Meet Chief Assigana | Filmmaker, Photographer & Writer

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

Hi Chief, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
You might say that my business started at the beginning of the 10 years I spent as a DJ. I just wasn’t an LLC yet. I’ve done a lot of work as an independent contractor over the years since then; so I suspect becoming an entrepreneur was inevitable for me. The decision to officially start my own business came out of an interest I developed in photography as a hobby. I originally bought a DSLR to teach myself to shoot video. Not long after, I realized that having such a camera meant that I may as well learn photography as well. I then sought out opportunities to use my nascent skills. My first photography gig was me taking the initiative to shoot a DJ friend’s boat party. Since then, I’ve been working on growing my business with clients, as well as producing independent projects through my company.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
At my core, I’m a storyteller who wants to tell stories that matter and have an impact. That has informed the majority of my interests and pursuits. I’ve produced and released three music albums with a fourth in progress. I’ve written and directed two short films with a third pending. I am in the process of writing my first novel. These are the things that I get most excited about.

I would not say that where I am today professionally is a place of having overcome the greatest challenges I face; and it has definitely not been easy. I’ve had to learn a lot of practical things, not just in terms of the hard skills I use to do the work I do, but in terms of operating a company and creating opportunities for myself. Like so many, I’ve also had to survive the pandemic and, more recently, our strikes in the film/television industry. And yet, here I stand. Still I rise.

I would say that the greatest lesson I’ve learned as an artist is that no one will ever care about your creations as much as you do in the way that you do. You cannot walk this path if you’re afraid of the dark; you have to be comfortable speaking or shouting into the void until your light breaks through. Find people you can count on, professionally and personally, with whom you create a bond of mutual growth and support that will help you all shine.

I often think of lyrics by John Forte when I consider what I want the world to know about me: “As with all things, one day I’ll be gone from here; but not before I tell the world that John was here.” As a DJ, I used the slogan “one per universe” to describe my performances. As a filmmaker/videographer I’ve described my work as “capturing the stories of this world reflected through my lens”. All of that speaks to what I said previously: I want to write and tell stories that matter and that have impact. I want to enable others to do the same. I do that commercially with my clients and I do that artistically through my independent projects. The question I always ask of anyone who wishes to work with me is, “what story will we tell together?”

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Coincidentally, I recently had an opportunity for just such an experience (shoutout to Holly); however, the timing didn’t work out for me this time. But if I were hosting a friend for a week, there are several places I would go. For food, we would hit Ackee Bamboo in Leimert Park, TriniStyle Cuisine in Inglewood, Spanglish Kitchen in Alhambra, and Flavors of Thai in Koreatown/Pico-Union. I don’t drink; however, for such spots I would head to The Three Clubs, 1642, Dave’s on Broadway, and Requiem (in Anaheim). For nightlife I would head to Sound, Dime, Exchange, Academy, and Knucklehead. For sights, I would go to the Venice Canals, Santa Monica Pier, the Getty Villa, and Rancho Los Cerritos. For activities, I would head to The Gentle Barn, LA AX (axe throwing), Golf N’ Stuff, and Knott’s Berry Farm.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My mother deserves the greatest credit and recognition in my life story. She did whatever she could to see that my siblings and I had what we needed and allowed us enough freedom to figure out what we wanted. Being a single mother is not an easy job and can go thankless for a long time; but this isn’t the first time I’ve said thank you to her as an adult and it won’t be the last.

Website: https://www.nightcraftmedia.com

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nightcraftmedia

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@NightcraftMedia?si=4fKei-ib0sBxr3Zf

Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/nightcraftprints/?etsrc=sdt

Image Credits
Chief Assigana