Today we’d like to introduce you to Mukthi Kaup.
Hi Mukthi, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve been in love with media from a young age. Growing up, I gravitated towards two things: art and movies. More than just strolling through an art museum or going to the theater to watch a movie, I started to enjoy the process behind those pieces of media. I threw myself into this process, drawing, painting, acting, and writing for most of my life, and the more I did, the more I appreciated the passion and dedication it took to make my favorite paintings and movies. This appreciation led me to get my degree in Media and Communications from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
That’s where I met one of my best friends and business partner at sBNstudios, Nehemiah Wilson. After 2 years of bonding over our mutual love of filmmaking, art, and music, Nehemiah and I graduated from Tech and followed separate paths for our careers, until 2023. Nehemiah had just quit his job to fully embrace what is now sBNstudios, and he asked me to join the company. I was eager to jump into a job that would let me feed my creative energy and support my appreciation for media.
When I started, I was mainly managing our client communications and internal processes, but within a few months, I realized I enjoyed planning for our shoots more than anything else; scouting locations, reaching out to talent, compiling props, and budgeting for each shoot. My appreciation for the process of art became my affinity, and I produced my first music video for sBNstudios in May of 2023.
From there, I was hooked. I relished being able to look at the concept and treatment for a music video and turn it from an idea into reality. Since then, some of my favorite moments on the set have been Tedashii rapping in a burning house, Goon Des Garcons and Duke Deuce crashing a plane, and G-SALIH partying until the cops get called. Today, I continue to produce and manage the operations for sBN and absolutely love doing it.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Definitely not! Prior to working for sBN, I had never produced videos or even worked with a videographer; I had studied media extensively in college, but this was my first try at actually preparing for shoots and working on a set. I definitely made mistakes; in my first shoot as a producer, we had a mix-up in the address for our location (which I had sent out to our crew, 30 extras, and the artist), half of our extras were not able to come, and the shoot ran 3 hours later than intended.
I learned early on that if you think you’re prepared for every scenario on set, you’re not. I tend to be very hard on myself when it comes to my work, so every mistake, while difficult to swallow, also inspired me to become better with each video. It took me a long time to help perfect our pre-production and production process so that we could create a communicative and professional environment for our clients. Despite all the challenges, I’m very proud of every video I’ve produced for sBN.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a producer and administrator for sBN. In my role as a producer, I take charge of our pre-production and production process. This entails gathering resources for each shoot (scouting and booking locations, hiring talent and crew, compiling props) and communicating that information to our clients and team, as well as managing the shoot by keeping us on schedule, directing talent, and supporting the crew as they work.
As an administrator, I take care of our client communications (including scheduling consultations, sending invoices and contracts, and keeping our clients up to speed about their projects) and creating internal documentation for the company’s processes and projects.
I take a lot of pride in what we do at sBN; being a part of an artist’s journey to success and security is incredibly rewarding for me. I think what sets sBN apart from others is our dedication to our clients’ success; we want the best for the artists and crew that we work with, we genuinely love helping others with their passions and dreams, and it shows in the community we’ve created.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
To anyone starting a career in media and the arts, whether it’s videography, filmmaking, music production, or anything else, you’re going to make mistakes. Having a passion for something and turning that passion into a career are two very different things. It’s a learning process and it’s so important to reflect inwards and own up to your shortcomings.
After you do, take those mistakes, and use them to make yourself more focused, determined, and driven. Find other people who have that same drive and lean on them, learn from them, and accept their help and guidance because it takes a team to make something special.
Pricing:
- Grow Package ($700) – Fifteen (15), 15 to 30-second videos
- Engage Package ($1000) – Four (4), 30-second videos
- Full Music Videos ($2000+)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sbnstudios.co/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/sbnstudios.co and https://instagram.com/producedbymukthi/
Image Credits
@greg.arious
