Britain’s Prince William made history today, becoming the first royal to pose for the cover of a major gay magazine. And there to document the moment was videographer Jon Dean.
Dean, a member of London’s WeWork Aldgate Tower, says that shooting video inside Kensington Palace was a remarkable experience. Even more remarkable was the fact that he got the job after sending a cold email to Attitude magazine.
“It was luck, really,” says Dean. “They looked at my work, and apparently they liked it because they called me in to talk about shooting a ‘special project.’ I didn’t know what it was at first.”
Dean has done a lot of high-profile jobs—clients include Calvin Klein, Coca-Cola, and Nescafé—but this one has gotten his work noticed all over the world. Most of the world’s biggest news outlets have linked to his video.
Dean actually visited the palace twice: once to choose the best locations for the shoot, and then a week later with a team of about 15 people to take capture the meeting with the prince. William was pleasant and charming, chatting amiably with members of the LGBT community about bullying.
“No one,” he said, “should be bullied for their sexuality or any other reason.”
Even though he’s well-established as a videographer, Dean says he still has to market himself.
“I wouldn’t be in business if I wasn’t constantly sending out emails,” says Dean. “It’s part of the job.”
Besides referrals from clients, the other major source of new jobs is WeWork.
“WeWork is the perfect place for me,” says Dean. “I have gotten a number of clients just from being a member here. And to be honest, posting my work to the Member Network has been great.”