Meet Aiman Samat | Filmmaker & Visual Effects Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Aiman Samat and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Aiman, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I think in every type of career there are always risks. For someone like me who’s pursuing a career in the film industry, I certainly have learned that I can only grow when I feel uncomfortable. When I’ve written a screenplay and I feel confident in making it, that means it will not be worth making at all. I find that I have to somehow question myself when I’m about to get into a project. When I first got into Ingenuity Studios, they asked me to “lead” the GFX for Solos, an Amazon Prime series. Have I ever worked professionally as a visual effects artist then? No. Have I ever touched anything remotely that big? No. Was I uncomfortable? Yes.

Since then I’ve learned so much more than I ever have in film school. It made me think of all the legendary projects out there. Peter Jackson definitely took a risk making LOTR. James Cameron had to experiment with new technology for Avatar. Despite some people’s opinions on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they undoubtedly have taken risks in order to build their empire.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Professionally, I am a visual effects artist working in Ingenuity Studios. My passion and what I do creatively however is writing and directing short films/commercials. I’ve started this journey since I was 15, and the goal is to eventually make feature films, either independent or Hollywood. The reason why I am working as a VFX artist is because when I first started to learn making films I was learning every aspect of filmmaking, from pre to post, and I started to have a big interest in delving into post visual effects because I find it liberating, to know that I can pull of things in writing that would be difficult or cost too much for filmmakers with no VFX experience.

I think what sets me apart from other visual effects artist is that I have deep passion towards the other aspects of filmmaking, like cinematography and script writing, that I approach my VFX work differently. I tend to see the projects as a whole rather than focusing on just making the VFX great. It’s also a vice versa as a filmmaker, when I am able to save a lot of time and money as I am able to plan what could be done faster in post instead of spending 6 more hours on set just to wait for an airplane to cross the sky for a wide shot.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’d love to take them on a similar journey and experience that I had when I first came here. Go to Denny’s at 2 A.M. in the morning, sleep in my small living room apartment, grab Pann’s for breakfast maybe while quoting some Pulp Fiction lines. Visit my campus at Loyola Marymount University, and get some Nice Cream at Playa Vista, and tell my friend that this is a nice neighborhood and I might want to get a house there.

If it was a friend that needs a little bit of spoiling, I think there’s nothing like the Hollywood experience than getting a hotel room in Beverly Hills, walk around the area for some window shopping, take some photos at The Grove, go to The Chinese Theaters for an IMAX premiere, maybe don’t walk the Hollywood Star, tour around the Hollywood Hills house, roleplay that we can afford a 6-million dollar estate with gold rims toilet bowls. Of course, Universal Studios as well.

I think when my best friend is finally satisfied with all the touristy stuff, then I can start introducing them to places I personally like. Little Tokyo is a must to me if your friend is an anime/Japan fanatic. Coffee Co. near La Cienega is a quaint little cafe that I like to splurge expensive coffee in. Sawtelle is another cool street of just great food and snacks. Also, you can’t forget the American culture of places like Best Buy, Target, Walmart, and CVS. Not the ideal trip but it was fascinating to me.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to Fiona Ho (Ho Bao Er) as my partner since high school who has been supportive to me in both life and my passion in filmmaking/VFX for around 10 years now. Without her, I’d be planting corn on my dad’s farm somewhere in the middle of nowhere in South East Asia.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiman_samat/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu61im2bwfz33LaltOt5VKw

Other: www.aimansamat.com