We were lucky to catch up with Adam Hans recently and have shared our conversation below.

Adam, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard.

I’d like to believe what has set me apart from the very large industry that I work in, is authenticity and independence. A genuine attitude to art while maintaining a pragmatic approach to achieve a vision in a world full of gatekeeping and money incentives. All the while not depending on any one thing or another to live.

I know it’s quite often creative entrepreneurs tell themselves it isn’t just about the money, but when your bills are due, it ultimately comes down to it. Ignoring the fact that you need to make money to continue to make art, leaves you unable to make anything. And disregarding the art to make money, leads to bad work and in turn less work you’re hired for.

I think I’ve found somewhat of a middle ground in that very confusing battle of maintaining artistic integrity and financial sustainability, through the path of vigorous independence.

I started my own production company at the start of the pandemic, and pushed to maintain my own clientele, doing the best work possible for them. Somewhere along the line I saw the incredible benefit to being selective on who I work with, how I work with them, and the kind of work that comes out of it. And that is something only possible when you are solely responsible for the entirety of a project, instead of just a piece of it.

All the things that come with that responsibility aside, I wouldn’t trade that freedom and ability to make money independently, just for the trill of meeting a celebrity who won’t remember my name or making some money that I won’t have the time to use and make something of my own with.

After crewing on sets, and speaking with so many creatives on larger productions, I’ve learned that many of them have spent the last five, ten, fifteen years of their life with ideas in their head, words on paper, but no drive, no time, and no technical total ability to realize that dream of being a filmmaker they once had.

This is because rent was due, they began working on production sets/companies to make a living and garner experience, hoping to meet the right person to pitch to or work their way up the ladder. Most people get into that cycle, and when the pay is good, the people you meet are interesting, you get comfortable sacrificing independence for stability, and that’s where all dreams go to die.

Adam, 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?

First and foremost, I am a director. A director of film, video, events and of course my own life.

I’ve worked in media production right out of high school, some eight years ago. I started playing with cameras, renting pro gear and shooting music videos for my friends; one of my first official projects with Queens artist and close friend, DeonRaps.

Over time I worked on sets, got pretty decent at editing, writing, directing, producing, and managing every facet of my own productions. I’ve been blessed to have wonderful artists that are willing to work with me, and from the start of the pandemic, I officially launched my own production company based in Queens, NY.

Queens has been a central inspiration, not just because it is my home borough and ultimately where all my productions are assembled and finally made, but because it serves as a shining symbol of diversity and richness in culture. Something analogous to the work I’ve had the pleasure of producing.

Currently under my brand, Made in Queens, I bring a variety of themes and genres of music videos and experimental films together through unique cinematic styles and refreshing palettes.

I’ve aimed to provide professional cinema-level quality to rising talents, and seed a future in larger budget narratives by bringing that same breadth of culture, color and diversity through my content.

As of now, almost every dime generated from my company gets reinvested into bringing personal film projects and visions to life. In 2021, I released one of my first official short films, “PORTALS.” And since then it has officially won an award in Italy, been honorably mentioned in Tokyo and Venice, finished as a finalist in London, and selected and nominated in Los Angeles and New York.

Everything I do is for the love and privilege it is to create. I believe it’s almost divine to be able to make something that can feel so real and make someone feel anything at all, no matter what form it’s in. Whether it be a film, a music video, even an advertisement, the ability to convey something to another person without having to say a word to them is an incredible gift of expression, and a field I’m eternally grateful to be in.

With that however, I’d like to say, in the mainstream, we’re seeing what I call, “the death of directors.” Where many industry directors are no longer given the amount of attention and respect that our predecessors had. Before you see who directed a film, you know what studio it’s from or who’s in it, and most people only refer to it by the studio or network that distributed it. This can be disheartening because with this, I fear creative freedoms for directors in the future may also be further limited. Constraining the stories we can tell to only what’s profitable and entertaining, over what could be life changing and deeply impactful. So to all my fellow directors, be proud and visible, to ensure a future in our collective creative autonomy.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

For a long time my goal in filmmaking had been addressing various aspects of our political, social and economic climate. I felt that modern entertainment was at a lack of genuine messaging in place of trendy movements or bandwagons that drove ratings or viewership like an echo chamber. Opposed to actually educating or highlighting fundamental issues in our society and ways to alleviate them.

However, in the last couple years my direction has altered slightly. Censorship, political polarization, corporate control by big studios, and the overall decline in film literacy, has lead me to focus more on the emotions, over just the ideas. Fixating on human conditions and experiences while still addressing major issues in society.

In future projects I’m working on, this manifests in the background of characters’ lives; influencing their decisions indirectly, instead of being the foreground of their plot and the entire source of their story. After all, it’s how we as individuals experience larger issues in the world; in the background and often ignored until direct impact or imposition that affects us.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I think lots of creatives and non-creatives alike, have an issue understanding that what you do is still a business.

Many would argue that art shouldn’t be, or money and meaning don’t mix, but I highly disagree. To create something good, and do the best you can by the ideas you have, you need capital, you need team members, you need management skills, financial understanding, marketing, and all the things that it took to get your favorite show, music or movie to the place where you got to see or hear it.

No one is born knowing these things, they take time, patience and sacrifice, but ultimately you develop character, technical skills, and ability, which leads to artistic and financial realizations of things only you imagined.

However, running a business feels like it isn’t for everyone, and not everyone has an interest in it. I sure didn’t when I started. But if you wanna create, and live to create while maintaining independence, then you also need to learn how to run and operate a business, even if you’re the sole employee.

Contact Info:

• Website: adamhans.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adam.hans/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/AdamHansLLC/?wtsid=rdr_09wJOT2o4gpMkONh0
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-hans-036a31172/
• Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC52EOWr28noq4j0xSHP2RSw?view_as=subscriber

Image Credits
Jeffrey Deon Chambers, Nathan Nunez, Josephine Rodriguez