Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Melissa Aguirre. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Melissa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

When i first started my career as a videographer/photographer, i felt pressured to stick to a “niche”. I’d constantly say “nvm, im going to do this. nvm im going to do that…”.

After a couple of years, i embraced what i was saying and said to myself “nvm, im gonna do whatever tf i want”.

But, not just in video/photo.
I want NVM to be known as a multimedia company, artist spotlights, merch, art pieces and all kinds of creative stuff.
The point is that i want NVM to be known for many things. Not just one thing.

And i hope that when people see the NVM logo, they also feel inspired to do whatever tf they want.

p.s.
Sorry, i use the word “F**k” a lot. That’s just how i talk.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

People usually know me as either NVM or Melissa, or both. I am latina. I am queer. I am a visual creative. By “visual creative” I mean mainly videographer/photographer.
I’m located in San Diego, CA but I go wherever my career takes me.

I’ve been doing videography/photography for 7+ years.
But, I currently and mainly work with Djs/producers, night life and anything I find interesting.

“So… *record scratch* you’re probably wondering how I got here?”

When I was in college, I was studying and majoring in Mathematics. There was a turning point in which I changed my major to Film. The turning point is when I got an internship with a filmmaker/director named Charlie Minn. I started as an assistant and worked my way up to be part of the camera crew.

I loved working on these documentaries, and I was learning a lot.
Another reason why I became so passionate was because the goal of the docs was to give a voice to people who had been wrongly victimized.

After working on documentaries for a couple of years, I landed a job at a video production company as a manager.
This meant I could finally quit my retail job at the North Face.

The company I was hired at, specialized in commercials, Ads and practically anything e-commerce.

For a few years I was working on both commercials and documentaries.
On my free time, I was going to festivals/events with friends, and recording them for fun. I would make recaps of us traveling to these events, and I would post them on Instagram.

Eventually I was making recaps for local djs and getting paid gigs.
I started with recaps but quickly branched off to other types of visuals.
I started doing photoshoots, music videos, promo videos, cover arts etc.
And somewhere in the middle of all of this, NVM was born.

Through NVM, I can proudly say that I’ve worked with some of the most talented Djs, producers and record labels in the industry. And although I like working with bigger artists etc. There’s nothing like working with local artists, building a relationship and helping each other grow.

At this point, you’ve probably figured out that I like to try new things. That’s what NVM stands for.
I’m a curious person and I don’t see myself doing the same thing for the rest of my life. When people see the NVM logo, I hope people feel inspired to do whatever the f*ck they want.

The House x Techno community in San Diego is definitely growing and I’m so happy that NVM can be a part of it.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Throughout the years, I’ve had my fair share of expensive and non-expensive equipment.

One time I showed a photo that I took and edited to a random person, and asked them “Regarding this photo, how much do you think the camera cost?” They answered back with expensive camera prices and I said that the camera I used was only $1 from the swap meet.

By the way, the camera was a digital camera from the early 2000’s.

What I had to unlearn was that expensive equipment beats better pictures/videos,

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

What’s driving me to pursue my creative journey is in hopes to inspire and drive people to do whatever tf they want.

Don’t be afraid to stand out.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://visualsbynvm.com/
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/visualsbynvm/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMsgnmq-oZObTZm2l-SBbGA