Introducing the ADVENSHARE series. Intimate dialogue sessions to cultivate a culture of creative conversations. Discussions revolve around topics of design, travel, photography and youth activism. Initiated as part of the Canon EOS Youth Ambassador Programme with support from Perbadanan Perpustakaan Awam Selangor.
ADVENSHARE SESSION 04
Neollene
Traveler & Filmmaker, Lumiere Films
Neollene is a photographer and cinematographer who was once an architect by profession. Pursuing her passion, she left her comfort zone to explore the world. She is currently a filmmaker at Lumiere Films, and travels the world creating content and stories.
The full video of the live session will be available here : Advenshatime
Let's start from the offset - people have the misconception that you're a traveler, but you are actually working full time as a film maker ..
That's right. People think I just travel for leisure, that I don't work and money comes from the sky ...
Hahaha if only that were true! But you started off as a student of architecture. How did you get into videography?
I began with photography. Back in school, I was the person that took people's photos using the school camera, I was also the editor for the school magazine. I discovered that I like photography, handling cameras, and the technical aspects of it. When I was in university, I joined the architectural workshop multimedia competition. We sent our short film, and alhamdulillah managed to win first place. Since then, I realised that I'm really into filmmaking and videography. I felt like, maybe, I have a talent in this. So after graduating I decided to pursue it. Alhamdulillah I received a job offer from a production company.
Just like that after graduation? How did they find you?
From social media. Mostly youtube.
So even during university, you were busy building your portfolio?
Yes. Throughout university, I was taking up videography jobs, like weddings. I did it as a hobby and as a side income. It also funded my travels, where I started to do travelling videos.
The first country I visited was Indonesia with my family. Back when I was studying architecture, we also had to do a lot travelling to site visits. After graduating, I travelled further, to Europe. I used the money I'd saved up. It took a lot of effort, but it was my priority. I felt like I want to explore the world. It was my dream. If you really want something, you have to sacrifice, nothing comes easy in this world.
I agree. A lot of people ask me about financing travels too and I always answer: if you want something, and insyaAllah if it's meant for you, if you work for it and prioritise it, it will happen. Especially with travelling, as it's a noble pursuit in life. You're encourage to go out and explore the world, to open ur mind..
To broaden your horizons.. before this I rasa sangat curious about what people in other parts of the world were doing. When I finally travelled and saw for myself, it really opened my mind, my thinking, the way I see things. My perspective is very different when I return. It's this feeling that makes me feel like, I want to travel more.
Aside from opening up the mind, in your case, it also opened career opportunities..
I didn't plan for it, but it happened along the way when I travelled. Alhamdulillah, some agencies came to me for collaborations, marketing jobs, and content creation.
Out of curioustiy - what was one of the most memorable experience you've had while travelling?
Just one? I always say.. I think one of my first 'wow' moments was when I got to see the aurora for the first time.
First time?! How many times have you seen the aurora?
Three times. When I first saw it, I just realised, how fantastic god's creation was. You can see the curtains light dancing in the sky during the night hours. I purposely went to Tromso, Norway, in October - it's one of the best places and times to see the aurora, as winter could be too cold or may be cloudy.
So you're working full time. You have your own company. Right now you're handling a couple of projects and clients. Travelling for fun and travelling for work is two completely different things. What are the career struggles behind this, that people aren't aware of?
Dua2 memang lain. There is a lot of struggle behind the camera. When I work, it's like having the stress of working in an office in front of the computer, but on the go. It's hard bringing your own equipment, the stabiliser, to make sure sound is ok.. My clients and the people I travel with always say that I'm so 'gigih'. I do both videography and photography so I'm juggling. For jobs, I'd travel with a small crew, but normally they'd go back to malaysia earlier than me, and I'll extend to travel or do work.
Another issue is of how to convince your family that you can achieve a stable life doing videography, instead of architecture. Especially since I'm a girl - I'm doing this creative job, I'm travelling a lot, how can I cope long term? It's an important factor - convincing your family of how you can succeed pursuing what you love.
The thing about pursuing your passion and a career that's not conventional is that, to be fair, you always have to make sure that you're good at it, and know how to manage yourself. For you, as a travel videographer, there's a lot of competition out there. How do you stay ahead in the game?
I think the most important thing is to be yourself. You cannot just follow trends. You need your own style, to induce meaning in your video, to make it 'yours' and unique. Macam for my video in India, I layered the visuals with a voice over of my writings. In that sense it wasn't just an 'empty' video. To me, what makes you different is how you convey your message and story. We don't have to sentiasa rasa nak compete dengan orang. We need to be comfortable with ourselves n appreciate our meaning in life.
I agree. Nowadays with social media, it's easy to feel insecure and demotivated. Theres so many other people doing well, so sometimes you question yourself. How do you stay inspired?
I avoid negative people. I always follow people who inspire me and motivate me. It affects your outlook in life, so always try to remain positive. In terms of other videographers that inspire, among people that I look up to is Leonardo Dalessandri, and Nainoa Langer (who works with beautiful destinations). Their videos are superb, not just graphically. But the way they convey the message, and the culture and thinking behind the videos.
To be honest, when I travel, it's mostly for my own pleasure. I rarely do videos, but when I do, I mostly just stitch together whatever clips I have, maybe add music, and share it out, considering it done. I guess to come up with fantastic videos, you really have to put your personal touch on it.
You have to be yourself. Put effort into what you do. Pay attention to the details. Use a platform for you to grow to exhibit your work. Jangan jadi normal. Be extraordinary. If you have a dream go for it. Don't wait for a 'right time'. Do it now. It doesn't matter if you feel like you're not the best, just start, you're already on the way!
Great advice! Can i add something? I feel like failure is part of the process. Failure, finding out that you're not good at something, that something's not meant for you, it's part of the journey. You may succeed later, or get something better. What's important is that you keep pursuing.
Last question before we wrap up! If you could say something to your younger self, what would you say?
I'd tell myself to be more appreciative of time. Don't waste time buat benda2 yang tak berfaedah untuk hidup. If you have a dream, start pursuing as soon as you can.
You can keep in touch with Neollene at
Instagram:@Neollene
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/neollene
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