May AOTM Winner

Nash Hagen

- @Nashhagen -

[Q&A]

1) Q: Give us an introduction about yourself? 

A: I moved to Oahu about two years ago. I’m a travel lifestyle videographer/photographer, but beyond that I do digital marketing. I really love showing people the possibilities that are there if they are willing to do the work, and put themselves out there. I am not special, and I didn’t come from a super wealthy family. The thing is you can make anything work nowadays because of Instagram, and the internet. It’s really limited to the amount of effort, and the amount of creativity you want to put into it. I’m passionate about showing people that this is an option, and trying to teach them or guide them into whatever direction it might be; it may not be photo + video, but it may be something else they could attribute the strategies to.  

2) Q: Where are you from? 

A: It’s kind of a weird question. My dad had a job that required us to move around a lot, So we moved 13 times. I was born in Vegas, and I moved all over the place. I spent the most time in Ohio & California probably. I moved to Oahu two years ago, so that is where I am based out of now. It’s kind of a cool perspective because most people usually live in the same spot growing up, and It has the advantages of being able to grow up with the same friends. I never had that, so i kind of envy people that have that. Although, at the same time now I have the experience where I have had to thrust myself into a situation to make new friends because I had no other choice. otherwise I would be by myself. Plus it kind of inspires the adventurous spirit in me, and I am sure that it directly attributes to why I do what I do. 

3) Q: Where do you live now? 

A: Oahu, Hawaii.

4) Q: How did you get to where you are today? 

A: It’s kind of interesting. when I was in 4th grade I had this book report project where we could read any book, so I chose series of unfortunate events because it was hot at the time. We had to write a book report, and instead of writing a paper I thought I would just make a little skit movie out of it. So i went to my teacher like, “hey my parents have a video camera could I just make a movie of this instead of writing it?” I’m sure she never got that question before. she was fine with it, so I did it. It started developing as a passion of mine Ever since I started making little skit videos with my siblings, or my friends. I talked to a lot of people that have a similar story to me where they started very young, but they were always a super bossy director. Like always trying to boss around their family & their friends. I was totally that guy. I was bribing my siblings with $20 bucks, buying them slurpees at 7/11, or whatever it might be just so they would act in my projects. They were all terrible obviously, but still a lot of fun. fast forward to high school I Was still doing these fun projects, but I started to realize that I could really do this full time if I want to. This was prior to instagram, youtube, and before being a filmmaker was cool, i guess? I mean it was still cool because it was still regarding the hollywood film industry, but it was less accepted at the time because the stigma was that you had to be IN LA, and if you weren't then you have no chance basically. Anyways, I discovered that the only way to do this is if I got work on sets or something like that, so I wanted to be a director of photography. I started getting into visual effects a little bit. Did some 3d stuff with blender, but then I realized that I would have to be behind a computer in a dark room for like 15 hours a day which i was not stoked about. I decided that wasn’t the move, but then the opportunity came to go to film school. I went to a school in Virginia called liberty for 4 years. I met a lot of cool people, and built relationships that are still prevalent today. One of the most important things that happened was that I got to work on a feature film, and it actually ended up going to theaters. It wasn't that good, but it was still an IMBD credit. For anyone that doesn’t know what that is, it’s basically your resume in the film industry. That was super cool, and I got to make connections with people that were actively working in the industry in LA & Atlanta. Fast forward two years, one of my friends from college grew up in Hawaii & a few other places. She said she had an opportunity to work on Hawaii 5-0 as a PA, and it was like $150 bucks a day to get the director’s coffee, and do tasks for like 16 hours a day. I was down, so I told her to give me the assistant directors email so I could get in touch. They said they would keep me in mind, and this was in June. I was working on other movies throughout the US in the meantime. I was in Arkansas, I was in LA, I was in Georgia just filming these other movies, and traveling right after I graduated. August came around. I was in Tennessee at my friends house kind of just chilling, and I get a call from Hawaii, which I never got before since I never had been there in my life. I pick it up, and it was the assistant director I was emailing. He said that if I was on island they have a shoot date I could come out & I could work on set. It was literally one day. They assumed I was already there, and they were like are you on island? I was like yea I’m on island lets work” … I was in Tennessee at the time. This was on a tuesday afternoon, and they wanted me there at 5am friday morning to shoot. I told them I could make it, and hung up the phone just like “welp, I guess Im going to Hawaii.” I ended up buying a one way ticket, and didn’t have a place to stay. I knew my one friend was already out here, and another friend who would be moving out within a few weeks. I was literally sleeping on the floor at a church for a month just working on Hawaii 5-0. Eventualy, I decided that the main stream industry wasn’t something I was super passionate about. It’s something that is very hierarchal. Almost like positions in the military where you really have to level up. there’s unions, and all that sort of stuff. It just wasn’t something I was interested in pursuing long term, so i started doing more freelance stuff. I started doing Instagram a little over a year and a half ago. That’s basically how I have gotten to where I’m at now. It has allowed me to do some pretty cool stuff so far. 

5) Q: Is there anything notable that happened while growing up that shaped you into the person you are today? 

A: Yeah we definitely touched on it already a little bit. I think it’s just the fact that I moved around a lot when I was younger. Also, my parents are awesome. They are still some of my best friends, and I talk to them like every day. They are amazing, and they did a great job raising me. Beyond that, I think that the whole moving aspect really shaped me to learn that i need to put myself in uncomfortable situations to be able to make friends. This translates directly to what I do now, because I have to reach out to people which I have no idea who they are, but find common ground to form a relationship with them. It’s the same thing with moving to new places. I really love going to a new place, and just figuring it out as I go. Whether its google maps, or asking someone. I think a lot of that was just inspired by my experiences from how I was raised. 

6) Q: If you could live anywhere in the world for free, where wold you choose? 

A: I Probably would have to say Hawaii. There’s nowhere else in the world where you can be on top of an epic mountain or volcano, and then in 20 minutes you could be at one of the best beaches in the world. Like where else? It is very expensive, and sort of similar to the prices in LA, so being able to live there for free would be sweet. It’s also kind of far away from everything which is a bit of a bummer, but it’s one of those trade-offs. 

7) Q: What are your talents? 

A: I think one of the things I really try to focus on, which I guess is a talent, but is also a skill that I developed over time, is not only being able to shoot stuff that looks really good, because a lot of people can do that, but also being able to tell a story that people can relate to. I think one of the things that I have really been focusing on trying to portray is the storytelling art of things. When I reach out to brands, that is actually something I try to pitch once I get past the first email just to see if there interested. I try to pitch an idea, and a story that resonates with who I think they are trying to advertise to. The thing is there’s so many people that shoot, but they don’t focus on the story? It’s one of the things that they figure out later, and for some people it works. thats fine, but a lot of times it just appears to be very shallow. You get bored after 15 seconds because you really wanna see something that hits home with you. I think that I have an interesting eye in terms of composition & colors. I think that a lot of people reach out to me because I have a specific style that way. One of the first things that I love to look at when I approach a video or a photo composition is putting in foreground. I understand that some people don’t like doing that. Some people like the clean frame which looks cool too. I do on occasion as well if it’s portrait stuff. Usually I try to find some sort of foreground because I love the look of having something with a bokeh out in front, kind of seeing from a third person perspective at something. I also love the use of wide shots too. Especially in video if you can show off a location, but also be able to come in tight to get that emotion within 10 seconds, and be able to tell an entire story without even using words… well that’s like the epitome of what you want to be able to do. Ultimately, photography & videography is a visual art, right? You want to be able to tell that story without even needing words, or sometimes not even needing music since you are showing it through emotion. 

8) Q: Are you naturally talented, or did you acquire your skills? 

A: I would say both. It’s kind of interesting though, idk? Growing up I wasn’t the top level talent in anything I did, but I was usually always one of the hardest workers. For example, in sports I would always get playing time. I wasn’t necessarily the fastest, strongest, or biggest guy… but I still played because I had that work ethic. I Think that translates over to what I’m doing now as well. I would see those people who were naturally gifted, and shoot a photo within two days of picking up a camera, and I would be like wow I really wish I was able to do that. I think what that does is that it’s good & bad at the same time. It’s constantly pushing  you to figure out ways to be at that level. It’s also bad because you’re constantly comparing yourself to people a lot. I kind of struggled with that, and I do still sometimes occasionally. Although I constantly work on getting better at that in terms of comparing myself to other people. Especially in the beginning, and especially now with the internet we see literally everybody. You see what the top notch people are doing, and you come in at a level where everybody starts. When you are not producing at that ideal level yet is when you get discouraged by it, but  you have two options. I hear some people say, “oh they are naturally talented, and I’ll never be at that level.” Alternatively, you could understand that at one point they were at your level too, and you can develop your skills over time to get to that level. I think that’s kind of the dynamic that I work with. I definitely have some natural talent, but a lot of it is skills that have been cultivated over lots of practice. It’s just doing it. A lot of times I get stuck in the pattern of watching a million youtube videos, and then I haven’t done anything. Like yeah, you get the mental reps of watching it on youtube, but ultimately you never get better unless you actually do it. 

9) Q: How do you develop your skillset & improve your talents? 

A: I still don’t consider myself at the level that I need to be, so some here’s some stuff that I do. I constantly have a list of pictures that I save. People that I look up to whose work I think is just outstanding, and it’s something that I aspire to. I don’t do that because I want to copy their pictures. I do it because I can look at certain aspects of it, such as their framing, their color grading, or the way they posed somebody. It all just sparks new ideas. That’s one way of getting better for sure; surrounding yourself by others you can learn from. Never being afraid to ask questions is critical, and that’s one of the things that I try to do consistently. Being able to ask questions to people, and not feeling stupid about it. There are certain ways to do it so you’re not being to personal as well. I think it’s a lot of finding inspiration, and also surrounding yourself with a lot of the people you aspire to be like, or at least people who will push you to get to that level you desire. 

10) Q: What are some opportunities you have gained because of your talents? 

A: Dude, honestly every cool thing that I am doing is because of it. Everything that I’m doing now is because of it in one way or another. It’s either directly because of the talent; I reached out to them, or they reached out to me. Also, from somebody seeing one of my talents, and telling somebody, who’s told somebody, and so it’s the network aspect as well. Word of mouth is way more powerful than people think. In specific, I’ve been able to go on some pretty cool trips. I just went to Vietnam to shoot a documentary for a nonprofit out there which was really cool. I’m going to be going to Africa in June to shoot for… actually I don’t know if I can say what it is for. IT is an agency though, which is all i can say. Some really cool things though, and the interesting part about it is that they are free experiences that Im getting paid on top of. It’s like a legit job to do what I love. It’s been really cool to see something I have been trying to do for the past year & a half come to fruition. 

11) Q: What industries are you experienced in? 

A: Visual arts. Photo video. Graphic Design. Started when I was 18. This is actually something I would love to mention since it could be helpful to be someone… I just like hate working for people. I just really don't enjoy it. In college I had the option of going to get a job at Panera bread, or figuring out a way to work for myself. For me, what I figured out is that I could make logos on a website called Fivvr, which is not the vibe, but whatever. I was just starting to become savvy with my talents. I had never made a logo in my life. I was considering that first of all I’m gonna learn business, second of all Im gonna learn how to do customer service, and third of all I’m gonna learn how to do logos since I had never made one before. I put up an ad on the Fivvr website, and within a day I got an order for $5. It took 7 hours to do this really horrible logo, but the guy was stoked on it. I progressively went from taking 7 hours on a logo to 5, and then I whittled it down to taking like 1-2 hours on some of them. After that I had a portfolio though, so I started to charge a lot more than $5. I built it up, and ended up designing over 600 logos. Mostly for like sports related teams in high school, and minor league teams. It all happened because I was willing to do it for $5. I think that one of the things people really need to understand as they are coming up is that they can’t act like they are too good for something, because you never know what it could lead to. Anyways, it was digital arts mainly, but I also did marketing. I had a drop-shipping site for a little while, but I just don’t enjoy drop shipping anymore. The reason I started that website though was to teach myself how to market. It wasn’t really to make money, but more of a learning experience. Making money was essentially just a side product of the process. Through doing so I learned how to do Instagram ads. I learned so much about influencer marketing, and how it works from the business end. It consequently helped me since now I’m on the influencer end, and I know about the terms of negotiating, and what a business wants. I learned how Facebook ads, and youtube ads work also. 

12) Q: Who, or what, inspired you to get started in your career? 

A: I don’t know if there was a specific person or movie. I’m actually not a big move guy which is kind of weird. I don’t watch them that much, and it was weird going to film school because all of those people are like pretty big movie buffs who know all of this stuff. Meanwhile, I have never seen Citizen Kane in my life, and they would look at me like, wtf? So yeah, It wasn’t really movies, and I didn’t know directors. It was really just that I loved being creative in any way, and I would draw all the time, or write random stories. using a camera was just another cool way to tell stories through a visual motion picture. Drawing was the original reason that I did it. I realized I could have fun with my friends, and make these little dumb videos. That was fun for a while, but then there was this guy from video co-pilot that changed my direction. Video co-pilot is this tutorial website, and it consists of videos teaching others on how to do vfx, and stuff like that. There was also this guy freddie wong on youtube, but I don’t know if he’s still around today. They were doing this crazy stuff on youtube at the time where they had like gun flares, and different effects that look really cheesy now, but at the time it was like woah there’s people not in Hollywood that are doing this? I needed to figure out how to do it, so I dove right in to learning about that kind if stuff. I realized that you can actually use a (Canon DSLR) 5D to make something look pretty decent, so it kinda got me into doing that a bit more. At that time I thought it was cool, but I thought that to make a living out of it you had to do the Hollywood thing, which led me to attending film school. Then I got into the travel side of things. It’s kind of a cliche answer, but sam kolder, taylor cut films, matt komo, and all those guys were pioneering it. I saw that, and thought it was sick they were making money creating this sort of content. I wanted to do that, so my senior year of college is when I started to head into that direction. I don’t know if I want to go completely in that direction forever, but it inspired what I am doing in the current moment. 

13) Q: Do you enjoy the work you do? 

A: Yeah I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t. If I don’t enjoy something I just don’t put that much effort into it, and it’s just not something that’s good for me. I mean it’s probably not good for anyone either. Thats one of my biggest passions is helping people really figure out what they want to do with their life, and what gets them stoked to wake up everyday. 

14) Q: What is something you have failed at, and did you learn from it? 

A: That’s actually something that I’m super adamant about as well; being super transparent, so people can learn. While I was in college I had that graphic design business. I spent $7000 of my own money, which was a ton at the time. I was trying to buy courses, pay for ads, and all this different stuff. I was investing in different industries trying to teach myself how to market, because I wasn’t in business school. In hindsight, that’s probably what I should have done. Some sort of business or marketing program, because that’s what’s more valuable. Anyways, I spent so much money on this stuff that I actually was broke at one point because I was trying to figure it out, but nothing was working. When I did the drop-shipping thing I went through 5 stores, and spent another $2000 on ads that made me no money. I’m not talking about it made one sale either… like literally $0 in sales, and 5 views on the website. I just had no idea what I was doing. That’s the kind of stuff that I’m glad happened, because now I can know looking back that a lot of people have quit after something like that, but I’m just not that kind of person to give up. I’m always going to find an answer, especially if I see that other people have done it successfully already. If it’s working for them then I need to figure out why it’s not working for me, but in my own way. It’s a lot of just decoding how other people have become successful in that thing you are passionate about, and reverse engineering why. 

15) Q: What are some of the biggest myths about the work you do?

A: Probably that we’re always just chilling. I think in terms of work a lot of people ask me what I’m doing, and what a lot of people see on social media is that I’M going on this epic hike, or I’M chilling at some resort, but they don’t see the 12-14 hour days shooting for this content to come out successfully. It’s a job, and I’m not just kicking it at the pool. i Mean I should show people that I’m shooting all the time, but people don’t really care. I don’t have a reason to show it unless people want to see it, so thats why I don’t. People don’t understand how much work actually goes into it. I’M actually trying to transition into a different business model now, because it’s one of those things where if you don’t hustle on content one month then you’re going broke because you didn’t work. you’re screwed. You have to continue to get new clients, and get new gigs. That’s something I’m trying to transition out of, so I don’t have to focus on that. IN terms of personal stuff, I’ve heard from a few people think I’m a jerk just based on my pictures. I could get It I guess, because in half my pictures I don’t have a shirt on. I mean, I’m not wearing a shirt right now. I don’t know, I mean I live in hawaii. I own like 7 shirts, and i don’t wear them half the time. SOme people think that I’m kind of a jerk, or that I’M standoffish. I try to respond to literally everyone that sends me a message though; Even if it’s not relevant to me. I believe in valuing people no matter what.  

16) Q: What are some recommendations for others just getting started in your field of work? 

A: Number one is that it doesn’t mater what kind of camera you use. A lot of people have a (Canon DSLR) 1DXii, which is cool, but you can also make an awesome video with just a gopro. It just ultimately comes down to the story. You can make a really visually appealing movie with a 1DXii, but if there’s no meaning behind it no one is going to watch it, or they will just click off it in 15 seconds, because they’re seeing it’s just like every other edit. You could take a gopro or even your phone, and you could make something sick. There was these guys who made a movie using just snapchat, and people were motivated to watch it because there was a story. The snapchat thing was kind of a hook, yet people watched it because the story was sick. You have got to focus on honing in on your skills obviously in regards to framing, lighting, etc. Although, what is paramount to all of that stuff is if you can tell a good story. If you can’t, then that’s the first thing you have to figure out how to do. People buy stories. If you look at the big time campaigns, especially on commercials that are killing it, usually it’s due to them having a solid storyline. More than just a pretty picture too, because it has to be something that relates. That’s why I like the 1984 apple campaign —> Think Different. They actually never showed a computer once in the commercial. They became one of the largest technology companies in the world too, and it’s because they can tell a story along wth having the best products. 

17) Q: What is your opinion on social media?

A: It's kind of an interesting relationship because honestly if it wasn’t my job I wouldn’t have it. I didn’t have instagram until maybe 2-3 years ago, and prior to that I didn’t have any social media accounts. Instagram, Youtube, and I do have a Facebook that I never use. That’s all I got. The only reason is because I think it’s pretty distracting if you’re not focused enough to figure out what the beneficial uses of it are. It has to be used for a specific purpose, at a specific time, and it can’t be used otherwise in my book since it is extremely counterproductive. IN terms of business use, which is what I use it for, it is hands down the best tool I use to connect & reach out to people to get jobs. It allows you to see so many brands and so many people that are out there waiting for you to connect with, collaborate with, or shoot for. It might be a job. I think for that aspect it’s amazing, and also for the learning aspect. There’s so much educational content on there that nobody would have access to, or they would have to pay a lot of money for if they didn’t exist. In that aspect it’s really cool, but you just have to decipher how much you can use. 

18) Q: What is your top goals in life? 

A: to Be a great person with everyone I come in contact with. I want somebody that meets me to think “woah thats a cool guy.” solely for how I treat them as a human being, and Not because of me being cooler than them, having more money, or what my material status is. Being able to have the highest character that I possibly can. I think beyond that is just trying to be the best person I can be physically, spiritually, and emotionally. I want to be able to inspire people that have a burning passion to do something, but don’t understand that it’s possible to do it. It doesn’t have to be photo or video either. I mean if you want to make custom surfboards then let’s figure out a way to make that happen to be able to survive off it. 

19) Q: What motivates you daily to achieve your goals?

A: I think it’s kind of a weird answer. Being grateful for everything that I have, and understanding that it all could be taken away at any given moment is what I always think about. I’m not guaranteed the next breath, or the next ten seconds ever, and Because of that, why would I not want to give back by pursuing my dreams? I think it might be slightly offensive when I say this, but I believe one of the biggest tragedies is people who are too lazy, or don’t end up doing anything with the gift that they’re given by having a life. you’re given this one chance to go do whatever you want. you’re given a chance to make a change in some capacity. it could be like steve jobs change, or your neighbor down the road is divorced, and you help her take care of her kids. Both of them are really good ways to give back. If you’re just lazy sitting around unmotivated then its just kind of a waste.

20) Q: Best advice for increasing productivity? 

A: that’s funny because it’s something I have been experimenting with a lot over the last month. One of the things I’ve been doing for the past year or so is waking up at 6Am. It was originally because that was my best posting time, and I was like well I guess that’s when I should wake up. I realized that it is better when you wake up early, and get a start on the day. you’re actually less distracted because your peers aren’t up yet. it gives you an advantage. I usually do a light work out right when I wake up. Something like jump roping for 10 minutes, or something along those lines. Something I have been implementing recently is taking cold showers. I thought it was a scam, but it actually really wakes you up by increasing your focus. By that point you’re up, you’re actually aware, and you're ready to conquer the day. Beyond that, just being clear on your goals is monumental, because if you don’t have a clear vision on your goals for the day then you’re just kind of floundering around looking at Instagram, being lazy, and procrastinating. 

21) Q: What is your philosophy on life? 

A: I think mine is super similar to what yours is. I think this is such a time for opportunity, and there has never been a better time in history to pursue what you’re passionate about as a career. There’s more options to be able to create the kind of life that you want. Like before you would have to grow up, and work some traditional job. That was just kind of the way of the world before, but there’s so many opportunities out there now to be able to create money for yourself. You don’t have to get a job if you don’t want to. Especially if you’re creative & hardworking enough to figure it out. I just think that there’s so much opportunity out there, and life is about taking chances on those opportunities. You can look at it two ways. Life is out to get me, and these things that are happening to me are bad. You can become a victim, or you could find that you’re getting these different obstacles thrown your way as a test. you can overcome them to become a stronger person that learns from it. They are blessings as opposed to obstacles for me.

22) Q: If you could be any animal, what would you choose? 

A: I think my favorite animal would have to be a Lion. Ever since I saw the lion king I loved Simba. Lions are just the coolest animal ever. 

23) What is a fun fact that no one knows about you? // or // a fun story that you would like to share? 

A: My first oversees trip I was a junior in college. My parents traveled around a lot throughout the states, but we never went overseas to another country. It was spring break senior year. I asked my boy Justin if he wanted to go somewhere. Since everyone was going to Florida I didn’t want to be basic by going there, and I said lets go somewhere different. We were looking at flights trying to find the absolute cheapest place that we could go to from DC. Costa Rica came up somehow, and we decided to send it. For whatever reason, I don’t remember why, Costa Rica fell through. The next cheapest option was Cuba. At the time there was a short period where they lifted the embargo. Prior to when we went it was illegal to go for political reasons regarding communism not wanting to support tourism. Anyways, it was open, and it was one of those Classic scenarios where I don’t plan anything, and I just send it Two days before. we bought these roundtrip tickets for $90 on spirit airlines, which is the worst airline ever, but whatever it was cheap. We flew down to Cuba not realizing that everything there is so censored that Air Bnb, google, uber, etc. doesn’t even work. There’s no way to use that stuff. We were struggling to navigate, and use hotels. All the main hotels were super touristy, and very expensive. We were talking to people, but people don’t really speak english for the most part. We found out that there’s these things called casa particulars, which are basically unmarked cuban Air BnB rentals. Black market Air Bnb options where people just put this little symbol on their house, you knock on their door, and pay them $10 to sleep on their bed. Basically, we were just wondering around Cuba for 10 days knocking on random cuban’s doors asking if we could crash at their house. Cruising around just thriving with uncertainty. that was legit my first out of the country experience. It’s really interesting when you put yourself out into those uncomfortable situations. A lot of cool stories happen.