Bahiyaa Jumanya and Digital Arts Talent Agency -- Pandora Drezelan Reporting ~ The SL Enquirer

It's Women's History Month -- in real life and in Second Life, too, and it's a great time to spotlight women on the grid who are looking to do big things! And Bahiyaa Jumanya is one such woman. I met with Bahiyaa Jumanya, the owner and CEO of Digital Arts Talent Agency, and was given a tour of her amazing office and home.

Bahiyaa talks about what inspired her to come to Second Life and Digital Arts:

‘I initially, came to Second Life in 2007 after seeing a character on a TV show talking about something called Second Life. Being the person that I am - curious by nature and well interested and versed in Marketing - I wanted to find out if this "Second Life" existed or if it was just a clever name created for the TV show. Immediately I googled it and to my surprise it was real. I downloaded the program and started playing. The rest, as they say, is history.’

‘Digital Arts Talent Agency, D.A.T.A Marketing & D.A.T.A Film Production are the culmination of various projects I've completed in the past. When I initially arrived on Second Life and found out you could own a company, I became invigorated by the prospects of Marketing that could be done both in and out of world.’

‘In a lot of ways, I feel, I was ahead of the times with some ideas I had. I had to wait for Second Life technology to catch up before I could achieve what I have now. I've always operated and owned Marketing companies on Second Life as well as Entertainment Management companies and dabbled in Publication, Production and the Arts in some manner. With this current company I've found a way to combine and include all the Arts in one convenient location.’

‘I took two previous concepts of mine, Spark, Inc. (an Entertainment Management & Media company) and Pro Musicians, Inc. (a purely Entertainment Management company) and combined them both to create a complete entity that encompassed Entertainment, Media & Marketing and presented a unique product on Second Life that is unmatched.’

‘We handle everything from Models, Live Musicians, DJs, Machinimatographers, Dancers, Athletics and Actors as well as the newest facet of the D.A.T.A brand, playwrights and screenwriters. I took my love, and knowledge, of real life marketing and entertainment and created Digital Arts Talent Agency and the D.A.T.A brand.’

There are many different forms of entertainment in Second Life. Bahiyaa reflects on the styles she looks for:

‘On the Digital Arts Talent Agency side, I look for Live Musicians, DJs, Models, Actors, Machinimatographers, Dancers and Athletes who are looking to get more exposure, opportunities and to get their projects produced and distributed to a large market.’ ‘Our niche is people who want their talents to be developed and perfected in Second Life but have an interest in moving their talents out of world into a more global market.’

‘For the D.A.T.A Marketing side, I look for new companies who want to get their business off to a good start, as well as established companies who are looking to inject some new energy into their company and bring in a fresh outlook on how to get themselves known on Second Life and beyond.’

‘On the D.A.T.A Film Production side, talented playwrights and screenwriters come to us when they have a concept that they want put into film and we help them achieve their goals. I offer assistance with scripts, fund raising, casting, wardrobe, sets, graphic arts, and production of their projects.’

Most people have their own list of Do’s and Don’ts. be it in real life or Second Life. here’s what Bahiyaa had to say about hers:

‘There's so many do's and don'ts within business on Second Life.’

DO - Enjoy what you do. If you don't enjoy it, you won't stick with it.

DO - Surround yourself with like-minded individuals who will support your concept, but at the same time offer honest opinions and ideas when asked.

DO - Plan on spending a lot of time developing and growing your company.

DO - Know your competition and understand that there is a place in the market for everyone.

DO - Set a budget for yourself for every month.

DO - Think outside of the box!

DO - Know your strengths and weaknesses.

DO - Network! OFTEN! Every person you meet in real life and in Second Life could be an opportunity in the near and distant future.

DON'T - Be afraid to admit your weaknesses. Find people to work with that have those abilities as their strength!

DON'T - Be afraid to be wrong. There is no shame in being wrong, only in failing to correct mistakes and try again.

DON'T - Plan on becoming the next Second Life millionaire. If you're doing what you're doing only for profit, you may not find enjoyment or satisfaction in your project.

DON'T - Forget to have fun once in a while. Allow yourself a day off once a week to decompress.

DON'T - Burn out from fanning the flames too much. Slow growth far outweighs coming on like gang-busters and then fizzling out just as quickly.

DON'T - Forget to reevaluate your company from time to time and make adjustments where necessary.

For some people Second Life and real life are totally different for others it’s something you just cant separate. Bahiyaa shares her views regarding her real life:

My Second Life and my real life mix in a variety of ways. I have experience in real life with entertainment management as well as modeling, dancing, music, DJ’ ing. I have a real life education and experience in Marketing and bring all of that in-world to my business in Second Life. Also, some contacts I have in real life within various areas of entertainment provide an amazing cross-over for opportunities within Second Life.

Biography:

I was born in the Middle East and grew up in Egypt & Jordan. I came to the East Coast of the United States 11 years ago, at the age of 18, to go to University. I got a degree in Education and then immediately began another area of study in Business Management & Marketing and Paralegal Studies.’

‘Upon graduation I began working for various Educational Materials companies as well as Real Estate companies doing Marketing and Development. A few friends of mine had a local band that I would support weekly at their shows. I know their music and saw that the crowds enjoyed them, but wanted more!’

‘I approached my friends and asked who did their marketing. Quickly they jumped the gun and, with a smile, said that I was doing their marketing.’

‘That was the beginning of entertainment management for me. I not only took over their marketing, I handled their PR, Management, Booking, Scheduling as well as their Recording and Distribution. One of the musicians in the band expressed an interest in branching out into a larger audience and wanting to expand their skills.’

‘I then began working on creating a brand for that particular band member and their solo career. After recording a solo instrumental album, I started distributing that music to various local radio stations and stores in the area. One of the songs got heard by a music producer in Los Angeles and they got in touch with me regarding my client.’

‘I discussed the possibility of an audition with this producer and after three months of working out travel time and expenses we flew to Los Angeles for the audition. The musician performed brilliantly and was instantly picked up by this producer, but with one condition -- I had to continue to manage his career.’

‘I happily accepted and we moved onto the next level and the next recording. Ultimately after 2 years of work, this particular musician was asked to tour with Ozzy Osbourne in the UK and then upon return, was asked to continue with a world tour.’

‘The original producer was so impressed with the business skills I had, he then presented me an opportunity to learn about music production and sound engineering.’

‘I took that education and absorbed it like a sponge and then added that skill to my resume, while working for some years at various recording studios.’

‘Upon finding Second Life I immediately began putting all those skills into use in a virtual world and then began thinking about expanding virtual talent into the real world.’

‘I watched, and studied, successes that have happened regarding music and celebrities on Second Life such as Duran Duran and Drew Carey and put some of those concepts into practice to develop the D.A.T.A brand.’

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Thank you Bahiyaa for giving us this insight to the world of Second Life entertainment. you made my experience a memorable one.

You can learn more about Bahiyaa and D.A.T.A. at the following sites:

You can also visit DATA in-world at this SLurl.