We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kensley Keys a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Kensley, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
I developed my confidence and self-esteem by continuing to work on and sharpen my craft. I blocked out all criticism if it wasn’t constructive, or to help me get better I also studied new tactics and styles to find which best suited me. Once I discovered my niches, I continued in those lanes to get better, which led to my boost in confidence and self-esteem.
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 grew up in a small town called Soso (MS), attended Northeast Jones High School (Laurel, MS) and earned my Bachelor of Arts Degree in Broadcast Journalism, with a minor in Sports Administration and Coaching from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2009. Afterwards, I relocated to Jackson, MS and worked as a Photojournalist for WDBD FOX40 News and several other news outlets until life took a major turn in 2013 and I returned to Laurel, MS and pursued a lot of independent work due to the lack of work opportunities at the time.
I began utilizing my videography and editing skills to produce independent content and decided to start my own media production company, Scenic Productions, LLC.
After many years of producing nes stories, commercials and filming weddings, I received a once in a lifetime opportunity participate in feature film production about my hometown, entitled Free State of Jones, as a featured actor! My initial goal was to join the production crew as a Camera Operator; however, after meeting the Director (Gary Ross), and speaking with him about my experiences growing up in Soso, which was an area mentioned in the movie, he wanted me in front of the camera….What An Experience!
After several months of being on set in various parts on New Orleans, LA, I gained an interest in film. I said, “I can do this!”..and I did it! In 2021; I wrote, produced and directed my first independent short film entitled “THIS Position”. It’s based on a true story about an incident I experienced at an (unmentioned) news station. Those interested can check it out on YouTube.
Afterwards, my creative career of content creation, photography, videography, filmmaking and acting really started to take flight as I participated in several film productions and assisted aspiring filmmakers with their projects.
To this day, my career and company is still on the rise; as I have several goals and milestones to achieve…and through faith…I WILL!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Three qualities that are most important are patience, understanding and grace. I have to have patience because I understand everything I want to achieve requires a process, and in God’s timing, I will.
When I transitioned to entrepreneurship, it was very difficult to gain clientele to help me promote my business and get my name out there. I had to understand I would have to experience several things, including the tough parts of the acting, filmmaking, photography and entrepreneurial industry. I had to also give myself grace so I wouldn’t be so hard on myself…easier said than done! It took much prayer and brainstorming.
As for skills, people skills is a very impactful skill because though I’m an entrepreneur, I still have to have interactions with people because they are my clientele. I have to maintain professionalism at all times and be mindful of how carry and project myself, as well as for hiring purposes. I have to always be mindful of “am I the type of person I would want to work for”. Technological skills is impactful because I have to know how to operate my equipment. I also have to stay on top on new equipment and the latest technology, as production and photography equipment is evolving daily and I don’t want to get too far behind.
Areas of knowledge that are most important in my journey are my camera, videography/photography and editing knowledge. Cameras are my primary equipment, therefore I have to use sound judgement when it comes to knowing what settings to use based on the event, location, scene and, when it comes to videography and film, the “look” I’m trying to give. Overall, I try my best to stay knowledgeable on all the advancements and editing software…which is a challenge itself.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Yes! I’m always looking for creatives to collaborate. I love music…all genres! Therefore, I’d love to collaborate with an aspiring singer or rapper to produce their first music video. The issue I’ve had with wanting to collaborate with recording artists to produce a music video so they can promote themselves is they lack self-confidence in their own product to want to invest in the production of a music video…it’s extremely difficult. One thing I’ve learned on my journey is you have to take risks. That realization can be scary, but you have to pray about whether the risk is worth it. But if the risk is about gaining exposure, why not assume the risk?!
It’s also been a goal of mine to collaborate with various sports, swimsuit and culture magazines to conduct celebrity photoshoots throughout the U.S. and abroad; as well as produce behind-the-scenes and lifestyle content creation for them.
In the film industry, aside from collaborating with aspiring filmmakers, I’d love to collaborate and learn from Tyler Perry, Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler.
Collaborations are a great growth and learning tool, and I’m looking to do both. With that being said, if there’s an independent/aspiring recording artist out there who is serious about promotion with a music video, or models who want exposure or an aspiring photographer/videographer/filmmaker who is interested in collaborating with me, they can connect with me via person/business Facebook (Kensley Keys/Scenic Productions, LLC), IG (kensleykeys/scenic_productionsllc), TikTok (@kensley_keys/@scenicproductionsllc) and YouTube (Scenic Productions, LLC).
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://youtube.com/@scenicproductionsllc?si=abnezXB-mOCca1Tg
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1CiqFntEU7/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@scenicproductionsllc?si=abnezXB-mOCca1Tg
- Other: Business Face: Scenic Productions, LLC
Image Credits
Arbaneze Johnson / Kamili Photography
Kernesha Miller / KMiller Photos
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
