(Photography by me. December 2011, Los Angeles)
Abteen is a filmmaker, and he's been at it for a decade. When he was in middle school, he would gather his friends, a camcorder and a loosely written script to tell stories using whatever resources he could find.
Often times the key to success is just to keep going. Now twenty-two, his technique and eye has developed but he still creates with the same enthusiasm.
He's determined to do things the right way and never cuts corners. I've watched him edit meticulously for hours, aiming for perfection each time. He's broken his ankle in pursuit of a great shot for a documentary in Chicago, shot 16 models in a single day for a fashion story, managed a 60 person crew for an on-campus music video, and chased down actors in green screen suits through a cactus garden.
But his effort isn't wasted; a three-day shoot in Harlem resulted in the brilliant hip-hop video Peso. He proved his talents yet again in his latest video for Milli Mars, which is equal parts dark and beautiful all while managing to provide a gripping narrative.
In May of 2011, with a 48 hour deadline, he brought together close friends, a script written on his iPhone, a camera, whatever set materials and costumes we could find and created Experiment 93473. Essentially, nothing about his process has changed since he was a kid: he still adapts to his environment and uses limited resources to create, except this time the product of his labour landed him in Cannes.
Keep creating with enthusiasm and determination and somehow, you will end up right where you're supposed to be.
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