Embracing the Journey with Digital Odyssey Media

For 25 years, Yellow Scene has been committed to highlighting businesses in the Boulder County area. In this article, we had the opportunity to meet with Julien Motola, the founder of Digital Odyssey Media (DOM). Offering an eclectic array of photography and videography services, DOM is a digital media and content creation firm based out of Longmont, Colorado. 

Growing up in Boulder, Motola had an early exposure to the performing arts. His parents founded the Rocky Mountain Theatre For Kids and Actors Academy for the Performing Arts, which is based out of Denver. Motola began doing theater when he was four years old and continued well into high school. In his formative years, Motola participated in performing arts summer camps and year-round training programs. 

“Doing theater kind of… piqued my interest in media because I appreciated the level of creative liberty that theater was able to provide,” says Motola

In high school Motola got involved in photography, citing his grandfather, who is also a photographer, as his primary influence in the medium at the time. For his senior project in high school, Motola started a photography business and built his portfolio by doing senior and family portraits.

He then pursued film school, acknowledging a fascination with Hollywood. During an internship at Futuristic Films, a local production company, Motola discovered a new passion for digital content media for use in commercial purposes. He says that he enjoys the storytelling aspect of creating content for clients, which ultimately played into the naming of his entity, Digital Odyssey Media.

“I wanted to establish some sort of brand identity, and that came from the people that I’m working with. I really just enjoy telling their story. I like the idea of an “odyssey” as a journey that you go on,” says Motola.

As a content creation company, Digital Odyssey Media offers a variety of photography and videography services. His work with DOM primarily includes coverage for events, conferences, headshots, portrait sessions, and engagement shoots. He also specializes in promotional photography and videography services for local businesses, leading him to develop a relationship with local digital marketing agency PIN Business Network, which operates OCN (Our Community Now) Eatsl. Working with OCN Eats, Motola travels to local restaurants to document and film educational and promotional content on the restaurant for use across websites and social media.

Some of Motola’s favorite clients he has worked with through Digital Odyssey Media include the aforementioned OCN Eats as their Boulder content creator and restaurant promotor. He has also enjoyed working with the Mountain Sun Pub, Southern Sun Pub, and Longs Peak Pub in Longmont, as well as Kutandara Center, a local nonprofit that teaches Zimbabwean marimba music, SEA Change, and Savory Catering. 

Motola attributes his success with Digital Odyssey Media to his genuine interest in building relationships and establishing rapport with clients. He says that a big part of his creative process includes engaging the human element before he brings out the camera. This method tends to make people more comfortable when the cameras do come out.

“My favorite thing (about doing this work) is the diversity of experiences that I get to have,” says Motola. 

He expresses gratitude for the fact that from one day to another, his work provides him with a variety of encounters with people. Opening himself up to various experiences allows Motola to grow both professionally and personally. He derives a great deal of satisfaction from the process of creating content, from the documentation to the editing to the final product, and seeing the reaction from clients to his work.

“The hardest thing about freelancing is the inconsistency. Sometimes, you feel like you’re juggling a gazillion things… You want to say yes to everything, but then there is a fine line of being like, ‘when do I need to stop saying yes?’ because you just have too much on your plate,” says Motola when reflecting on the challenges of doing the work that he does. 

Motola’s long-term goal with Digital Odyssey Media is to run a successful production house. He hopes to develop the entity into an all-encompassing creative agency. As an immediate goal, Motola hopes to continue to expand his range of clients. He also expresses excitement at the idea of what he will continue to learn as time goes on and his business evolves.

Digital Odyssey Media is LGBTQ+ founded and inclusive. For those who wish to learn more about photography, Motola offers photography lessons. The business is currently also offering special packages for your 2024 holiday celebrations. The best way to contact Motola and Digital Odyssey Media for more information on this or any of the other services offered is through the website or by following DOM on Instagram. 

All photos provided courtesy of Digital Odyssey Media.