For Maxwell Labadie, it was the opportunity to tell stories, capture moments in time, and solidify core memories for others that ignited a passion within him for photography and videography. Growing up in Tampa, Florida, Maxwell remembers his interest in pursuing a career in sports from a young age—exploring journalism, on-camera work, and news reporting—, but oftentimes finding himself unsure of the specific area in the industry that ignited a fire within him. It was during his time in high school though that he discovered his interest in photography. This was just the beginning. After picking up a camera and taking pictures of anything and everything he saw, Maxwell discovered the power of this visual medium. Not only did it give him the chance to share his view of the world with others, but it also brought joy into people's lives. This was it. This was the space that captivated him. Eager to expand his knowledge on photography and videography, Maxwell then embarked on his collegiate journey at Full Sail University where he earned a bachelor's degree in film. From lighting to production to cinematography, he honed in his skills throughout his time there and fostered his creative style. Upon graduation, Maxwell merged his love for sports and photography, and worked with several sports organizations including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, and National Women's Soccer League. He hasn't slowed down since. Currently working as a Digital Producer with the Houston Rockets and Live Content Correspondent with the NFL, while also growing his company—MvxFocus—, Maxwell is excited to continue creating photo and video content that makes people smile, captures their essence, and brings joy to their lives. Amazing!
Let’s start with your journey early on! As you reflect back on those times, what were some challenges that you faced and how did you work to overcome them?
That's a great question! A challenge to me that has always affected me I think was my age. It was like a blessing and a curse. I got my bachelor’s (degree) in two years, which was huge, but I ended up graduating college at 20 or 21. I got an internship right away, so everyone always looked at me like the little guy or little kid. I didn't want that to fool them because I was hungry. I had the hunger. Just learning from them, watching them, being inspired by them, and just picking up things along the way helped (me) prove myself—that was a big thing that I dealt with. At my internship, (for instance), I started out just editing press conferences and archiving footage which was a great step and was important. But then, as time went by I was like: “Hey, I love what so and so did on that edit. Do you mind if I try next week?” From then on, that's when I grew my skill set, got inspired by other creatives around other teams, asked them how they did things, and just added it to my toolkit.
You're a Digital Producer with the Houston Rockets and a Live Content Correspondent with the NFL. Could you share more with us about your work with each organization?
My internship with the Buccaneers, when I was there, was during the 2020 season and during COVID. It was an extended internship that was supposed to be for the offseason. It wasn't supposed to be during the season. In 2019, I was a Video Production Intern for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. We edited their preseason stuff, uniform reveals, and stuff like that. Then, crazy enough, COVID happened. During that time—I think either just before or when the start of COVID happened—, we signed Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Lavonte David, Antonio Brown. The whole entire aura and vibe of the organization was like, “Whoa, all eyes are on us. Everything we do matters…down to the hue of the color red from one shot to another. It matters.” So it really brought me to that next level of like, “Wow, this is really important. We have to pay attention to detail. Double check your work.” From there, they actually ended up offering me a position on the same day that the Houston Rockets did. It was crazy. It was a big decision because I had lived in Tampa, Florida my whole life. I was like, “Wow, well I had the blessing and honor to get to the top of the NFL and experience that journey. I'm gonna continue to put myself in uncomfortable situations, move across the country all by myself, know nobody, and do it again.” So now I'm here (in Houston).
That’s awesome! Could you take us through that experience of moving into a different professional sport and going from working in the NFL world to now working in the NBA world. As a creative, how did you navigate through that transition?