We were lucky to catch up with Abhilasha FNU recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Abhilasha, thanks for joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

Yes, I am earning a full-time living from my filmmaking career as a script supervisor, and being successfully part of more than 60 productions actually, made it happen. Of course, it was not like this before. I worked unpaid for a lot of films as a filmmaking student, before starting to earn during my work period in the United States. But it was always blissful to be on-set, learn and wrap a production.

I am originally from India, flew to Los Angeles in 2020 to study filmmaking from New York Film Academy. Just after a month of film school, covid-19 happened and everything went online. Like all other international students, I was clueless for a few months about this situation. We were far away from home, and living in our rented apartments, in front of laptop screens, learning the most on-ground profession filmmaking. It felt like an unwanted vacation, till I realized, this can’t stop me!
I got the opportunity to direct-write for my college friends’ production in the midst of a pandemic. But I still lacked experience in other head positions. So I helped out some productions from being Covid Compliance officer at first, which was a completely new role in the industry, and a lot of producing paperwork to learn. I excelled at it, which made my professors’ notice my potential and I was signed my first feature film by the end of 2020, ‘This Land’ which is releasing in 2023 by Terror Films.

And since then, I have been part of productions like, Leon Bridges – Life From Gold-Diggers Hotel’ , @home with Tori, A Miracle before Christmas and many other film and television productions in two and a half years of filmmaking journey.

I feel somehow I understood filmmaking on an average quicker, only because of being on-set, choosing head-positions as it came and not stopping myself from a small failure or disappointment, in work and life. And as an artist, there is more within obstacles and milestones to achieve than outside. Once those inhibitions go away or at least, are aware of change, half of the milestone is covered there itself.

Looking back now, with this experience, I would have utilized my free time as a student more into creativity and curiosity, questioning and asking, if that makes sense.

Abhilasha, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

As a child, I have always been creative and into arts, from being professionally trained dancer, singer and to writing/reciting poems and painting. But I always tried to avoid getting into the profession itself. Though as I grew, my choice slowly and steadily started inclining towards it, I finished my Bachelors in Arts with clinical psychology major and completed my Master’s in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. During my master’s, I realized I am made for films and art. In a visual communication semester, I made my first short film from my android phone and I loved it, not because it was amazing but because it was amazing to make the film. I was appreciated by my professors and students for my vision and direction of storytelling. And the amusement of creating something stayed with me, and that spark led me to my first international flight, to the United States – to learn the best craft of art.

I work as a script supervisor in Hollywood. I chose script supervisor, because it involves pure creativity, observatory and supervising skills. I love reading screenplays and I have the ability to grasp and learn the story even if I read it once. Because I have a high emotional intelligence, I understand the emotions of the story and characters and understand the beats of each scene. I have directorial vision and am very adaptable to different visual perspectives. I have a leadership quality where I take stands and make things happen, and can speak when needed. As script supervisor other than breaking down the script, and organizing things on-set, making sure everything is working with respect to the screenplay and director’s vision, it is also important to sum up what’s happening around, and be a third eye and be whisper to/for the director and all the head departments.

My soft skills and quick problem-solving attitude is something that helps me be approachable. My creativity has always contributed to my work, as it comes with logistic and practical thought. And this is because I have worked in different departments as well. I have worked as a producer, production manager, assistant director, production designer and other, that has given me the understanding of what as a script supervisor I can do to make sure the quality of the production is reaching the sky’s limit.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding thing about being an artist is that you get the freedom to be yourself, express your thoughts, opinion, perspective and learn so many other things. You are who you are on-set, working as well as socializing. You are appreciated for what you are and your thoughts and your art.

I feel that’s the most rewarding part of being creative.

Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?

I am a NFT artist, myself, as Akukus Art and have 10K NFT art out on Opensea as Akuku’s Head. As being one, I feel there’s very less awareness and understanding about NFT world and it’s work system. I feel NFT is going to be so much involved in our day-to-day purchases, working as a medium, reward or financial support. It could be a great way to support artists and maintain a creative exchange for a change rather than a capitalistic exchange in society.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sudin.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abhikuku/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abhilasha.kumar.16/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhilasha-fnu-9b6a1a21a/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/AkukusArt
• Other: https://linktr.ee/abhilasha_fnu

Image Credits
Debbie Rickey, Lu Mendoza, Peter Rickey, Kelsie Mathews