A Conversation with Harun Mehmedinovic

My friend and fellow Jack Kent Cooke scholar Harun Mehmedinović has started his second Kickstarter project, Persona. His first book Seance became one of the top ten Kickstarter campaigns for a photography of all time. His photography features amateur models wearing flowing gowns or costumes that inspire feelings of wonder and incongruity within the settings. The settings range from the coast of Malibu, National Battlefields, old farms, mountains and deserts, New York’s Times Square and the L.A. County Museum of Art.

One of his many images of the day from Vogue Italia

I’ve known Harun for a few years now. I first knew him as a student filmmaker who was in the process of making his future critically acclaimed film In the Name of the Son, which he made while working on his MFA at the American Film Institute. The film, drawn from his experiences as a boy surviving the Siege of Sarajevo, received the first exclusive screening for congressional officials for a short live action film.

I admired not only his skill with the camera, but his ability to connect to people through art and by extension to attract backers for his project. I myself was in the process of publicizing a book and had written a screenplay I had developed a budget for and thought about Kickstarter, so watched Harun’s project with both the passion of a fan and professional curiosity. And like all good fans, when it succeeded, I felt as if I had succeeded.

When Harun started his second Kickstarter campaign I became curious about what he had learned from the first one to apply to the second project and also about his infulences.

Harun Mehmedinović
The lesson of last Kickstarter is without at least 8-10 hours of work a day, nothing happens that day.

Jerry D. Mathes II
Wow. Good to know.

Harun Mehmedinović
Three days I took off in the last two campaigns. Two of them I had $50 for the day. The other day was $150. Without hour after hour of work, nothing happens. 3000 personal messages translates into maybe 100-150 donations or so at best.

Jerry D. Mathes II
I’ve been thinking about a project, but don’t have that kind of time. You’re doing impressive artwork too. So after the first one and learning its difficulties, why the second one?

Harun Mehmedinović
Yeah, I’m going crazy, two full time jobs. Well, I figured I go all out this time and see what happens. Basically, I wanted to see what I can do if I had 60 days and maybe a few different approaches.

Jerry D. Mathes II
Cool. Deal. How many days was the first one?

Harun Mehmedinović
To see if I can come upon something that really makes a difference in the process. The first one was 35, so I ran this one almost double the time. It’s more than anything an experiment and a challenge, but it’s blue collar type work.

Jerry D. Mathes II
What was the important lesson you are applying that you learned from the first time? I like that analogy.

Harun Mehmedinović
First one is that you need to message each person with a direct message. When I tried that last time it turned the whole thing around.

Jerry D. Mathes II
Better responses.

Harun Mehmedinović
That was by far the most important lesson: focus less on public, focus squarely on circle or friends and hope they share so their friends of friends make an impact now that I have that covered, I wanted to see what other ways I can use to reach out to public.

Jerry D. Mathes II
I agree with that. How did making others administrators work out last time? Have you done that again?

Harun Mehmedinović
I didn’t do it yet. I used that purely to have them invite friends, but this time they can do that without an invite. FB added the “invite friends” option.

Jerry D. Mathes II
True. I saw that on my author page. Which is new. And set up by a publicist.

Harun Mehmedinović
Yes, that helps! More people can get on it.

Jerry D. Mathes II
Your response to others is always enthusiastic and warm. People respond well to that and that has to help. I know I appreciate your attitude of gratitude. A danger can be sounding like a disingenuous car salesman. How do you guard against that? I know as I publicize my book I worry about it.

Harun Mehmedinović
Good question. I think on principle it’s good to thank each person individually. Facebook starts really messing with me for over-posting and I always worry about over-spamming. It’s a tough balance to strike. On other hand this is why middle men are always the best option as they can make recommendations on your behalf without it sounding like spam.

Jerry D. Mathes II
True and yet you can still thank those who respond to friends’ recommendations.

Harun Mehmedinović
Exactly, which I always do.

Jerry D. Mathes II
I know from your last project friends of mine climbed onboard because they responded well to you and your work. I just needed to share it. That had to be the same with others like David (David Jones who is a fellow JKC Scholar and supporter of Harun’s projects). The personal touch goes a long ways, especially the sincerity of your response to strangers. Sincerity might be the keyword in that. Is that a lesson you learned the first campaign and advice you’d give to a first time Kickstarter?

Harun Mehmedinović
Yes. Absolutely, to stress the importance of friends and friends of friends circles.
approaches.

Jerry D. Mathes II
Who is your greatest artistic influence? I know you dad is a poet (Semezdin Mehmedinović) … And I am a fan. Any of that rub off?

Harun Mehmedinović
Biggest influence…. yes, definitely my dad, but that’s granted given he’s my dad, so I suppose best way to answer is what other artist or person, I would say Tarik Samarah is big for photography because he taught me the importance of sacrificing everything and fully dedicating to the project for it to ring genuine. He did a project as a photographer where he ventured into forests in Bosnia by himself tracing the path of Srebrenica massacre, sleeping in the wilderness, possibly on top of mass graves.

Jerry D. Mathes II
Genuine. I like that. We talk of emotional truth in fiction. That is impressive as an artist.

Harun Mehmedinović
Then going straight to who were surefire perpetrators of massacre to try to gain access to certain areas to shoot.

Jerry D. Mathes II
Wow.

Harun Mehmedinović
When I saw what he was capable of doing for an art project, not journalism, I just figured…if I’m not that dedicated, don’t even do it.

Jerry D. Mathes II
So for aspiring photographers you’d recommend his work as a way of seeing the artistic possibilities within what could be considered journalism. And perhaps as an example of living as an artist.

Harun Mehmedinović
I think so. A kind of an approach to life. His way of doing things is the correct way.

Jerry D. Mathes II
I also see artist as risk taker.

Harun Mehmedinović
If one is not willing to risk as much as their subject is risky, they aren’t quite fit to do it nor genuine.

Jerry D. Mathes II
Risk another word we can keep. Kurosawa said, “To be an artist means never to avert your eyes.” That seems relevant here.

Harun Mehmedinović
Artists who are too cautious won’t have very good results. Kind of like relationships, bring your insecurities, and it wont go anywhere.

Jerry D. Mathes II
One of my professors, Kim Barnes, said we should always be writing where we are uncomfortable. Push out of the safety zone and readers will see it.

Harun Mehmedinović
That’s exactly right, yes. Tackle those limits, haha.

Jerry D. Mathes II
Kim said if you are uncomfortable writing it, then you are on the right track. Honesty was what she wanted.

Harun Mehmedinović
That’s the only way to advance yourself in it too. Tackle new and uncomfortable territory.

Jerry D. Mathes II
Love it. When I confronted myself I end up blossoming and ended up with 60,000 words that just spilled out of me. It was crazy beautiful.

Harun Mehmedinović
I agree entirely! Every time I went to that area, it ended up paying off. Once you genuinely want to tackle something, I feel like you are rewarded. I can hardly think of exceptions.

Jerry D. Mathes II
Agreed.

A Conversation with Harun Mehmedinovic

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