of cringing on my part to see my early work, but I remember how alive that experience made me feel. I was out on my own, thinking I knew what I was doing, but I was more like a new born fawn trying to run — shaky, lacking grace, but determined.

My second semester was life changing. I landed an internship with a Portland based production company Smith Atwood Video Services. Former WCSH employees Pete Smith (a reporter) and Barry Atwood (cameraman) opened up a small video production company a few years before I got there and handled all types of corporate work.

From the first day of that internship, during a shoot at a supermarket on how to present seafood, I knew what I wanted to do. Today, at Last Minute Productions, I still use what I learned at Smith Atwood.

Throughout my senior year, through all the projects, I needed a trusted friend to help with lugging equipment, shooting, and providing advice during tough times. That person was Jim Johnston. Years later, he and I are still working together and helping each other solve issues to produce our best work … albeit on a larger scale.”

Photos and content courtesy of Jay Dobek. 

Alumni, we’d love to hear from you. Email the Alumni Office at alumni@sjcme.edu.