Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Yoaspire. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Yoaspire, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

I was actually in the car in the middle of a Doordash order when I thought of our company name surprisingly enough. It was sometime in December 2021 a few months after the premiere of my first short film “4:04”, that I made with my brother Isaiah and our friend Lauren. We knew shortly after we made that film that it definitely wouldn’t be the last time so we wanted to come up with a name that people would always recognize as one of our productions. It was on that Doordash run months later when I randomly thought of the phrase “Local Losers”. It didn’t actually hit me until a few minutes later that I thought that could be the name we use for our productions. I instantly pulled over and made the Instagram page for the company because I got so excited and didn’t want to risk the name being taken. Later when I got home I told Isaiah and Lauren about the name and they were on board. However, my mom wasn’t too happy with it haha, but I think it’s grown on her since then. We really like the name because we feel it represents our individual personalities and approach to filmmaking. Not that we think that we’re losers, more so that even though we’re passionate about what we do, we still try not to take ourselves too seriously. We’re just a group of friends that make films together. It’s also kind of like a play on the phrase “hometown hero”, to be a “local loser” is pretty much the opposite of that which we also thought was pretty cool about the name.

Yoaspire, 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 am a filmmaker and music video director and I got my start in 2017 when I was 17 years old. I got into editing videos when I was younger because I aspired to be a YouTuber like most kids my age. While I was making YouTube videos I managed to get pretty good at editing videos and started to realize that this was something I was seriously interested in. At the time I was only editing clips of my videogame footage but when I turned 17 was when I was inspired by one of my friends to begin shooting and editing clips from an actual camera which eventually led to me getting into music videos. Doing music videos made me fall in love with the art of filmmaking before I even knew it.

I transitioned to short films a few years after I started making music videos, with my first film “4:04” which was released in 2021. 4:04 was written by my brother Isaiah and directed by myself, we also brought on our childhood friend Lauren to help us produce it since we worked on some small projects together in our broadcasting class in high school. Since this was our first project and we didn’t really have any formal training in filmmaking, we wanted to make something with a simple yet interesting concept. We also didn’t have any money so we wanted to make something that didn’t cost much either and that’s how 4:04 was born. It was shot over 3 days and was only filmed with a crew of 3 people (ourselves). We really made it just to see if we could actually make a film and how people would like it. We premiered the film at a local theater and then posted it to YouTube shortly after. The success of this film inspired us to take filmmaking seriously and do something more with it.

The success of my first film inspired the creation of The Local Losers, which is a production company that specializes in music videos and films. We shoot, direct, and edit music videos for various artists and also make our own self-produced films while also producing films for clients as well. Our 2nd self-produced film Butterfly Effect (released in 2023) was our first film to be released through the company. I think what sets The Local Losers apart from the rest is our unique approach to filmmaking. Though we are passionate about our craft and have a high standard for the quality of the videos we produce, we still have a very laid-back style when it comes to creating. We like to make sure our sets are a stress-free environment so our clients and team can perform at their highest and best level without the pressure. In my experience, people perform better and are more dedicated to a project when they are working in an understanding and supportive environment, rather than a more serious and stress-inducing one. I believe this approach plays a big part in the success and quality of our films because it allows people to work in a space where they feel free to make mistakes or to try something different without fear of being embarrassed or scrutinized.

What I’m most proud of about this business is how far we’ve come and the fanbase we’ve grown with such a small team. Our dedicated crew of no more than 5 people has been able to accomplish so much since we started. With our films and premieres, we’ve won numerous awards and have become a staple in our community as filmmakers. I love working with every single one of our crew members and am so lucky to have them on our team. We are still only in the infancy of our journey and we have so much more to offer so I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for us.

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

The most rewarding part for me is being able to look at something and think “I really made this” after it’s all said and done. Being an artist in any field takes so much time and dedication, spending hours on a tedious task that people may not even notice once you put it out there. But what makes it all worth it is the feeling of seeing your creation brought to life, something that once only existed in your imagination. It’s truly a unique feeling and something that I look forward to whenever I start a new project.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My goal in my journey is really just to inspire others to take a chance on themselves. I honestly don’t think I’m anyone special, I know it sounds cliche but you can really accomplish so much if you just put your mind to something and give it your all. No matter what it is. I know what it feels like to have goals you want to accomplish but are hesitant when starting because you don’t think you’re good enough or don’t want to have to start from zero but all that is just part of the process and something you have to get passed. I have no formal training when it comes to filmmaking. I did not go to school for it, nor do I come from a family of renowned filmmakers either. I just decided to take a risk and go for something that I knew I was really passionate about. So that’s my ultimate goal to hopefully inspire others to go after that dream that keeps them up at night, whatever it may be.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.localosers.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/localoserz
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIabHdTZH-dDitGT86udkqw
• Other: Instagram: @yoaspire

Image Credits
Visialsbyrob Lawrence Luc Julian Jones