ALICE WASS
Exploring Media

Ibrahim Kamara is the creative entrepreneur who made GUAP the world’s first video magazine. GUAP means money, as Ibrahim’s primary aim was to make money, however it also stands for ‘Great Understanding and Power’. The video magazine, which uses augmented reality, has been running for three years, and started during Ibrahim’s last year at university. GUAP is a platform showcasing emerging talent in art, music and fashion, through videos, events and experiences. The company has grown and works with big companies such as: Nike and Vice.

 

In secondary school Ibrahim tried to become an independent music artist, and taught himself how to make music videos and websites. He went to college to study Accounting, Economics, Maths and Media. He was unsure what to do next and family pressure encouraged him to study Accounting at university. Ibrahim read books exploring financial freedom, inspiring him to start his own business. After failing to get a placement at an accounting company, he began planning the creation of GUAP. As I want to be a producer, being an entrepreneur does not appeal to me, nevertheless GUAP is an interesting media piece which I found engaging.

 

What I took from Ibrahim’s talk was how I could apply his advice to make myself a better creative. His tips included: “stay curious”, never accept anything at face value as this is how you can find what the market is missing. This is helpful as being a producer means having to make lots of decisions and questioning why processes are done in certain ways, may help me find more efficient ways to complete tasks. He recommended “be yourself”. During Ibrahim’s interviews for accounting he put on a persona he thought they wanted, but now he is completely himself, whether working or socialising. This is important as if we pretend to be someone else we might end up in an unsuitable job. “Know your values and stick to them”. This is a very valid tip as if we do not know our values then it is easy for us to be swayed, which is not good in a competitive, demanding industry like media. Finally, “be nice!” Opportunities come through networking and if we do not seem nice and lack positive energy, then word will get around and it will put people off working with us. This is essential as it is up to producers to find and choose a crew.

 

Ibrahim also explained the significance of a personal brand in the creative industry, specifically through social media. Through social media Nike found out about GUAP and approached the company. Showcasing our skills on social media, allows people to remember our work, so that when they have requirements hopefully our name will come to mind. A key to being successful through our personal branding is being consistent. This includes having the same profile image and tone of voice for all platforms. I feel that I need to improve my social media presence and use it more professionally to showcase my media skills. I will start by creating clear personal branding on my portfolio website and extend this to my personal social media.

 

I enjoyed hearing about Ibrahim’s journey to become an entrepreneur, and I found his advice about working in the creative industry helpful.