Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Prof. Frank Chindamo, Founder of Virtual Film School, Inc., located in Burbank, CA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Virtual Film School teaches New Media content creation and monetization using virtual reality classrooms. It's a fully interactive, fun, and supportive learning experience, taught live by A-list media professionals from London, Hollywood, and the Metaverse. We are higher education for the next generation, offering an ECTS accredited Bachelor's Degree starting mid-2022.

Here's a 1-minute video of what we promise: https://youtu.be/kQ0dkSajIiw, and here's a 4-minute video of what we have delivered so far: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMlp5nAmWb4.

Tell us about yourself

I was an award-winning short filmmaker for networks like HBO in the 1990s. In 2000, I pioneered videos for the internet, in 2003 for mobile phones, and by 2008 I was on the front pages of Forbes and the LA Times. I started teaching mobile and web video production and schools including USC, UCLA, Chapman, Emerson, and Pepperdine. I realized students were paying up to $80k/year for a dream that they had a 1 in 10,000 chance of achieving. So I created VFS to give them vastly lower tuition and a certified BA degree. Better paid teachers from anywhere in the world who are paid 5x more. And in VR, so they learn 3.5x faster and better.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Our company teamed up with the Beijing Film Academy to produce the first-ever TikTok promos for the Olympics.

Beijing 2022: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5HyifSD3rI&list=PLjRgSRd9_UbeaHkw2qHycr3pe3lYRRTlk

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Investing my time, money, love, sweat, and money into the business.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Be prepared; it can be a long, long haul.
  2. Have a way to make money while you're growing the company.
  3. Have a "To Do" and a "Ta Da!" list for your accomplishments. There will always be more To Dos.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

New Media (YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, etc.) is the fastest and easiest way to succeed in entertainment or to create and promote a brand, a person, or a business. Yet traditional film schools are vastly under-teaching these courses in favor of old media because… that's what they've always done. Yet, for example, the odds are 1 in 10,000 of succeeding as a traditional film director, and film directing is the most popular major at film schools. Virtual Film School teaches New Media content creation and monetization using virtual reality (VR) classrooms. It's a fully interactive, fun, and supportive learning experience, led live by A-list media professionals from London, Hollywood, and the Metaverse. We are higher education for the next generation. We are vastly less expensive, we graduate students in three, not four years, and we can accommodate lower-income, handicapped and/or racially diverse students from anywhere in the world. They can create content where they live, using their existing resources. Our goal is to give a voice to the under-represented by assisting them in creating videos and messaging that can reach great audiences.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://virtualfilmschool.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/virtualfilmschool/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankchindamo/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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