We recently connected with Arrad and have shared our conversation below.
Arrad, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
Thanks for having me! I feel my optimism in the film and music industry is partly due to a touch of naivety and a dash of delusion. I leaped into this industry without fully grasping its complexities and politics. My motivation was simple: passion to create. I relished the opportunity to hone my skills as a director and make a living doing what I love.
This slight delusion fuels my optimism. I’m aware that not everything will always be smooth sailing, but I embrace the challenges. I have a strong belief that, no matter what happens, the universe has aligned it all for me.
Most people give up without realizing that their next big break could be right around the corner. If you really want to do this, you’ll find a way to make ends meet and make it work. The only people who make it are the ones who never quit.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m a human being who outlets his emotions & experiences through filmmaking. I currently work as a director in both short form as well as long-form narrative. The current work that’s out is mostly short form, ranging from music videos for some of your favorite artists to a film that’s close to my heart and currently in the film festival circuit.
There’s another aspect of me that leans towards entrepreneurship. Behind the scenes, I’m actively involved in building brands and initiating new projects that diverge from the traditional realm of the film industry. You’ll see all this soon enough!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1 – Learning to build confidence in myself and my decisions
2 – Learning on how to work with high profile talent (dealing with their schedules, personalities, micro-managing agents / managers etc)
3 – Being prepared for the worst and knowing how to pivot when problems or drama would arise
What has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
I didn’t always strive for perfection, especially in my early days.
Early on, it’s okay to aim for quantity and not necessarily quality. My career as a filmmaker is a product of experience and trial & error. I didn’t focus on trying to perfect one or two films. Instead, I made hundreds of mini-films. Put yourself out there and create as many shoots as you can. Write a bunch of short films, shoot with your friends. Get out and don’t be afraid to fail, because the more you fail, the more experience you’ll garner, and the faster you will grow.
Contact Info:
- Website: arradr.com
- Instagram: @arrad
- Twitter: @thearrad
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@itsarrad
Image Credits
Personal photo by Joyce Charat
