It may sound like a new business, but customers of 621 Productions will recognize the faces behind the rebranded video-transferring shop in downtown Apex.
Jack Otepka and his wife, Jennifer, who moved to Apex in 2016, took over as owners of Home Video Studios in November 2018. In June, the couple decided to change the name of the family-owned business after their June 21 wedding anniversary, adding a more personal touch to a business that has been an Apex staple since 2008.
The name change also allowed the Otepkas to fold in a wedding videography company by the same name that they started in New Jersey in 2005.
Everything else about 621 Productions remains the same, including the commitment to help families preserve their memories for the future.
“We’re keeping everything the same way that customers have always enjoyed having us,” Jack Otepka said. “Not much else has changed besides the name and the website.”
The small business offers audio, video and photo transferring services and also boasts a full-service video production and editing company. All work is done in-house.
Otepka recently spoke with us about the rebranding of 621 Productions and what it’s like to own his own business.
Why did you decide to rebrand?
We were leasing, and it was a brand licensing deal with Home Video Studios, and that carried on from the previous owners. But with our business, we chose not to renew the licensing. We’ve always been independent and have done things on our own. And it was unneeded for us to renew.
What is the most rewarding thing about having your own business?
Definitely being able to guide my own path. And it’s rewarding, helping other people, especially when we do video transfers and the family stuff we do. It’s rewarding, helping other people out and helping families reclaim things that they haven’t seen in many years, or haven’t even seen at all sometimes.
What would you like people to know about 621 Productions?
The big thing is that we’re able to transfer all the old formats of media. We’re still in business, and we’re still going strong. And I think that’s it — that we’re here.
The business is located in downtown Apex, and when festivals are held on Salem Street, plenty of visitors see it.
Why Apex?
So downtown Apex is really special because of the events that we usually hold, especially pre-COVID. We had at least one a month where the town would gather together downtown here, whether it was the Apex Music Festival or the Latino Arts Festival. We have a (Bone Suckin’ Sauce Peak City) Pig Fest where all the barbecue workers come from all over the country.
Those festivals really help us communicate and reach out to a bunch of people at once. Being the location is downtown, and then all of those people that come to the festivals walk right by our shop, so it’s a great downtown. We have a lot of great places to eat, and the people are amazing here.
621 Productions
118 N. Salem St., Apex
(919) 267-3409
621productions.com
