Yo familia! We’re back again with Culture Coverage for the first time in awhile and we just had to come back with a banger, today we’re exploring the world of @crtvshots and his journey through creative space over the past year
Mako is a multi talented, 18 year old, Videographer, Musician, photographer, Director and more. He’s been catching the attention of many eyes over the past year with his insane work ethic and range in putting out creative products.
I think I discovered Crtvshots back in March through his collaborations with @babydiaz and @kindlynxsh.exe where he’d film their lyric visualisers through reels and slowly but surely the name kept popping up and continuously, finding it in places where you just ask yourself, how has been able to be in so many spaces and work with so many artists in the time span he has, so over time I dived deep into the lore of Crtvshots and how he got here today.
Mako’s story starts in Grade 6 when he had the aspirations of being a photoshoot at his church but due to lack of resources and lack of trust on the church’s side, that aspiration wasn’t fulfilled.
Moving into Grade 7/8 Mako was introduced to music production and making it, through his friend Mai, and his connection to music not only strengthened but would serve as his introduction to the space, as he first introduced himself as Lone Lagoon and would inevitably go down a run of names and characters such as Shattered Dreams, Mako the Creator, MAKOCRTV and inevitably now known as MAKO FRVR in the music space but that’s not the story we’re covering today, we’re talking about Crtvshots and the impact and resume he’s been building over the past year.
Through his consistent and constant appearance into the underground space whether through his lyric visualisers or through his music videos, he’s been able to establish his name, some calling him the Cole Bennet of South Ahh, working with the likes of Jaykatana, Brotherkupa, Kindlynxsh, Babydiaz, Shekinah and more. But it’s not just the names alone it’s the fact that he’s been able to do all this on his IPhone 11, truly showing testament to making use of what you have and doing the most with it
In the space of videography but in different context, I feel what makes Crtvshots more than just a “South African Cole Bennet” is the fact that he’s been able to diversify his catalogue and not just remaining standstill in the music space but diving into the YouTube scene as well, working with some of the biggest YouTubers in the country through skits , videography and irl streaming, he’s been able to work with the likes of Hotshotaaron, Ghost Hlubi and EB THEKID all in the span of a few months he’s been able to get his been able to get his name established as talented and reliable videographer in the YouTube space, now becoming the videographer for the upcoming and emerging model Melo Agbohla for his model series.
Moving away from Videography, he’s also been able to tap into his childhood aspirations of being a photographer and man he does not disappoint, predominately tapping into the local fashion scene he’s been handling shoots for brands like: Fym 3021, Cobalt and Cold soulseventeen. He’s also been experimenting and diving into the world of conceptual shoots, matric dance shoots and event photography, shooting the likes of K.Keed, Leodaleo, Blxckie and A-Reece .
The main thing that stands out to me about Crtvshots is not his ability to work and drag in big names, or be extremely versatile but his commitment to community building, which is the first of it’s kind I’ve seen from someone in his position and at his age, hosting free photoshoots to give back to members of his community at special landmarks, like the previous one where he hosted a free photoshoot to celebrate 4000 followers on Instagram; also his willingness and ability to document his journey through vlogs and mini-documentaries on his YouTube, give a behind the scenes look at the day in his life and the shoots he finds himself in.
Looking and studying the world of Crtvshots has been beautiful to see how an individual his age had been able to make waves in the space and truly make a name for himself in the industry, once again his more than just a South African Cole Bennet, he’s the first Crtvshots, and if I were you, I’d invest today because all that I’ve mentioned is the product and result of just a few years of work, imagine the next decade.
