[In Conversation With] Chris Sassine and Cinemano Media
Chris takes a cheeky short break in between shots (Image: @iamharpp)
You may have heard of Cinemano Media, but how many of you know the mastermind behind it?
Cinemano Media is run by Chris Sassine. Chris is a 21-year-old Western Sydney based videographer who has already established his own kingdom. He has worked at events at Marquee, Red Room, and MVP Nightclub, and pieced together video reels for artists like Tyga, Kid Ink, Kennyon Brown, and Zannon to name a few.
Since Chris has been such a reputable business owner, he has been able to build a solid clientele at such a young age. He has become somewhat of a ‘plug’, not only in Western Sydney, but the whole of Australia. However for him, Merrylands, is where it all began. Cinemano Media was established five years ago when Chris was in high school, and he’s had a roller coaster of moments in the music industry. In Year 12, his major project was presented as what is now his business.
Shortly after someone saw his major project on social media, he was asked if he could shoot a video for a car shop.
‘I’m like - this is a joke, this isn’t anything, I’m not a business, I’m just a 17 year old kid, and then he said I’ll pay you and I was like what time should I be there...’ Chris laughs.
‘I just thought why not and in a really weird way, it grew from there really rapidly.’
Chris’ reputable title comes from his extremely meticulous attention to detail and calculated approach to projects. His work ethic is admirable in the way that he still helps clients even when his plate is full. His incredible network allows him to redirect people to other like minded creatives. Not only will he plan to the absolute hour, he will plan six months ahead.
What was meant to be his first individual gig at an Under 18s event, turned out to be a flop and although it wasn’t as expected, it was an experience. The next day, he was contacted on social media by Kennyon Brown, asking if he could send the footage from the night before - which led to Chris meeting him and landing a job at one of Kid Ink’s concerts. One bad experience rolled into an amazing one, and it got the ball rolling.
However, it hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows for Chris. At the very beginning of his business venture, he suffered from anxiety and depression, and while he is in a better mindset now, he has his business to thank for it.
‘It put me in a weird spot in terms of being in really public places, I get nervous being on stage.’
‘To be honest, I have a video somewhere where I recorded the guys walking onto stage and you can probably see the point where my legs go weak and I drop the gimbal.’ He laughs.
‘You just have to power through it. I still get it but the meaning behind the emotions is different. Back then I was like ‘OMG kill me now please someone kill me’. Whereas more recently I got to shoot at Tyga’s concert and I was on stage and it felt like it went from really daunting to ‘Wow, this is my life’.’
Despite his popularity, funnily enough, his family didn’t find out about his business until many projects later. It wasn’t because he was hiding it from them - he’s just extremely humble.
‘I’m not the kind of person to be like ‘Look at me, I'm the centre of attention’, I’m the sort of person that can help direct more attention at the person in front of me. I will work my magic to get this person where they want to go.’
Chris’ project with Yamco Skin was featured in Daily Mail and Fashion Journal. He also has projects with Sunsetbros, Milky Lane, Establishment Bar, Just Cuts, Flamingo Lounge, and more.
So if you’re looking for a well-structured videographer, hit this guy up.
Check out the official Instagram page
Peep the official website
Follow Chris on Instagram
Chris in action at Ultra (Image: @ashwinarumugam)
