Noah Halford became immersed in sports videography and content creation during his time in college. Growing up in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Noah remembers first discovering his love for video and visual storytelling at a young age and slowly exploring the possibility of pursuing a career in social media and videography as he got older. It was only up from there. As he began his journey at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU)—where he majored in video and film production—, Noah dove into the world of sports through his work with the MTSU football team. From filming practice plays and arranging recaps for coaches to creating hype videos and graphics on the side, Noah began building his portfolio in the industry. This was just the beginning. After graduating from MTSU, he accepted a video internship with the football program at the University of Georgia and continued to expand his knowledge in the space. Committed to transitioning from the coaches-film realm to the creative side of sports, Noah continued to curate his own digital content throughout his time at Georgia. Before he knew it, the opportunity he had been working towards since his undergrad years was here. An opportunity to combine his passions for social media, content creation, branding, and sports. In 2021, Noah began working as the social and digital media producer for 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott—designing graphics, taking photos, curating videos, and managing his social media. After about a year and a half, Noah found his way back to football upon receiving an offer to join the creative team at the University of Tennessee. The rest is history! With a specialty in videography, Noah currently works as a content creator for Tennessee Football and continues to merge his love for sports, digital media, and storytelling throughout his work for the program. Amazing!
Let’s begin with your journey early on! How did you get started in the industry?
Yeah! Early on, I started filming little videos on my phone and stuff like that. I started creating little movies when I was in middle school, high school, and then I got my first GoPro. I took it to the beach with me one time and I absolutely loved making the video—I made it on iMovie on my phone. So I kind of always had that spark to create videos and create content. When I went to college, I didn't really know what I wanted to do. That was before video was super big, like it is now. But then, I kind of realized: “Ok, I could pursue social media and video as a career.” So I went to college, I majored in video and film production—which honestly didn't help me too much in what I’m doing now, but it allowed me to make some connections. I went to college at Middle Tennessee State University and that's where I kind of got involved in sports. I got on the football team there—on the coaches-film side. I was pretty much just filming their practice plays and cutting that up for the coaches to watch later. It wasn't really creative video, but I started doing creative videos on my own by just making the team little hype videos, making some graphics for them, and stuff like that.
You know, I kind of built up a little portfolio. I helped out with recruiting, started shooting some more games, and when I graduated I ended up taking a coaches film internship at Georgia. It wasn't really what I wanted to do, but it was (something) I could put on my resume and (add) to my portfolio. It was just like an internship for a year or so. When I went to Georgia, I did the same thing I did at MTSU. I (continued) doing stuff on my own. I made hype videos on my own, I took photos on my own, made graphics on my own just to learn more about creating content, and started posting a lot more. A lot of people really liked it and then I finally got my first official job offer in NASCAR working personally with a driver—his name is Chase Elliott. I did his personal social media—which included video, photo, and graphic design; and I ran all of his accounts. I did that for about a year and a half, I posted all my work, and then Tennessee came calling one day. I grew up a big Tennessee fan being from Tennessee, so it was kind of a dream come true. I couldn't refuse, so I left the NASCAR world and went back to the football scene. We've had a great season this year and haven't looked back. It's been a lot of fun.
How was that transition into the world of sports videography and content creation like for you?
When I majored in video and film production in college, it was more like being on a set, moviemaking, or working on a TV show—it was the production aspect of it. That's something I knew I didn't really want to do. I didn't want to be on a set 12 hours a day. I wanted to do a lesser scale of that, without as many moving parts, and I wanted to do it kind of on my own. That was more of that social media video that's kind of taking over the world nowadays with YouTube, reels, and TikTok; which is cool to see. Personally, I didn't want to get into the moviemaking and being on set aspect. I knew going into it (that) I just wanted to make the short-form, social media video content.
What were some challenges that you faced early on as you entered this world of content creation and how did you work to overcome them?