Today we’d like to introduce you to Anshil Popli.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Anshil. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
As long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to be good at drawing. I wanted a medium to express myself. I drew all throughout my classes, terribly. I still do draw in my spare time, terribly. Unfortunately, there is not a bone in my body that would allow me to draw a straight line.
I wanted that ability to create to express myself. I grew up in a big immigrant family which meant life was strange but great. I had cousins over more often than I can remember and a true tight-knit experience. However, life wasn’t always perfect especially when you start to come of age. You’re put into this foreign land to be the first to experience it. There is nobody in your corner to tell you how to deal with situations. No mentors for pressing issues. You’re forced to think on the fly and have friends that sometimes don’t make the best decisions with you. I made mistakes and got myself into more trouble than I’d like to admit as a teen in the Bay Area.
Looking back at it, I don’t think I had found a healthy way to express myself. My grandpa was a journalist. Initially, I wandered towards that because I could put some words down. I didn’t like the fact that I was stuck writing without an opinion and given topics I had no interest in to cover.
Finding a camera was almost an accident. Freshman year of high school I took a digital photo class. Man, I was in love. My teacher was a big shot from LA. She had every feature I could remember. Picture me in a double XL tee wearing size 38 pants sagging down to my hips coming into this digital photo class when kids were taking school seriously. I consistently got C’s throughout that class but still loved it. I’ll admit, I was discouraged but being discouraged as a dumb kid means you quit. There was no way 13 years old I could afford a DSLR especially at the time.
Fast forward a couple of years. My auntie bought a Sony DSLR. She had no clue how to use it. This is where having a young nephew comes in handy. She asked me if I could borrow it to figure it out. I took that camera for months having the time of my life shooting everything. Eventually I gave it back, my ma saw that I was spending my energy in a positive fashion and bought me my first camera to keep me out of trouble. A Canon Rebel XSi. I’ll never forget that. Entry level DSLR and I felt like I could finally express myself. Still, I was horrible especially when it came to the editing end.
A few years later, I graduated high school. I had a Tumblr at the time because I saw a lot of my favorite photographers sharing work via that platform. No hits most of the time. Didn’t have a huge following until one day I woke up to see one of my photos gone viral. I still didn’t think much of it. My inbox started flooding with requests for purchasing prints. That was the first time I thought, could I make money off this? Then of course, 17 years old me thought, could I buy some new sneakers?
That was the beginning. With maturity and education, I learned that I could sell my services towards things I love. Hip-hop. I love music. I took a big plunge initially with friends to build my portfolio up and grow with good people. Word of mouth spread and I finally have plentiful work to keep me as busy as I’d like!
I’ve always loved the quote that Jimmy Darmody says in the show Boardwalk Empire when describing how things landed and feel like it rings true for everyone, “I’m what time and circumstance have made me.”
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Absolutely not. There is no such thing as an easy route.
First, family. Being from an immigrant family there is a lot of judgment involved into what I do. They think it’s a great hobby but definitely were expecting me to go a different route. Every mother would rather see their child in a suit and tie rather than running around with a camera. I understand.
Second, more family. Extended family will pass judgments without talking to me. Negative rumors will spread like wildfires. Aunties you grew up with will treat you differently. Cousins will play politics with your name in their mouth. In my nature of work especially when capturing the nitty gritty, people are quick to pass assumptions. You have to keep killing it, you have to keep working and use it as motivation. People that talk about other people are bored with their lives. Listen to the noise. Silence it by putting your foot on the gas. Kill em softly.
Third, getting your foot in the door. Man it’s hard. There’s a new challenge every step of the way. You’re trying to branch out and get better but at the same time you have to ask yourself if you stack up yet. There’s a new door every step of the way and you have to keep getting better to unlock some keys. It’s a long grind and it gets frustrating when the doors aren’t opening today. People are ruthless and rightfully so when it comes to shooting you down. You have to find motivation to pick yourself up as quickly as possible to keep moving forward.
Fourth, remember that this game is business at the end of the day. You’re owed nothing. If someone offers compensation, take it because you don’t know how long you’ll be a part of any team. If you’d trade up so would someone else. If they aren’t your friends don’t be afraid to ask for what you’re worth. It isn’t personal, it’s business. You’re working a low-key role as is being behind the camera, you have to speak up or you won’t get further. Stand up for yourself early and often. Do the right thing, hype other people, be happy about the success of your teammates and remember that very few things last forever.
Lastly, I feel like I sprinted to certain opportunities I truly wasn’t ready for when I was younger. I’d say yes without thinking. Do a lot of things on the fly. Not consider the amount of mental skill it would take to complete the job at a high level. I was doing a lot of whatever quality work when I was young thinking saying yes to everything would help me. Sometimes it’s best to take a period of mental planning, being honest with yourself to see if you’re truly the person to get the job done. If you have to think about it, the answer is no. 100 whatever photos/videos aren’t as good as one banger. At the same time work with people that are going to challenge you but don’t step into a zone where you have no idea how you’re going to get the job done.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with kybalionVFX – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
My company kybalionVFX started off as an inside joke. My friends said I couldn’t really do any effects with videos so I attached the VFX to my name until I could.
I specialize in taking urban portraits in the grittiest fashion. I try to make sure there’s a lot of life in what I do. California cities as a whole are beautiful. While our cities are gorgeous it’s impossible to ignore that there’s a giant wealth gap within our state. I try to do my best in ensuring that I’m giving equal coverage to both the dreamy California everyone dreams about while balancing the reality of life that majority of us are faced with. I would say that my work is real and people do appreciate that.
I’m also good at finding spots. I make it a point to get lost as often as I can. Unknown locations interest me. Being on foot and finding something cool is the most rewarding feeling in the world. Taking people to unique spots and watching them get hyped gives me energy to feed off of.
What sets me apart is the fact that I’m just me. When you shoot with me, there’s no ego overhanging, you’ll get treated with the utmost respect. What you see is what you get and I’m interested in servicing my client on an individual case by case basis. I’m interested in elevating both our games when we come together and collaborating. I want both of us to leave happy and I genuinely wish for nothing but success for my clients. I’ve always believed if you put positivity in the air and treat everyone with respect you’ll get that in return.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Man. I’m saving til I can budget myself for an actual short film with a crew. My friend Bryce Savoy released a set of codes to live by to truly be an independent artist. A lot of that comes from re-investing in yourself. Nobody is going to do it for you. As I’m getting older, I’m realizing how important that is. Watching Bryce invest in his music and go on tour all independently acting as his own entity was inspiring to me. Looking forward to going that route.
As for the immediate future. I’ll do another pop-up shop. Plan to travel more with some clients to create in unique environments. More admin work is required as well. Sometimes you’re so focused on creating you forget the other stuff you need to do.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.poplianshil.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @kybalionvfx
- Twitter: @kybalionvfx
Image Credit:
Images Anshil Popli @kybalionvfx
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