If you could hire a jack of all trades to support the creative side of your business, Eric Krebs would be your man. From Photoshop hacks to website building to his father-of-the-year-candidate dedication to his kids, Eric has plenty of skills that help make CreativeLive the best place to learn 24/7. Here’s a brief interview with the hardworking office-prankster.
What do you do at CreativeLive?
I am the Content Coordinator at CreativeLive. I’m involved from beginning to end on each workshop, making sure all the magic my co-workers and instructors create is populated on the website and course pages.
What inspired you to go into production? 
I was a student in the Zack Arias’ Studio Lighting workshop on creativeLIVE in 2010. I left that workshop sure of two things: That Zack’s teaching style, on the creativeLIVE platform, was one of the most productive learning experiences in my life, and that if there was ever an opportunity to work for CL, I would jump on it. That’s what I did and I’m pretty happy about it.
Why is your job hard/fun/ rewarding?
CL is a fast-paced and dynamic LIVE broadcast environment, so it keeps you focused and on your toes. Every workshop has a lot of moving parts, both in front of and behind the camera. I always have several things going on for several simultaneous broadcasts at any given time.
The entire CL team is made up of hard working, dedicated, and creative people who are amazing at what they do. The reward is seeing the final product that this company is putting out into the wild and knowing that I play a small part in it.
What did you study in college?
I studied bar menus and the bus routes to the all-girls’ college down the road [laughs].
What was your first job and where else did you work before CL?
My first job was for a small sign company in my home town. I was 14 years old and the owner had me driving a big windowless van around town without a driver’s license, running errands that had nothing to do with my job. I felt like the young Henry Hill from “Goodfellas.” More recently, I worked at a large digital marketing company for 7 years before coming to cL. I am also a portrait and wedding photographer.
Do you have creative hobbies?
Pillow fort construction with my kids and, of course, photography.
Who or what inspires you in your creative endeavors?
I really enjoy preserving the simple moments of life. This is why I love photography so much — trying to capture unique moments in a different way then I think someone else might.
Who is your favorite CL teacher and why?
That is a tough question, but I have to go with Zack Arias. A family man like me, he taught in a way — on topics outside of just technique — that I really connected with. His workshop was as much of a positive reality check for me as it was a positive learning experience. It is a plus that he’s also funny and has a long beard. I really hope he makes his triumphant return to the cL studio sometime soon.
If you were a CL instructor, what would you teach?
“Pranking Your Co-Workers and Capturing It On Video with Eric Krebs.” But I have a lot more work to do before this becomes a reality because I tend to have camera issues on every attempt that I need to iron out (see below).
What’s the strangest/most awesome thing you’ve ever done in a job?
in 2001, I was working as a production assistant in Los Angeles. We were shooting a video for Brian McKnight and Justin Timberlake. Second day of the shoot, an actor didn’t show and they needed someone to play a nurse. I got the job even though I had never acted before in my life. I spent the day pushing Brian McKnight around in a wheelchair, blowing all the shots because I couldn’t stop staring into the camera.
Where do you see education going in the future?
I see education going away from the standardized methods I grew up with to a more hands-on, experience based model. creativeLIVE is a perfect example of what the future holds. Generation X has laid the technological foundation and I think Generation Y is going to embrace it and shake the educational world up for the better.
What’s your favorite family tradition?
The last few years for my birthday, I have been heading to sunny Eastern Washington with my wife Melanie and my kids, Samantha and Benson. There is no better feeling in the world then floating in a pool with your family, not knowing what time it is, and tuning out anything else for a while.
Most life-changing (non-CL) class you’ve ever taken?
Childbirth preparation class at the hospital where my children were born. Those videos will change your life and you will never “Shhhhh” the same again.
What do you do with cLers outside the office?
This weekend I will be doing some indoor skydiving with a gang of cLers. I relate more to a rock than a bird, so we will see how this goes.
