He Dropped Out On Day One To Shoot Music Videos | 20M Views Later

In this episode of MAD Mind, host Lyss Houde sits down with Aidan Notarianni, MAD Social's in-house videographer and the director behind a Jassa Dhillon music video that hit close to 20 million views on YouTube. Aidan was considering a career in a medical field before he picked up a camera. During COVID he dropped out of school the first day of classes after one Instagram photo changed how he saw the craft. He taught himself photography from YouTube, talked his way into shooting his first music video for Winnipeg artist Sandman with zero experience, and broke into the Punjabi music industry through Jassa Dhillon and Nav Brar's "Yaad," the video that opened every door after. In this conversation we get into the pivot from medical plans to music videos, what it actually felt like to direct a video that ended up with 20 million views, filming three music videos in Morocco during the 2022 World Cup, living in Spain for three months, touring 26 cities across the US, and his hot take on where short-form storytelling on social media is heading next. If you're a creator trying to figure out your craft, a videographer breaking into music videos, or a brand looking for the kind of cinematic storytelling that actually gets watched, this is the episode for you. Guest: Aidan Notarianni Instagram: @aidannotarianni AFN Productions: afnproductions.com Host: Lyss Houde Instagram: @lysshoude Brought to you by MAD Social Agency Instagram: @madsocialagency Web: madsocialagency.com Topics covered: Teaching yourself photography during COVID Pivoting away from a medical career path Dropping out of school the first day of classes Shooting his first music video for Sandman, "Gemini" How Jassa Dhillon and Nav Brar's "Yaad" opened the door to the Punjabi music industry Working in the Canadian hip-hop scene Filming music videos in Morocco during the 2022 World Cup Living in Spain for three months Touring across the United States as a videographer The shift from 14-hour music video shoots to social media production at MAD How Aidan stays calm and pivots under pressure on every shoot His hot take on the future of short-form storytelling on Instagram Why turning your phone to watch horizontal video might be a 2026 trend