Today we’d like to introduce you to Basil Ahmad.
Basil, before we jump into specific questions about your work, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was first brought into the media world through my fascination with nature. Seeing National Geographic photographers capture the world in ways I’ve never seen was something I could only imagine doing. As a sophomore in high school, I decided I would dive deeper into that world, specifically time lapses of the milky way sky. After a couple of informative videos on astrophotography, I was sucked in, watching countless hours of tutorials. I was a sponge for this new found information, taking in anything and everything I could about photography without even having a camera at that time. That time came at the end of my sophomore year, June 2015. Coincidentally, I was going to Sydney for three months that summer to see my grandparents. This trip was the beginning of my new found passion.
At 16 years old, in a new continent with my new camera━alone, I took the train daily to capture the beautiful scenery of Sydney. From the scenic beaches on the coast, to the architectural sights of the city, I was going around these unfamiliar places, meeting people, getting out of my comfort zone. I’ve never done anything like it, yet it left me with a burning desire to do more and only get better. After those quick three months ended, I returned to Houston, started school again, but this time with a new craft that I indubitably would continue. As I improved, I started getting inquiries to do shoots for people, by this time I was getting paid here and there for simple gigs━along the lines of portrait sessions, products, and once in a while weddings. By the time my senior year came, I wanted to take my journey as a storyteller a little further, I asked myself why not try video? It always fascinated me more than stills, and I did start this whole thing because of time lapses. With that in mind, I dove into the world of film. I took my camera with me everywhere and started editing until the sun came up. The time to start college came but my whole perspective on life had changed. Prior to this craft, I was thinking I’d do engineering or pre-med, the things you’re just expected to do━for me at least coming from an Asian family. But I started questioning myself why? Did I even want to pursue those professions? Was I doing it because that was just expected ever since I was a kid? By then my mindset had changed, I was set on the idea of pursuing your passion━doing what you love. I decided to major in RTF at the University of Houston, with a minor in Marketing. A semester passed, I was taking all the classes I needed to, yet no class was teaching me about film. I was stuck in a stagnant cycle━no growth, no learning, I was taking classes that I questioned why I even needed to learn. Three weeks into my second semester, after a long talk with my parents, I made the huge decision to drop out of college (February 2018).
Little did I know this would change my life. I told myself if I hustle on my own, I could get so much further than what school was “teaching” me. That same month I, along with some photographer friends, went on a nine day road trip through Nevada, Arizona, and Utah. We captured some of the most beautiful and unique places I’ve ever seen while all living in the van we rented. During this trip, on our first stop in Nevada, we ran into some other film makers who run a video production company (CreatorHouseMedia) who coincidentally were from━Houston. We shot some sequences together, and exchanged contacts by the end of it. That same night I got a text saying they took a look at my website and would love to meet in Houston to discuss a job opportunity at South by Southwest for WeWork in Austin, Texas. Without hesitation, I met up with them shortly after I arrived back in Houston, we solidified the SXSW gig, shot the packed three day event, and from there it became a lasting relationship that surpassed a business level. They became good friends who understand the entrepreneurial path I’m taking, people I could talk to about any obstacles that came my way and are my mentors to this day. Not being in school allowed me to focus on these opportunities. Shortly after I was offered to go to Washington as a job to capture my friend’s travels. I saw a whole different part of the U.S. and kept learning more. As these travels came along, I was gaining some traction and exposure, I was receiving more job opportunities that ranged from a wide criteria. I was flown out to San Francisco with CreatorHouseMedia to shoot the Creator Awards for WeWork. We added some beautiful parts of California to our itinerary and got to experience even more sights. A road trip through Washington and British Columbia followed shortly after.
As the months go on, more opportunities were opened for me. I continued to meet people, learn more, and get better at my craft. Eventually in November, 2018, I embarked on a 30 day trip to Thailand for a job to capture informative content━like a travel guide, for a group of people that I’ve never met. I had phone call meetings and was connected with them through people I trusted. I embarked on this flight to Thailand and met the group in Bangkok. After traveling for a month with people 14 years older than me, I can confidently say that this time span was the biggest month of growth for me thus far. I was 20 years old, in an environment where English wasn’t the first language. I learned how to deal with people, social mannerisms, how to communicate clearly, the way you carry yourself, and why all of those kinds of things are so important. That’s when I realized psychology was so interesting to me. Learning why people do what they do intrigued me and I knew it was a skill I needed to learn. I started reading many entrepreneurial books, how to be the best version of yourself, along those lines, and still learning to this day━it’s always learning. Fast forward to January 2019, I was flown to L.A. to shoot content for a fitness influencer. This would be my last traveled gig for much of 2019. When I arrived back to Houston, it was reevaluating time again, I needed to think long term plans and goals. I redid my website to make it more business/company oriented. For much of 2019, I focused on establishing myself in Houston, focus on bigger and better clients, network more, and most importantly improve my quality as a film maker.
Time goes on and in October 2019, I was flown out to NYC to shoot for a non-profit organization and got to experience the concrete jungle for the first time. The traveling gigs are always preferred and fun, but did not make up the majority of my jobs. I took a lot of time shooting gigs in the cooperate world, weddings, small businesses, and a lot of times I had to ask myself if I’m really enjoying this or was I doing it for the money? I needed to determine what I wanted to do and narrow down my niche. I learned it’s always better to specialize in something, you don’t want to be a jack of all trades. With that in mind, I refused to take any job that I simply didn’t want to pursue, as much as my mind discouraged me to do that because of the money, I knew it would be better for me in the long term. With the start of 2020, I decided I’d now narrow what jobs I’d take, being really specific about them. It’s about growth and getting better at what I do. I want to go bigger scale. That is the emergence of my passion━for my story to the present day.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Through the last three years of being an entrepreneur, I learned about myself in ways I’d never expect. I formed a better picture of what I want in life and how to make it a fulfilling one. Before these realizations, though, I had to experience certain obstacles that taught me them.
One big obstacle for me was getting caught up in the work and forgetting why I started this passion in the first place. As jobs were coming my way, I saw the true potential this business could have if I put the work and effort in. With that in mind, I took many jobs regardless of the niche they were in, which was fine at that point. They taught me different styles for certain videos and allowed me to have a variety under my belt. These ranged from weddings, music videos, small business brandings, sorority recruitment videos, corporate events/branding, individuals promoting what they do/offer, etc. Now I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy these opportunities or that they weren’t beneficial for me each job taught me something different and I’m proud of the outcomes from them. However, after a certain point, it got very repetitive. The jobs I was accepting were staying on the same level (for the most part) and I wasn’t growing at the rate I had been previously. I was so caught up in making money that I lost the motivation, the drive to do my passion. It became a hassle at a certain point. I had to really have a one on one with myself and question what I want to do for the long term.
Another notable obstacle was the emergence of opportunities. A lot of times, these opportunities came to me by themselves (fortunately). However, I didn’t make it an active effort to go and get the opportunities myself. When I didn’t have gigs, I wasn’t good at reaching out to people or find the jobs myself. This is something I’m still currently working on and improving daily.
The last notable conflict I dealt with and am continuously learning is making sure people value what I do. In this entrepreneurial world, you’ll be pitching yourself to companies and individuals, bargaining, and making deals. With that said, I’ve definitely sold myself short on jobs so that I can land it. I had to learn how to be firm with my dealings and find people that valued what I’m worth in the first place.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I am a freelance film maker based in Houston, Texas. I have filmed for a variety of individuals and companies throughout the years and specialize in branding for clients that want to promote what they do/offer. This includes creative direction, story boarding, video production, and post production.
My unique style of filming sets me apart from others. Growing up in the 21st century has allowed me to learn and incorporate modern styles of film in my videos. I focus on telling the story of the brand, how to incorporate emotion, what the most efficient manner of executing the story is, and keeping the viewer’s attention throughout the whole video.
I think I was initially known for all the travel I did at such a young age and being able to visit some of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. More recently, though, filming with quality and a style that’s not seen from many individuals is what I think people see and appreciate my work for.
I’m most proud of my progress as a film maker, the clients I get to work with, places I get to travel to, but just as important, the progress I’ve made as a human. Being an entrepreneur teaches you that when you’re the best version of yourself, so is your business. They work hand in hand and force you to stay disciplined so that your business can prosper and grow with you.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I think self awareness and controlling how you react to situations/people is the most important thing you can learn for yourself and success. Allow your actions to dictate your feelings, not vice versa.
Contact Info:
- Website: basilahmad.com
- Phone: +1 (832) 375-5822
- Email: contact@basilahmad.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/basilahmadd/
Image Credit:
Basil Ahmad
Andy Hvu
Danny Tran
Suggest a story: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
