Philip Israel wanted to be a wildlife filmmaker. He was editing on a thirty-dollar laptop in Lagos, and the people he asked for direction didn't reply. This is what mentorship across two continents actually looked like.
In his own words:
“Having to start with nothing but a heart filled with dreams so scary. The few I tried to question in the media space on how to go about my dreams just read my messages without replying. I doubted myself.”
No direction, no equipment worth the name, and an industry that answered his questions with silence. The talent was there. What was missing was someone who would actually pick up.
He found Eric through a filmmaking group, messaged him, and got an answer. What followed wasn't a course. It was three specific things.
A pricing blueprint — how to charge for editing so the work paid. A way to approach clients — and permission to mess up the first few jobs and keep going. And a standing invitation to ask, which he took up.
The tone matters as much as the content. His description: no boss, no age gap — a brother.
Editing on a $30 laptop. Unanswered messages. Doubting whether the dream was a joke.
His first million naira, an M1 MacBook bought with the work, and editing for YouTubers. Next: funding the wildlife filmmaking himself.
Being precise: these are his milestones, reached by his work, during and after the mentorship. NVision supplied the blueprint and the conversations. We didn't earn the money and we won't present it as ours.
“He doesn't guide like a boss. He does it like a brother. No ego. No age gap. Just purpose.”
— Philip Israel, Video Editor, Lagos, NigeriaMost creatives don't fail on craft. They fail on pricing, on the first client conversation, and on the silence when they ask for help. Those are teachable, and they don't need to be learned by losing money for three years first.
That's the whole point of creative mentorship: an hour with someone who's been through it, on the problem you actually have.
If you're doing the work and not getting paid for it properly, that's a fixable problem. Start with a free 15-minute Vision Call.
Book a Vision Call — free, 15 min