Industry Insight : Jack Martin

From filming a high school playoff game to leading creative projects in college athletics, Jack Martin has built a career telling stories through video. Now the Assistant Director of Creative Services at Tulane Athletics, he spends his days capturing moments, editing footage, and planning content that connects fans with the teams.

Jack's path wasn’t planned—he once thought he’d go into physical therapy—but a student job at Troy changed everything. In this interview, he talks about his role, the challenges of staying creative, and what he’s learned about leadership in sports media.

Let’s dive in 👇

Can you describe your role as an Assistant Director of Creative Services and what a typical day looks like?

I’ve only been here two weeks, so I have only had a few typical days with the Super Bowl coming into town. There have been many meetings and prep work for the upcoming spring sports season. I try to make it to a practice a few times a week, and spend the other days editing and coming up with ideas.

How did you get into this field? Was it a planned career move or a surprising turn?

The first time I ever picked up a camera was because my high school’s kicker asked me to record our team’s playoff game. Ever since then, it has been something I love. I never expected to get into this field, I originally planned to join Auburn’s physical therapy program but got an opportunity to be a student worker at Troy, and jumped on that. I learned more at Troy than I ever thought I could.

How do you handle creative blocks or resistance to new ideas?

I am a big believer in getting inspiration from other creatives. I never like to replicate ideas directly, but I think recognising and applying a great piece of content is crucial to becoming more creative-minded.

What advice would you give to someone aspiring to work in creative leadership?

Leadership in this industry is one of the most rewarding things ever. I think a good leader is able to execute his/her ideas efficiently, but a great leader executes the entire team’s vision. Collaboration is one of the most important things I’ve learned while leading a department.

What’s your favourite piece of equipment or software to use in your work?

In my opinion, any long lens I have ever used (200-600, 60-600) is crucial to storytelling. Capturing up-close emotion allows the viewer to connect with the athletes.

What’s the most exciting or rewarding project you’ve worked on?

Troy’s “Behind the Wall” series was a lengthy recap of each football game during the season. The most rewarding part was seeing how our team grew the recaps of past in-game moments. Creating and executing stories from pregame, postgame, and even days before games was also extremely rewarding.

If you weren’t in this role, what career would you have pursued?

Honestly, ever since my Freshman year at Troy, I have never thought of myself in another industry. It is the most rewarding job and has taken me places I never thought I would be.

A big thank you to Jack Martin for taking the time to share his experience and work with us. It’s always interesting to hear about the effort that goes into capturing great moments in sports.

Check out more of Jack’s work and follow Tulane Athletics here:

📷 Follow Jack Martin
🏈 Tulane Athletics

Thanks for reading!

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