Meet Keyshawn Chism | Freelance Camera Operator & Cinematographer

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

Hi Keyshawn, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Growing up (and still to this day), I watched a lot of YouTubers who did gaming and skits like “DashieXP”, “Smosh”, and gaming teams like “FaZe Clan” and .OpTic Gaming”. These were my inspirations to create YouTube videos and really tap into my creative side that I didn’t know really existed. Fast forward to high school, I took an Audio/Video Class, and while I wasn’t too familiar with camera equipment like I am today, my creative level and thinking was sky high during the time.. and it still is. Since then, I began watching a lot of movies and really started getting in tune of what it means to make a movie, and fell in love with the concept of cinematography and camera operating. I find a lot of power in those particular fields in terms of telling a story, and it’s something so fascinating about it.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
If there is one philosophy I try my best to understand throughout life, is that “Everyone is living life at their own pace. Sometimes people get what they want sooner than most, others take time to grind and get it.” I say that because – maybe for some people in the film industry or in the freelance world, some may have it easier than most to get where they are today. For me, it’s still a journey. I didn’t do much throughout my college days until my last semester, which is where I had the opportunity to shine with new equipment, and begin crafting what defines me. I’m still in the process of figuring out what it is that defines me, but that depends on the kind of gigs I get down the line. The biggest challenge I feel that I’ve faced, is developing the mindset of focusing on trying to create something for ME, and not try to make projects that could potentially be lackluster, only to please other people. With that in mind, and seeing that maybe I could’ve been a people-pleaser at one point, it made me realize who was supporting me and who wasn’t. That is the biggest lesson I’ve learned, which is: not that many people have good intentions for you, and it took some time, and a lot of hardships during my career to figure that out. What I want the world to know about me is that I am a very humble person with strong ambitions and dreams, and will aim for the very best to make anyone’s story come to life in the most effective and creative way possible.

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’m not as much of a spontaneous individual as I’d like to be, but I’d take someone out to a Cook Out, a place where it’s mellow and relaxing, eat some good food and call it a day. You can’t go wrong with going to the movies either. That is my comfort spot.

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 would like to dedicate my shoutout to Drew Mitchell. He is a Director of Photography based in Villa Rica, GA, and he makes some awesome stuff. I’ve worked under him plenty of times recently, and he is a joy to be around. His creative mind is so quick to create solutions to problems.. it’s like he already has an idea of what he wants before he gets the project prompted to him!

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keyshawn-chism-919269166/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/sxperduper