Obstacles Isn't The Full-stop To Success

I had a video shoot last night for a project that I am currently working on when I remembered an incident that occurred few years back. Just to note here, I work behind the scenes when it comes to 'video shoots', where I work to materialize the crazy ideas which I have in my head.

Last night's video shoot

Coming back to the incident that occurred few years ago, it was during my Diploma days where I was struggling with this particular subject which was about videography. I'm not too sure if I wasn't interested in the subject but it was more to not knowing how to go about certain things related to videography and I found it very hard to get things right.

I wasn't very good with the video editing software's as well that as much as I found it somewhat interesting, I kept grumbling about the assignments I was given to at that time. There was one assignment that made me change my perception about videography.

We were told to come out with a movie trailer and it must be accompanied with the appropriate sound effects and music.

I was already struggling with the video editing software and on top of that, I was given an assignment I had no idea how I was going to do. 

I tried doing the assignment, after procrastinating a long time and realizing the deadline was getting closer. Somehow, I manage to complete that assignment.

Then comes the time to present it to my lecturer. I expected to show it to my lecturer privately as then nobody would know if there's anything wrong with my trailer. But my lecturer requested us to show the trailer's while my classmates was around. 

It was my turn and I hit the play button and the trailer started playing. It wasn't exactly what you would call excellent as I did it last minute but I thought it was 'okay'. Unfortunately, my lecturer did not have the same perception as me.

He criticized me in front of my classmates for not doing a good job with the trailer. It might be the fact that I was really really embarrassed of the whole situation that I told myself I would never again do anything that has got to do with video.

Well, things often take a different turn every now and then. Just two years back, I was offered to host a program called, ET Youth, where my job not only encompasses talking in front of the camera, but also other behind-the-scenes like working on video editing software's, discussing with the team about camera angles, video shooting equipments and many other things. 

ET Youth on-screen and behind-the-scenes

Then last year, it progressed into making Corporate Videos for companies to promote and market about their products and services; which got me involved in voice-overs, scripting, getting the cast to stick to the scripts while still not losing their true personality, tons of retakes of scenes and monitoring all of these with my awesome team. 

To me, it was odd that the very thing that I told myself I would never do turns out to be the very thing that gets me excited and wanting to do it again. 

Working on Corporate Videos

But I also realized that just because I get hit with some obstacles (like struggling with the video editing software's) or just because someone criticized me or just because I felt like the whole world was looking down on me which made me very embarrassed, that doesn't mean I can never do it.

This is a small lesson learned from my little little experiences and a lot from my mentor correcting my mind into believing my own capabilities. 

I still remember when I told my mentor that I don't want to go for my very first project of a video shoot, he sent me a text with a picture as below:

As much as I was so annoyed with the message, 'just doing it' made a lot of difference after that day. ;)