The Creator Hub podcast is joined this week by Kashif, film and tv director, Co-founder of Donya and Muslims in Media. In his younger years, Kashif would make stop-motion shorts featuring all of his toys and be in awe of the impact that tv and media had on his point of view. That same intrigue in creating films and telling stories only grew as he got older.
Around 2016, Donya production company was born with the mission of centering marginalized peoples' stories. Kashif wanted to flip the script on the usual trauma-filled experiences of people of color that are shown and portray a more diverse range of emotions and journeys. Previously he worked as a video editor, then feature visual FX designer in the industry until he took a sabbatical that led him to watch Hasan Minaj’s comedy set in New York City. For the first time, Kashif felt connected to the show through Minaj’s cultural references and directness, and he wrote a positive review on Medium. Fast forward to the start of Donya and creating film content and media, Kashif tried his hand at producing live events – some of which were Minaj’s 2017 Vancouver Tour and 2021 Kings Gesture comedy special.
Film Creator to TikTok Creator
While Kashif is very attuned to directing movies and commercials, he (like many other professionals may feel) was most intimidated by the TikTok app itself. He had been making shorts before YouTube even started, and over the years has come to learn the ways in which we falsely use terms like filmmaker, editor, or director interchangeably. As Youtube continued to grow with the addition of Shorts, Instagram with Reels, and TikTok, Kashif decided it was his chance to get ahead of the curve and learn what was really going on. While he’s still figuring out exactly what it is about his content that people respond to, his goal is to continue being as authentic as possible. As the algorithm remains ever-changing and slightly abusive, the content Kashif shares over TikTok is aimed at sharing stories of value rather than self-promotion or over-production.
Transparency
There’s something so interesting to audiences about getting a behind-the-scenes look at content creation, securing brand deals, and the ins and outs of how Creators…well, create. It may seem odd and as if the content can’t be just that, but Kashif begs to differ. Often those same videos showing the types of DMs sent to brands and securing deals are the same ones that lead to more deals with others. Don’t discount the insights and entertainment that your personal journey holds.
Desi Standard Time Travel
The short film tells the story of a young Indian father who just lost his dad, and gets the chance to travel back in time and fix their last conversation. Through twists, and turns the main character learns to understand his parents with more grace in this British sci-fi comedy-inspired short film.
Timing, Prioritization, Brand Collaboration, and Personal Partnerships
First thing first, realize that good things take time. Like a student becoming a master, give yourself time without the expectation of something perfect to come from it. Giving yourself permission and the patience to find the balance between slowing down and speeding up will get you further, without burnout. Some of the responsibilities and pressures that come with growing a brand or company are helpful in prioritizing what projects to say yes or no to, and how to accurately value($) your time. Take note of how the big companies and ad agencies are doing regarding partnership, and get creative in how to scale that down for personal projects.
Enjoy more of Kashif’s content on his TikTok @kashifpasta