Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Axel Arzola. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Axel thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with 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?
Working full time as a creative is a dream for many people. I knew that I wanted to do this from very early on. Growing up in Cuba that was a very hard thing to accomplish and I was able to do it by working on a lot of free projects initially until I learned my filmmaking skills and was able to charge for my work.
When I came to America I started to get payed for my work early on, but growing that income until it I was able to pay al of my bills was a bit challenging.
I think the first step was making connections. You can be as good as anyone in town, but if nobody knows you as the best producer or director they wont be able to hire you.
I did some free lance work and was always struggling to make enough money because I was in a small town. The shift came when I started learning more about business and applied that to my production company.
I added people to my team and started to think like a company instead of a freelancer. Some of those people I added were just pitching our video services to businesses and getting paid on Commision.
When you are an artist you must lear business to scale your art. If you can’t learn that then partner up quickly and dont be afraid.
Axel, 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?
I started making videos and films when I was a teenager, and was always focused on making beautiful images with a story behind them. My most proud moment in my career so far was to premiere my first feature film at an IMAX Theater. Seeing those images on the big screen after almost 12 months of intense work on that film was extraordinary.
There is a wonderful feeling that gets you addicted to making movies. Is totally a crazy endeavor, but is totally worth it.
Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?
I think NFTs are revolutionizing the entertainment industry an allowing fans to put money towards the projects they love and get more for that early investment.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
I think connecting with other creatives is very underrated. Most people in creative positions feel threatened by others who are more talented or connected than they are, but the reality is that everyone feels the same and it gets pretty lonely.
Early on in my career I discovered that those people I felt a little jealousy towards were actually very similar to me and once we started talking we quickly became friends and supported each other.
The person you think is your competition will actually become your ally because there is way more projects and money in the industry than we think.
Contact Info:
- Website: redaxemedia.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/axelarzola
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/heyaxelarzola
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/axelarzola
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/axelarzola
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2f1u0imhtfgzXI0lCNKQxQ
Image Credits
Alphaguard