Guest Speaker - The Lantern Podcast: FROM CAMERA TO CLASSROOM

If you’re curious to see more by Justin - check out his Vimeo.

JUSTIN’S BACKGROUND

Dr. Justin Kavlie and Dr. Ryan Martin get into something pretty simple: you figure out what you want by trying things and paying attention to what actually feels right.

Justin started in psychology, then drifted into video and teaching - not because of some grand epiphany, but because it made him happy. He picked up a camera just to mess around, and that was enough. He bothered his campus film professor for access to cameras and learned everything he could about them.

He had to defend video production work for a long time. People didn’t see video as a real path - some thought it was a distraction, others tried to talk him out of it entirely. It’s hard, stepping into a field that doesn’t match your degree right out of college. It’s hard for the student, and it’s hard for the expectations they carried about what their life was “supposed” to look like after graduation. It can be hard on everyone when rent money is high and good paying jobs are specific.

But he kept going anyway. And that choice - to trust what felt right instead of what looked right - is what made everything possible. He kept going anyway. Learned as he went. Shot weddings, competition films, client work, and documentary pieces.

Eventually, he and his friend Preston built Grassfire Studios, and for a while they were one of the top production teams in North Dakota. They hustled, made connections, told stories, and actually made money doing it.

After years of co‑owning Grassfire, Justin went back to grad school in communication and moved into teaching.

IT’S ABOUT THE WORK

He keeps circling back to the same truth: start small, learn your tools, learn as you go, stay adaptable - but most importantly, do what you’re passionate about with people who care. Make things because it feels good.

Let yourself make mistakes - you can save a bad shot with a good edit, but you can’t save a bad edit with a good shot, so give yourself room to try, to experiment, to grow.

One day you’ll look back and be grateful you showed up, even when the work felt clumsy or confusing. Show up with a good attitude, and eventually you’ll see a body of work you’re genuinely proud of - something built from consistency, curiosity, and care.

There are thousands of YouTube tutorials out there. You’re not “bad at something,” you’re just one video away from understanding it. The world is overflowing with resources now - you don’t have to stay confused or stuck. Just slow down - take some time, breathe, and take some time to learn it.

Never let someone else’s tiny dreams shrink yours. You already know what you need to do - you just have to keep doing it.

You can’t reach the stars while carrying other people’s negativity. You already have your own inner saboteur whispering doubts; you don’t need to let the outside voices join in too.

-Madeline

If the struggle is inevitable, choose the one that builds the world you were meant to inhabit.

If the struggle is inevitable, choose the one that builds the world you were meant to inhabit.

Last updated: Aug 17, 2026