We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Hussain Al-khalil a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hussain, appreciate you joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

The first big step I took was instilling discipline in my practice. I made a goal to shoot one photo session and one video session a week to train myself. I was able to keep up that process for 2.5 years straight not missing a week. It helped me with on the spot problem solving cause issues I may have ran into on a gig I had run into in practice and was already prepared for it.

The main skills I felt I learned was learning how to pose models. That was something I struggled with learning and how to engage a model, especially inexperienced ones. Id use the ability on Instagram to have a save folder of poses that I liked and would try to replicate and then innovate to help get better at direction.

Learning how to edit my photos was another thing. I would time myself how long it’d take me to edit photos, which then turned into me having a consistent process that till this day I stick to.

Best thing I could have done to speed up the process is knowing that when someone reveals themselves to you believe them. I spent a lot of time wasted dealing with people who weren’t serious with learning more about their craft. That kind of energy can become a burden when it’s around you often. Learning to say no quicker. Self confidence, if it found me earlier I would have sifted through the debris of negative energy much quicker.

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

My name is Hussain Al-Khalil. I am a handicap filmmaker & photographer. I am Muslim from New Jersey & black. I grew up heavy into sports and carried that sense of comradery into my creative fields. 4 years ago I was diagnosed with Lupus and if effected my nervous system. I had to learn how to walk again ( in the beginning with limited physical therapy because of COVID). It has been now a year and a half of me walking on my own power again and now continue my creative pursuits.

I always loved movies and originally was in school for communication cause that is what made sense to me. My appendix burst and I was bedridden for a month, missing time during mid terms. During this time I learned how to navigate my thoughts better and chose to chase my passion to be a filmmaker. The dean of students refused me to make up work I missed which caused my grades to plummet. Feeling disenfranchised, I chose to continue my pursuit as a filmmaker outside of the school system like so many others. In turn I bought a camera and as I started to grow a network I started to practice photography as a way to train my creative eye and lighting concepts until photography became a joy all on its own.

I learned photo editing, video editing, and screenwriting alongside these other skills and have worked with clients ranging from a neighbor wanting photos for their child’s prom all the way to filming something for the NFL & McDonalds. I’m currently working on a focus on photo and video work for small businesses and documentaries while working toward a passion project feature film. I have been a working filmmaker and photographer going on 10 years now. I’ve shot music videos, commercials as well. I am my won cinematographer & editor often as well but provide those services on other clients projects as well.

If they’re was something I’d want someone reading this to know is, when you’ll never have to question if I gave my all to something I work on creatively. That y passion is unrivaled. My brand is called Undefeated Losers. It’s about how you look at yourself versus how some people look at you when you talk about your dreams. You feel like you can do it all, while others often doubt you. Listen, i came up with the name at 15 and throughout life that feeling, that sense of being the underdog has shown up time and time again. I could’ve fallen into a deep depression when I couldn’t walk. Pain through my body constantly. And no one would have blamed me. But I got up, I pushed myself. I built my body to walk again. I built my body strong enough to walk down the isle and get married. I built it up to continue on with my life and passions, and I’m better for it. If you desire to push through doubt others put on you, that life can sometimes put onto you, then you’re an undefeated loser.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

It was y full time work until I got sick and am now working again back into working fulltime as a creative. Biggest thing that helped was doing work and sharing it. Share the work you want to do. At one point I was doing only rap music videos and wanted to do r&b music. I had a friend who sang and shot a few cover songs he did and made music videos to them. I started to get more r&b work.

People will hire you for what they see you share. Although this is considered free work, its work that ultimately benefitted me. Be smart with any work you do freely or at a lower rate. Make sure there is another benefit other than money that will help you. In the case in the story, it opened me to a new market for one day out of my time to do something for myself. Also these are opportunities to experiment with new styles or ideas. Better to do that on a personal project and figure it out more than on a gig you got hired for.

One milestone was getting able to film for the NFL. That came by networking with other creatives and working alongside them and executing showing my character. If you’re a good hand while also being talented it helps a lot.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I think my lupus journey is a great example. Before I got ill it was very easy for me to be a one man band, doing it all, shooting, directing, producing, editing, sound all of it. Lupus effect my body severely but my energy for the day has been massively effected. I have to be very conscious of what my day looks like to make sure I measure out my energy. In turn, I moved away from the one man band style of creating, especially for filmmaking. I I had already knew that wasn’t something I wanted to do long term but my health changes sped up the process in changing things. I I had to learn to rly on other people as part of my crew. How to effectively communicate my ideas for example to my camera operator cause I’m not running camera anymore. It can’t just exist in my head and this helped me better communicate my ideas overall to other collaborators.

In a way it matured me, learning to rely on your team is something we all should do. Communication runs deep through all parts of life. Now that I am more mobile (although not nearly the same) I feel it motivates the rest of my team to push harder. You gonna let the handicap guy outwork you?

Contact Info:

• Website: https://undefeatedlosers.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hulkinghuss/
• Twitter: https://x.com/HulkingHuss
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@UndefeatedLosersNJ
• Other: @hulkinghuss.bsky.social

Image Credits

Michael Diplan (photo credit for picture of myself in black shirt)