Marc Bessiake is many things: a videographer, a photographer, an editor, and the owner of BessiakeVision, a creative agency that produces cinematic videos showcasing local clients’ stories. As a collective team of four, they bring over a decade of experience to each project they take on. From the stunningly professional videos they have created for well-known clients like GANGGANG to those they’ve done for weddings and portrait sessions, BessiakeVision’s unique approach showcases storytelling through connection with clients. In the words of Raymond Gaye, BessiakeVision’s photographer, “To sum up what we do, we make mundane things beautiful.”
It’s no easy feat to create high-quality work with a small team. “We’re kind of taking on the job of a 20-person creative agency,” says Bessiake. “Usually what happens is we wear a lot of hats. I would love to be able to say I just do videography and photography, but sometimes I’m a music producer or a sound editor… it always varies based on what the project is.”
When it comes to working with clients like GANGGANG, there’s an added layer to the production process. Not only is BessiakeVision tasked with creating a video that is aesthetically pleasing, but they have to ensure the final product is one that resonates with an organization’s audience in addition to resonating with the organization itself. According to Wendy West, BessiakeVision’s podcast director, their approach is all in the company’s namesake.
“BessiakeVision is our way of taking the vision of the client and moving it into art where they can feel emotion from what we’re showing them,” West says. “We’re basically pulling out the emotional side of what we’re showing them so that they make that type of connection… We’re showing them what we see in a different way, but it’s very creative so they can make a connection with individuals.”
To streamline the creative process and ensure clients are happy, it’s essential that the BessiakeVision team understands the client’s vision for each project. For Gaye, he says understanding the initial idea is as simple as asking how a client sees themselves and wants to be seen. From there, the team is able to put their own personal twist on any original inspiration they are given.
“We try to add our own little spin because in the end, we are individuals,” Gaye says. “We can’t look like another person, but we can bring something new to the table to… make you see yourself in a different way.”
For this team, connecting with the client involves really getting to know them. “We always begin in a relationship,” Bessiake says. “We get to know them as friends, as people, as individuals. [We] try to really get the heart behind whatever their mission is… we always try to see them as heroes. We try to paint them in that picture, and what we would love to be able to do at the end of a video is so for someone to see this themselves and go “Damn, I look cool.”
According to the BessiakeVision team, getting to know clients is made easy due to the fact that their own team is so tight-knit. Bryan Wirkkala, the video production lead, attributes their successful teamwork to the close bond they share. “We’re kind of like a family,” Wirkkala says. “[Marc] takes us on a trip at the end of the year. And you’re not gonna get that from a lot of places. Do we have our issues sometimes? Yeah, because families do that. But we’re always there for each other.”
Bessiake seconds this, saying he doesn’t want his team to only consider themselves as coworkers or team members. “The only way that we personally get better as creatives is that we learn to love each other and learn to treat each other as family. When that exists, that is exemplified with the client,” Bessiake says.
This teamwork truly comes into play in cases where it is more difficult to nail down a client’s vision. Sometimes, when there doesn’t seem to be a clear story for the BessiakeVision team to pull together, they turn to what they know best: editing.
“There have been times that we’ve had to take someone’s—and I’m sorry to say this—crap and turn it into gold,” Bessiake says. “We do that through editing. And it’s one of those things that we pride ourselves in really honing in on. You can tell a BessiakeVision video based on the editing and feel like, “Oh man, that was really snappy! That was really cool.”
It’s an approach that’s been paying off. Since beginning to work with GANGGANG at the start of 2023, Bessiake has been able to bring some of his teammates on full-time. BessiakeVision is in high demand, with plenty of projects being slated to take place throughout the remainder of the year. Keep an eye out for their videos on Instagram, YouTube, or Facebook, and if you’re interested in starting a project, head to BessiakeVision’s website and submit a contact form!
