Info

Ahmed Eid creates iPhone/iPad apps, makes films, and is a professional photographer. He is a pretty even mix of left/right brain. He is also a husband, a father.

Consequently, Valve has no formal management or hierarchy at all. Now, I can tell you that, deep down, you don’t really believe that last sentence. I certainly didn’t when I first heard it. How could a 300-person company not have any formal management? My observation is that it takes new hires about six months before they fully accept that no one is going to tell them what to do, that no manager is going to give them a review, that there is no such thing as a promotion or a job title or even a fixed role (although there are generous raises and bonuses based on value to the company, as assessed by peers). That it is their responsibility, and theirs alone, to allocate the most valuable resource in the company – their time – by figuring out what it is that they can do that is most valuable for the company, and then to go do it. That if they decide that they should be doing something different, there’s no manager to convince to let them go; they just move their desk to the new group (the desks are on wheels, with computers attached) and start in on the new thing. (Obviously they should choose a good point at which to do this, and coordinate with both groups, but that’s common sense, not a rule, and isn’t enforced in any way.) That everyone on a project team is an individual contributor, doing coding, artwork, level design, music, and so on, including the leads; there is no such thing as a pure management or architect or designer role. That any part of the company can change direction instantly at any time, because there are no managers to cling to their people and their territory, no reorgs to plan, no budgets to work around. That there are things that Gabe badly wants the company to do that aren’t happening, because no one has signed up to do them.

Bayyinah iPhone App

How better to show your love for an organization than make them an iPhone app? Bayyinah focuses on teaching arabic to non arabic speakers. It has attracted thousands of students from all across the country and it using its momentum to grow faster and offer more classes.

See their latest course offerings or stream their world renowned pocdasts straight to your iPhone from whenever you are. While their podcasts are available for download from iTunes, this app makes it even easier to listen to them by not requiring a computer connection at all. Just tap on a podcast and listen.

Plus, check out all the awesome reviews so far:

“Not to be preachy about it, but discipline is everything for a working writer, at least for this one. I can’t just wander around fields of flowers or sit brooding in coffee houses waiting for the muse to land on my shoulder and whisper in my ear. That would nice, but it ain’t gonna happen. I treat writing like a factory job – the whistle blows and I’m at work. This thing always comes down to someone sitting down with some kind of writing instrument and getting it done.”

Discipline is everything…true in any field I think.

Don Winslow

facebook-posters-the-hacker-way-done-is-better-than-perfect + high-res version

Action is King.

You don’t get a good idea out of the blue. You get a good idea amidst many bad ones. Work on something, and you’ll see that you will change direction multiple times before you produce soemthing you are proud of.

There is no proud work without the willingness to do un-perfect things first.

Focus on contribution, not entitlement.

Focus on outcome, not output.

Sort for what is needed, not what is requested.

Go towards big decisions, even without authority.

See your circumstance as illusory and temporary.

I was contacted by the Muslim Coalition of Connecticut to document the September 11 Memorial Service event that they planned and executed so perfectly this year.  I jumped on this without hesitation because they are a non profit that are doing awesome work in the interfaith and community service areas.  Hundreds of people from all over the state attended in an effort to unite and to move beyond fear and into hope.  St. Josephs’s Cathedral in Hartford was the perfect location due to its centraility and its size.

This film was created as a result of this event. I thank MCCT for putting on this event and all those who participated in its planning.

Peace.

I believe every American has the right to a prayer space wherever they want to. Period. In the middle of the desert, in their basement, even in an airport. Apparently there are some people who don’t think so, and that’s cool. Freedom of everything in America is an awesome thing. This difference in opinion has led to a ton of controversy around the Park51 project, which some people erroneously label “The Ground Zero Mosque.” It has been spoken about internationally, and today has become a symbol for the future of Muslims in America.

When the creators of the Park51 project approached me to create a funding appeal film for them I immediately hopped on board and was excited to be a part of the project.  After a commute into New York City I met the founders and we spoke about what the video needed to accomplish and some of the hurdles they were facing in getting the project up and going. It was at that point that I realized that this was going to be a film I needed to execute perfectly. The stakes are high and deadlines tight. This was a real project, not a small film needed for an unknown local mosque or a PSA for some unknown cause. This project is known by pretty much everybody and the film I create will be seen by hundreds of thousands of people, and it needs to impact them.

The film is intended to evoke sympathy in the viewer and ultimately get them to donate towards the cause and help write Muslim American history in America.

I recorded some interviews in NYC, came up with a script and edited the film in 1 week. I uploaded it and shared it with the client, and after a long hiatus, I recieved a text message saying “Incredible.”

Technical Information

The film was created using a 5D Mark II with the Tamron 28-75 f2.8 and the Canon 70-200 f2.8 IS lenses.  I arrived on scene for Friday prayers hours early and recorded footage of the street the mosque was on as well as plenty of B roll footage of people walking around New York, the street signs with the name of the street on it, random Muslims walking in New York City, etc that I knew I would use in the film. When the prayer started I used a Canon 70-200mm f2.8 IS to get closeup shots of people’s faces as they were concentrating on the Imam’s lecture. These shots help make the film more personal.

The editing was done in Final Cut Pro X and all the color grading and audio editing was done by myself as well.

Finding the right music was the hardest part. AFter hours of sifting through stock audio sites I stumbled upon an amazing composer named Chasertg. His music is powerful and touches the heart.