Our company history began in 1982, when Arthur Rouse resigned from Lexington’s first cable franchise and founded Video Editing Services (VES) to create a video editing solution for the emerging “portable videotaping” community. By 1985 Arthur had created the foundation for what the company is to this day: a ‘script-to-screen’ video services solution with a focus on video creation and post production that created relationships with such clients as:
- Toyota
- IBM
- Kentucky Educational Television
- Appalachian Regional Hospital
This growth saw the need for writing, video shooting, and editing finishing programming for a variety of industries such as equine, commercial and corporate that soon expanded into the manufacturing, healthcare, construction, and education; industries we still do video for to this day. Also, the seeds of our scalable model were planted to facilitate this growth; VES sought to remain a small, boutique shop with extensive list of creative collaborators from around the region and the world. This allowed the video solutions we provide our clients to be limitless while working under the motto: “Everything bargained for and a little bit more.”
Video Editing Services kickstarted the 90’s with a bang. It has just successfully launched an international partnership with the World Trade Centers Association as well as move into its now current space at 215 East High Street. Extensive work with Jimmy Carter and his Jimmy Carter Work Project began during this time, as well as an increase in documentary filmmaking. Several of our recognized and successful documentaries include:
- Third Cowboy on the Right
- Warren Oats Across the Border
- John Ford Goes to War
- Harriet Van Meter – A life Extraordinary
- Tuska – No-Basta Una Vista
Arthur was also tapped to become the executive producer of the University of Kentucky Basketball Museum during this time.
By the 2000’s, Video Editing Services grew further, implementing more concepts from its clients toward its brand and model. The ideas reciprocity, continuous improvement, and being relationship-driven in the backbone of every VES and now Media Collaboratory project. VES also served as an incubator for entrepreneurial ideas and projects; the Idea Festival, Kentucky Film Lab, and Keep It Real campaign (a partnership with Bluegrass Prevention to use the power of filmmaking as platform for informing and inspiring kids to not drink while underage) being chief among these.
As an incubator for video, filmmaking, and new ideas, the concept of Media Collaboratory was born. This name moved forward in 2014, designed to reflect the fusion of ideas and technology present in the communications and video production industry. This milestone also coincided with future President, Robert Tipton, joining Media Collaboratory’s staff.
Three years later and in accordance of Media Collaboratory’s 35th anniversary, Arthur made the decision to fully entrust the future of Media Collaboratory into hands of its employees. So on January 1st, 2017, Video Editing Services, Inc. officially became Media Collaboratory with ownership now under Robert and its office manager, Susan Cobb. Under this new ownership, Media Collaboratory continue to grow and maintain its valued clients and return to international video production work with a renewed emphasis on emotional storytelling, video production techniques, and most importantly, the relationships we strive to uphold with our clients. Many of the early clients are still on board, which is a testament to the power of solid storytelling, reciprocity, continuous improvement and relationships. Media Collaboratory has also maintained a commitment to its location community, providing services for a number of non-profits, community awareness programs, and local filmmaking initiatives.
Now over 40 years later, Media Collaboratory is poised to boldly moving forward for years to come, with a newly revitalized brand and a commitment to meet and exceed client demand with innovative filmmaking and high production value, evocative storytelling, and valued relationships.
