We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Anjin Prasad a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Anjin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I was born and raised in the United Arab Emirates, where the expectation is you work 9-5 in an office job or real-estate. In my early 20s I knew this wasn’t for me. I realized I loved enveloping myself and discovering different worlds through stories. It could be a movie, television show, video game, or comic book; it didn’t matter.

Anjin, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

As mentioned earlier, I grew up in the Emirates, specifically in Dubai (where film / arts is not necessarily a commonplace career path) the expected career path was either STEM-related, Business, Hospitality, or Real Estate. I however never felt called to any of those fields. Instead, I was drawn to multiple forms of visual stories and art. I wasn’t inspired to become a producer by a single medium, but a combination of movies, comics, and video-games. Each influenced me in different ways, some technical and some creative.

There were two franchises that were my first inspirations: “Star Wars” & “The Mummy”. As a child, I would watch them at every opportunity I had after school. As I got older and began re-watching these movies, I became curious about how these movies were made and the process behind the scenes.

I was also inspired by story-driven video games (specifically the Tom Clancy’s: Splinter Cell, Mass Effect, and Deus Ex series) and their comic-book counterparts. The way these games immersed me in a story and how they grew their lore revealed a new way to tell stories. I wanted to be more than a consumer of media, I wanted to be part of the process.

At this point in my life I was trying to determine what I wanted to pursue in my career. I didn’t want to follow the conservative norms of office work, I wanted to explore creative ideas and produce content that explore social and political themes

Both the journey of who I am and what I want to do ultimately led me to Hollywood, where I continue to develop my skills as a producer.

What makes me unique is that I understand and can apply the different storytelling dynamics of different media (comic books, TV shows, movies, and video games) to create new, captivating narratives for both conventional or new multimedia works.

I am able to innovate in the fast paced digital market, and create inventive ways to tell stories as a transmedia producer.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

While I have produced seven short films with each resulting in their unique challenges and experiences, it has shaped me as a person. The two most rewarding aspects were the journey of becoming a producer and the people I meet and work with.

When I first embarked on my journey as a producer, I never thought it would take me to the other side of the globe and meet some incredible people who have shaped who I am today.

I met actor/producer Raymond Karago who became one of my closest friends when I first moved out here. He has always pushed me to keep going when faced with challenges. He has been an inspiration while we worked on our passion projects, one of which is set to premiere at the Dreamachine International Film Festival later this year.

I got to collaborate with publicist and producer Rosa Veleno from MegaEntivision on her projects, and award winning producer Gary Ousdahl with whom I had the pleasure of working with his documentary film ‘The DOC’ (which had gone on to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2022)

Learning from the people on my journey has made me a better producer and able to succeed in my own projects. This guidance has been an invaluable and most rewarding experience as a creative.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

In my opinion there is a lack of mentorship/apprenticeship opportunities. I strongly believe that there are many individuals who have good creative instincts, but they require a longer time to master their crafts because they lack guidance.

While mastering a craft is a life-long process, I believe the reason why you don’t find noteworthy talent without experience is because there is no proper guidance or mentorships. They are often left to trial and error to become better at their craft.

Having mentor-based programs easily available in local communities and schools will help new creatives quickly build their skills. It will boost their confidence and build their respective skills. They can discover, experiment, and make mistakes in a safe space and learn critical lessons to refine their craft.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://anjinprasadx.wixsite.com/portfolio-1
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anjin_prasad/?hl=en
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anjin-prasad-b05b5912b

Image Credits
Natasha Ingeram, Iziah Love, Adrian Sierkowski & Dillon Lobo