Jake Hallman built his career by combining journalism, video production, teaching, and practical problem-solving.

My career began at the Statesboro Herald, where I covered education, local government, and whatever else landed on my desk. I shot photos, laid out pages, managed the entertainment section, and pulled late-night desk shifts. A few state press awards came out of that stretch, along with a good sense of how to find a story, write it straight, and ship it on time.

From there I moved to Connect Statesboro as editor, where I ran a small team, worked with writers, and pushed us toward web-first before most local publications were thinking that way. I came back briefly in 2010 to help sort out some editorial and business problems, which tells you something about the relationships I tend to build with the people I work with.

In 2009, I started Stouthouse Media, my production company. The work has ranged from corporate video and radio spots to product photography and press materials — basically, whatever a client needs made, I make it. The company has been going for over fifteen years. If you want to see examples of that side of my work, the site has client samples and project examples. Most clients come back.

Since 2022, I’ve been the Creative Director for “Where the Food Comes From,” a nationally broadcast agriculture series on RFD-TV hosted by Chip Carter. I shoot and edit every episode. Small crew, usually two to five people. I handle all the post — color, audio, graphics, delivery. The show airs on RFD-TV and streams on RFD-TV Now, Cowboy Channel+, and YouTube. We’re in Season 4 now.

Chip and I go back years. A mutual friend connected us when he needed some video work, and that turned into Stouthouse Media producing weekly videos for his news site, Southeast Produce Weekly. When he made the jump to a full show on RFD-TV, I came with him.

I didn’t plan on becoming a teacher. I’d done some video work for Claxton High School — my alma mater — to help them secure state funding for a CTAE-focused program within the school. They got the funding. (I’d like to think my work helped.) I even came up with the program’s name: “The Den.” It meant enough to me that I got it tattooed on my arm.

When The Den’s leadership said they needed someone to teach a combined Journalism and A/V class, I wanted in. I started in 2020 with two sections and no teaching experience. Five years later, I’m full-time, teaching Journalism and Broadcast Video Production, Chorus, and A/V Technology on a block schedule. The program grew because the students got better, and the school kept adding sections to match.

The best parts of teaching are the ones nobody plans for. The kid with ADHD who can’t sit still in other classes but finds focus in a video editing timeline. The introvert who finally speaks up when you hand her a title — “Ambassador” — and a reason to own the room. A senior soprano who tears through the Queen of the Night aria because she actually likes it, not because anyone assigned it. A student who’d been nothing but trouble until someone put a script in his hands and he discovered he loves reading out loud.

I use AI tools in my classroom because they work. Gemini CLI handles the administrative grind of lesson planning so I can focus on the students instead of the paperwork. NotebookLM lets me build knowledge bases for students on everything from DaVinci Resolve to yearbook software — if a class is stuck on something, I can spin up a resource fast. I built a seating chart app for my fellow teachers using Claude and Codex through Google’s tools, mainly because I hate making seating charts. They use it every day.

My degree from Georgia Southern is in Music Composition. I completed the coursework and oral comprehensive exams for a master’s in the same field. I still gig as a pianist and vocalist, including a dueling pianos act. I still think like a composer when I’m editing video or running a rehearsal. Timing, pacing, when to let something breathe. The training stuck.

I want to do more with AI in education. Not the hype version, the practical kind: tools that actually help students and teachers get things done. I’m looking for work that mixes consulting, training, and speaking with hands-on production. I also want to scale up: bigger shows, larger teams, network-level projects.

If you’re at an EdTech company, a media org, a training outfit, or a creative shop that wants someone who builds things and figures it out along the way, I’d like to hear from you.