Exploring Life & Business with Joshua Jasper of Hashtag Productions

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Jasper.

Hi Joshua, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Growing up in Los Angeles isn’t as appealing as they make it seem on TV. Gunshots, sirens, and helicopters often deterred me from my focus on being successful in life. Heavily influenced by the streets and from an even more direct source, my father, it was destined for me to become a statistic and fall short of the overall goal of bringing change amongst my community. I would have rather read gang writing on walls than read my assignments for school, I would rather fight than study, and I would rather hang out with my friends than be present in the classroom. It took my 7th-grade science teacher to approach me, sit down and express how much potential she saw within me to make up my mind that I will, in fact, be different. I always had a passion for expressing myself through videography. Growing up I felt as if my voice was never heard, so I used to record videos on my phone of interesting things I would come across and I always noticed people would be so much more interested in them than anything I had to talk about. I then knew that I could get the attention I was longing for through something that I actually enjoyed doing.

Transitioning myself from a young African American living the Los Angeles street life to a young, educated African African with the intention to spread my knowledge and serve as a walking testimony became quite easy. After the numerous amount of friends that I once had ending up dying or being imprisoned, I learned how to use that as motivation to never return to the lifestyle that they continued to live. I instead made a mature decision to counsel a lot of my loved ones and help them in any way that I could to make a turnaround in their lives just as I did. After I graduated from Morehouse College in 2017, I took a road trip from Atlanta back to Los Angeles. My grandmother had a camera she never used so I asked her to mail it to me so I can capture shots on the drive home. After this journey, I discovered my potential with this on a professional level. I did $50 shoots until I was able to save enough money for my first professional camera. Being a student of the game, I mastered every editing, lighting, and filming technique that helped me elevate my production. Dedication and determination has resulted in this becoming my full-time job.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Like the Goat Nipsey Hussle said, “I’ve gone through every emotion!” I felt this to my core. In this field of work, you experience everything, attitudes, unsatisfied costumers, customers who don’t pay, all types of things. Although my business has reached great success, there are times where bookings are slow, clients have small budgets, and things just don’t seem to make sense, but you have to keep on marketing your services and take the extra step to satisfy your business goals.

We’ve been impressed with Hashtag Productions, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Hashtag Productions serves all your needs from Productions shoots to Photoshoots. We produce films, music videos, event films, any type of filming you may need. Our photoshoots include headshots, portraits, family photos, etc. Hashtag Productions has access to numerous amounts of studios in the Los Angeles area for both photography and videography. Hashtag Productions is a stand-out company because there are no limits to what we can do or no hours where we do not operate. You can book Hashtag Productions 24/7/365. I am most proud of being able to support individuals and make their visions come to the screen. Being able to assist people to elevate in their careers with visuals is such a blessing for me. When booking with Hashtag Productions, you can expect great outcomes with whatever your vision is.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Keep business cards! Business cards are like lottery tickets or scratchers except you are the one giving them out. You can hit big with a client, you can win a little prize, or you might now win at all, but handing out business cards at any event, restaurant, etc will be a guaranteed way to get booked. Always keep your digital portfolio ready for individuals to check out your work if they are interested.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hashtagproductionss.squarespace.com/work
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/ClPO-U7gn12/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
• Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCWyC8uTmh2hIWSXNrciyy-Q?fbclid=PAAaY3yGOPY19DT0WallR3diZGtH8cyJI5w_1pV1NlIf84yFN4uj8L6hjcRuQ

Image Credits
Kenneth Washington Mac Shot It