Right Place, Right Time: How Berghs Shaped Josef’s Creative Career

Hi Josef! What program did you study at Berghs and what do you do today?

I studied Content Engineering at Berghs School of Communication, and today I run my own freelance business called Kumo Is Cloud Productions. I work with short film productions, some VFX, some audio work, and of course marketing.

What did you do before studying at Berghs? 

Before Berghs, I was producing music and bartending. I realized I needed to build my marketing skills in order to get eyes and ears on the musicians I was working with.

How come you chose Berghs and wanted to study Content Engineering?

I actually didn’t even know Content Engineering was an AI program until the first day, haha. It turned out to be one of those right place, right time moments. I applied to learn how to make content for music and ended up doing film and marketing. I still do music and manage a rapper named CAEL in our music collective “In Good Hands.” My good friend Mary Lee told me Berghs was the best, so that’s what I decided to pursue.

When did you get interested in film?

I’ve always loved movies and TV, especially anime. My mom was an art director, so I’ve been absorbing attention to detail and communication through art my whole life. I wouldn’t say I started as a “film person,” but I’ve always wanted to communicate through art, and it became a natural progression into the kind of art direction and curation you end up doing when working with AI.

What is it like to work with film?

Working with film, or any professional creative work, is super exciting but also very stressful. The process of trying to understand a client’s vision and communicate your own is like trying to describe the color blue to someone who has never seen it before. How do you describe something with extreme nuance? I think the best way is to describe how it’s supposed to feel. Learning how to take feedback and communicate with creative and emotional language has been one of the most valuable skillsets for me.

What to you like the most about your job? Are there any challenges? 

What I like most about my job is pretty personal. I’ve always had a hard time focusing on “normal” jobs. I used to work in sales and struggled to stay focused just calling people and doing corporate tasks. With creative work, I can sit and focus for 10 hours straight and not even notice. It just fits the way my brain works. It feels like I’m supposed to be doing this.

I also love the challenge. It’s very humbling to show up to a project thinking you’ve got it handled, then realize you have no idea what you’re doing. From there, you have to fight your way back up creatively. It might sound awful to some people, but I love that process.

What does a typical work-day look like?

A typical workday usually starts with some meditation and prayer to get centered. Then I make a good breakfast and coffee and get comfortable at the computer. A lot of the day is about staying organized with notes and feedback and blocking out time for different projects. I also have to actively pull myself away from work to go to the gym or spend time with people, because if I don’t, I start to go a bit crazy. Some days end up being 14 hours, but I try to aim for consistency over burnout.

Who is your job suitable for, and do you have any tips for those who want to work with film?

This job is best suited for strong self-starters. It can be lonely and stressful. Nobody is forcing you to show up. Nobody checks if you’re on task. And nobody makes sure you get paid. It’s all on you. You also need a thick skin because your ideas will get torn apart regularly, and clients don’t have time to protect your feelings.

You need some kind of deeper motivation. Whether that’s something spiritual about your creative calling or just the fear of failure, you need that voice that tells you to keep going when you’re exhausted and stuck. If reading that feels like a challenge, then it might actually be for you. Freelancing is not for the faint of heart.

What do you dream of doing in the future? 

My dream is to work on something really big in music and hip hop. I’m waiting for that call to do a A$AP Rocky video any day now, haha.

Please share a fun memory you have from your education at Berghs.

One of my favorite memories at Berghs is kind of funny. We had a class with Billy Boman, and he gave us a huge project with a super short deadline. Some people were complaining, and he said, “Guys, I don’t know if this is news to you, but this is Berghs. You don’t get weekends.” It was one of those ”how bad do you want it?” moments.

Do you have any tips for those who want to study Content Engineering at Berghs? 

For anyone who wants to study Content Engineering at Berghs, understand that it’s not really a tech path. It’s much more of a creative one. The tech can feel intimidating, but you’ll figure it out piece by piece. What really matters is enriching yourself creatively. Take in as much art and culture as you can. Feel things deeply. Think deeply. That will take you much further.

And one last tip, leave your ego at the door. Failing forward and looking dumb is the only way you actually learn.