Garrett Taira: Filmmaker/Vlogger

Garrett Taira: Filmmaker/Vlogger

Tell us about your journey into filmmaking and vlogging. 

I had a popular funny dance video in 2013 that got shown on ELLEN but I didn’t know what to do, or how to capitalize on it. I was pursuing dance at the time and had occasionally put out dance videos throughout the years. Later, my friend blows up and has one of the most viral videos of 2015. This time we tried to keep putting out comedy content but we were learning as we went. We put some “big” (at least for a bunch of friends who had no idea what we were doing) productions together and found success in that in terms of views, but eventually we burnt out. We had no way of maintaining consistency. So without enough knowledge and experience, we kind of just fizzled out. 

Later, I made a decision to dive deeper and go all in to film. This time I formed another group focused on commercial work and making cinematic comedy films. That had its own rise and fall, but through all those times I had learned a lot about film, got more of an idea of the industry and the business of social media, and had made a ton of friends along the way.

Honestly, I am still working things out. I can see my craft getting better and I’m learning more with each project, while continuing to have a great time with friends.

What is the most important lesson you've learned throughout the process of creating, producing videos, and managing a channel? 

Something I’m constantly working on, which I feel like is the hardest at times to truly implement, is enjoying the process and not taking score. It’s easy for us to feel like we’re not where we’d like to be yet and therefore not feel “successful." But I really want to enjoy the journey and have fun with family and friends while doing something I love. That would be my definition of success.

When I think about it, the hanging out with friends and joking around while a vision comes together is my favorite part about creating comedy content. Looking back and remembering all the off camera moments is really fulfilling.

Instagram
@garretttaira
Facebook

Here at Don’t Half Ass Anything we value creativity, perseverance, and storytelling. That is why we are using our blog platform to share other small businesses’ and artists’ stories. It is not the million, or billionaires that inspire us. It is the everyday people who are at the stage of being immersed in the process of learning, creating, and growing that inspire us the most. Share your story/blog by submitting to donthalfassanything@gmail.com