An Update (you might not want to hear)

After hitting 100,000 subscribers on YouTube, I noticed funnily enough that my motivation began to sink.

In 2019, with less than 5k subscribers on the platform, I picked up FPV drones and got quickly obsessed with the craft. It unlocked so many boundaries of filming I previously thought impossible, and in a lot of ways it made the world into a real-life video game.

I knew I’d found something special that not a lot of people could do, and knowing that I wanted to dive deeper.

4.5 years later, I’ve had videos featuring my work that have hit tens of millions of views and have grown my following larger and faster than I could have ever imagined. You could say I owe it all to FPV.

But despite the success and views, as time has gone on, I’ve noticed my laser-focused excitement towards the topic waning.

Not an uncommon case at all, as it hasn't been easier for our attention to drift away to other things. But this was different. The lack of enthusiasm for the craft wasn’t just coming from being bored, and going on my phone. I’ve stuck through those valleys to get this far. This felt less like an aversion from FPV, and more like a strong calling towards something more.

As much as specializing in 1 thing can open up doors, it can close just as many on you.

As I improved my skills in FPV and shared them online, I found myself one of the few qualified for higher-level shoots. Opportunities I likely wouldn’t have been invited to (nor paid as much) if I hadn’t gone so hard on FPV. I now get to work with large brands like Hyundai, Lucid, and Netflix, who saw my specific skillset as useful for their productions.

But at the same time, I’ve been counted out for many jobs that people deemed outside of my specific expertise.

This makes total sense, but it’s also where I realized my perceived value has become pretty one-dimensional. Even on my own production teams, if a project doesn’t need FPV, I’m often far from the first to be brought on.

This is one of few results that made me take a step back to reflect.

But maybe it’s not such a bad thing to be counted out of projects. The work I’ve been gaining access to in exchange are relatively more valuable, as long as I am happy with them.

But that’s the thing… was I happy with them?

When I got into FPV, I was compelled by what new possibilities this free-flying camera could bring to the screen. But now 4.5 years into the craft, I recognize that this is just one tool, one technique in the grand array that filmmaking has to offer. Sure, it’s possible to create an entire story on just one drone, but why only stick to just one tool when you could have access to a whole toolbox?

Using different focal lengths, lighting setups, edit pacing & more, a director with extensive knowledge can combine varying elements together to most effectively transmit their message through each frame onscreen.

This is something I’ve thought about more and more these days. Would I be happy going down the path of a drone pilot, with that being the single tool I choose to rely on?

Being honest with myself, I don’t think I would.

I got into making videos at 13 years old through my love for anime, comics, and video games. It was never about getting just one cool shot to gawk at. It’s been about transmuting our dreams into a reality that people can experience, and take with them out into the world.

This is my declaration for the future: I’m not quitting FPV, I will still very much be pushing forward with the craft and content. You may, however, start seeing more being added to the mix.

Dance, one of my first passions, was something I took a step away from to grow in other directions. After some time, I find that core of myself beckoning to be used— another language in my belt to mix into my own canvas.

I’ve found a new appreciation for music, something that’s always been with me but never gave enough attention to.

It’s the blood that has carried my dance and video edits, which I now seek to further learn about.

And of course, filmmaking (which I also consider videos, even YouTube and shorts), acting and animation. I aim to grasp a more wholistic understanding of modern storytelling beyond just one specific aspect of it. Learning new avenues to see what I can create— what I can direct, and bring to life.

All of this sums up in the overall art of self-growth, evaluating and choosing the kind of person I wish to be when my time in this world is up. The kind of person who can give and give because the process fulfills me more than any outcome.

Honestly, I’ve been afraid to share this is because shifting my full focus from FPV may lose me followers, maybe even jobs. It’s that specific craft that brought in so many of you, so it would make sense that trying new things might make you lose interest.

But if I choose to only prioritize metrics over what fulfills me creatively, the impending burnout will be our end anyway.

So for those who choose to leave, I completely understand.

But for those of you who choose to stay, I promise to share all of me: the ins and outs of what it means be a creative professional in this evolving landscape. And how to thrive without needing to box yourself into a single niche.

My intention is to bring you, my beloved reader, along for every step of the way.

-Kai