Web magazine picks Provo film fanatic as top-25 entrepreneur

PROVO -- Being the nerdy guy in high school who made spoof videosof "Star Trek" is paying off for Cammon Randle.

Randle has been named one of "America's Best Young Entrepreneurs"by BusinessWeek.com for his video production company, which he runswith his wife, Lorri, out of their Provo home.

"This is what I love to do," Randle, 25, said of filming. "Iwould do this for free if (Lorri) didn't remind me I have a mortgageto pay. I really am ... the geek who just likes to play with hiscameras."

BusinessWeek.com started asking for nominations in August for"promising candidates age 25 or under," according to an Oct. 30story on BusinessWeek's Web site. This is the second year the onlinemagazine has launched such a search.

More than 300 people nominated companies and start-up groups.That list was boiled down to the top 25 with "serious potential,"according to the Web site.

The Randle couple's company -- CopperRain Productions -- designsand produces corporate videos. The company also educates businessesabout how effective Internet videos can be in their marketing andsales.

"The Internet is such an amazing tool because it's kind of liketaking a step in the right direction before you even start," Randlesaid.

Internet videos and advertising can be effective becausecustomers who find a specific Web site are those who are looking fora certain product -- and a video display is only going to increasethe chances of a sale, Randle said.

Randle graduated two years ago from Brigham Young Universityafter studying communications. But his interest in videos started inchildhood, and during high school he made wedding videos andanything else he could shoot.

However, his filming fanaticism morphed into a job after he metand later married Lorri, who was studying broadcast journalism atBYU with an emphasis on sports broadcasting.

"We make a good team," Lorri Randle said. "He is more thetechnical guy; I'm the emotional (one). We balance each other out."

Lorri also loved cameras and had worked with KBYU as thetechnical director. Right before meeting her future husband, shesaid she was in the process of collecting recommendation letters tosend to ESPN.

"I realized that to be the first woman Super Bowl director wasnot a great 'mom job,"' Lorri Randle said with a laugh.

When they married, they pooled their talents and createdCopperRain Productions.

Since then, they've pulled in nearly $50,000 and hope for a moresuccessful year in 2007.

Cammon does a lot of the filming work, while Lorri keeps thecompany grounded and the paperwork up to speed.

They are the only two full-time employees but hire people as theyneed them.

"My dream is to see him succeed," Lorri Randle said. "When hegets a new camera or lenses, even something as silly as AmericanCinematographer Magazine and his eyes light up ... it's just fun forme to watch."

Individuals can check out profiles on each of the 25 candidatesand vote on their favorite. Results will be posted in November.

For more information visit www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/special_reports/20061030specialrepo.htm.

E-mail: sisraelsen@desnews.com