Firas Kazma is the host of one of the most joyous and popular show ‘Wala Atyab with Firas’. Moreover, he is enjoying even greater success post pandemic in Dubai with a 10X increase in viewers. His IG followers try to tune in for his beautiful, well produced videos whenever he has something new to share, from the tasty chicken burgers from ‘The Jailbird UAE restaurant’ to the seemingly absurd cheese shawarma, a recipe which provoked respectful ridicule from his followers on Instagram.
Truth is, Firas Kazma’s videos all have a touch of the simple yet unique, for they are meant to tease out the need that so many people have to get comfortable in the kitchen, especially these days. He grew up in a family that loved to cook, and he had the itch to share what he knew.
The Big Transition
Unlike so many other creatives, Firas didn’t immediately stopped focusing less on his other businesses. “I had been reviewing restaurants and recipes all over the MENA region and a friend of mine said I should do cooking videos as well,” said Firas. “I was not too keen on it but after asking me a few times, I tried it. I did the video 3 times. I put it on Facebook, got feedback from friends, and then finally put it on YouTube. It got thousands of hits that first day.
But after making the plunge, he didn’t have the means to invest in the production values for which his show is now known. “In the beginning, I did it all. Recipe tested, filmed, edited, all post production, and everything.” When the budget came, he went bigger. “Two cameras, so the food segments are actually filmed when I am recipe testing. I film all that on my own by myself. This way I make sure to show everything I need to show. It is easy to forget to show steps. Imagine the most difficult meal you have ever made, now picture having to adjust and focus a camera for every step. Also making sure the sound and lighting is good. It gets complicated quick. So I film all that. Then I have a handful of friends who help me film the on-camera part.”
Firas is staying true to his original goal, “to just keep helping people cook.” And he’s looking to expand his reach with other audiences, with other media. “The idea is to entertain and educate kids about food. I believe food is the most political thing we do every day.”
“No single video has taken off but food storage videos have,” said Firas. “All of my how-to videos and reviews, plus just basic cooking tips from chopping to food hacks. I think a lot of people who have never cooked before are facing no other option and trying to figure it out.”
In the meantime, he’s staying true to his original goal, “to just keep helping people find the best restaurants in Middle East.”
You can follow Firas Kazma on his IG page @firaskazma to watch his exciting videos for the same.
