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‘I Venmoed my future boss 50 cents’: Indian-origin filmmaker shares how a bold move launched his career
Patel shared that he was struggling to find postgraduation work in film or entertainment despite studying advertising with a minor in film studies.
An Indian-origin filmmaker has shared how an unconventional and initially regrettable idea helped him break into the highly competitive entertainment industry.
Speaking to Business Insider, Darshan Patel said he Venmoed a director “50 cents to get his attention”. Initially, he believed that the move was “risky” because he feared it would backfire. However, he said, ultimately it kick-started his film career.
Patel shared that in his second-to-last semester of college, he was struggling to find postgraduation work in film or entertainment despite studying advertising with a minor in film studies. He said he applied to every opportunity he could find. He cold emailed studios, messaged producers, and even repeatedly DM’d director Oscar Boyson, whom he admired. But nothing worked.
As graduation neared, he told the outlet that he “randomly came up with the idea” to look Boyson up on Venmo. “Given his unique name, I found his account straight away,” he wrote. On impulse, he sent the director 50 cents along with the message, “something to sweeten the deal,” and a link to an earlier Instagram DM that included his resume.
“The second I sent it, I thought, ‘What am I doing?’” he said, admitting he feared he could be “blacklisted forever.”
Then, a month later, he followed up with a professional email referencing the transaction and, surprisingly, this time, Boyson called him for an interview.
Patel said that he eventually moved from Florida to New York City to intern with him as a studio assistant for six months. Though the internship was unpaid, all his travel, food and work expenses were covered. He said the experience was invaluable.
“I feel like I learned more in those six months than I did in college.” The director also connected him to other industry professionals, allowing him to work on projects including an ASAP Mob shoot for Yams Day.
How the internship helped Patel's career?
Patel said that mentioning Boyson’s name on his resume helped him gain credibility while making his first short film. Since completing the internship in late 2020, he said he has continued working in film while holding a day job at a marketing agency. His second short film, Lou and Jane, recently premiered at the Chelsea Film Festival, and he is currently working on a feature-length project.
Patel shared that his ultimate goal is to become a full-time director and producer with his own independent studio supporting underrepresented filmmakers.
His advice to newcomers: don’t hesitate to be persistent. “Sometimes you have to bother people,” he said. “If they can sense your passion, they might say yes or pass you to someone who will. You never know what could happen,” he added.
