Meet Abis Akolawala

Today we’d like to introduce you to Abis Akolawala.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
This whole thing started when I realized I was in the wrong industry and I wanted to be creative. One thing led to another and I found myself doing freelance videography and photography, starting my own production business in 2010 with basically nothing. Even though I didn’t own any camera equipment, I owned a computer so I started working with clients by posting Craigslist ads for video editing. Over time I started accumulating equipment from money earned from video editing.

Needing more stable income and experience, I applied for a full-time position in 2012 at a company where I would create fashion, lifestyle, and live event content. After 4 years of working full-time and freelancing on the side, I would finally be back freelancing full-time with the experience and equipment I needed to thrive and be competitive with other creatives in SoCal.

After establishing myself and developing a decent roster of clients, I’m always looking to improve the quality of my work and find new and exciting projects to add to my portfolio for both video and photo.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road was definitely rough at the beginning since nobody wants to hire you if you’re lacking experience and a decent portfolio. Unpaid gigs cost you the money needed for equipment rentals and gas. It reminded me why most people decide to work full-time for a company and have stability, but that just wasn’t meant for me.

Despite the shady clients that lowball you, decide not to pay on time or even at all, overwork you without providing extra compensation, or just disappear in the middle of working on a project, I kept pushing until I was able to make a decent living with pure freelance work.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a videographer, photographer, and video editor.

I specialize in creating video and photo content for brands, organizations, and individuals that need to advertise their services, products, or lifestyle. As a production company, I need to provide all kinds of content and constantly adapt and evolve my body of work as time goes on.

I’m most proud of the variety of content I’m able to offer. After 12 years in the industry, I’ve gotten to work with many talented innovators, entrepreneurs, and artists that inspire me to do a good job, so other people who see my work get the full experience.

What sets me apart is my attitude when troubleshooting on set and my patience. Many clients are impulsive, indecisive, or just don’t have experience being on camera. Also, the weather for outside shoots can be unpredictable, along with audio issues and other logistics issues when on location. Staying calm and using your past experience to tackle a new obstacle is necessary for this business.

What makes you happy?
Client satisfaction and being the exclusive video/photo guy for them is one of the things that makes me happy, This means my work is good enough for future projects and the trust is established. In many cases, my content helps them drive sales and expand their business. Helping someone live their dream is a huge thing for me.

The other thing is seeing your work published in the mainstream media, like a well-known blog, Youtube channel, or TV. Getting positive feedback provides that validation and motivates me to continue improving my production.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://BisVisionProductions.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bisvisionpro/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bisvisionpro/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/bisvisionproductions

Image Credits
Tony Marino