Stuck at home during lockdowns, CIITeen alumna, Krisha, beat boredom by reviving her hobby of editing and remixing existing music videos on YouTube. Then, as she delved deeper into her craft, her viewership skyrocketed exponentially. Krisha realized she shouldn’t underestimate art’s value and that her passion could be her future profession.
But Krisha was determined to refine her talent even further, so she enrolled in CIIT’s Senior High School (SHS) Media and Visual Arts strand. In the interview below, she shares how CIIT’s SHS played a vital role in shaping her future, and why her peers should confidently pursue a career in the arts:
How did you become interested in editing and remixing?
Back in 2018, I watched short videos and I noticed that their music or editing style didn’t quite fit the videos’ storyline. So, I started to learn how to manipulate the music, like slowing it down, cutting it, or mixing it.
Along the way, I also picked up how to make cool transitions for my videos. These small edits inspired me to be a video editor and I experimented with editing software and apps to achieve different video effects, from cinematic to vlog to texts and many others.
How did you start earning from your hobby?
While I started uploading my edits on YouTube in 2018, I stopped for a while and only began editing again during the pandemic because there was nothing to do.
By Mid-2020, I noticed I was gaining viewers and subscribers at a rapid rate. I kid you not, I was slightly scared when the viewers grew to really large numbers. People from other countries were watching my channel and it was incredible that they enjoyed my work. I was happy that a lot of people cared, but at that point, I still hadn’t told my family about my channel. As time passed, my views kept soaring and it got to a point where I could sign up for an Adsense account and earn money from my considerable views. That’s when I told my mom and thankfully, she was happy and excited. She even encouraged me to pursue video editing as my career!
What do you envision as your future career?
I am looking forward to being a videographer, film editor, or producer, which are professions that will empower me to be independent and creative. Additionally, I will finally be able to make creative works on professional devices and materials, rather than just my mobile phone.
How do you think CIIT helped you work toward this career?
I found out about CIIT when I realized that I wanted to sharpen my creative skills and develop my own style. I researched and discovered that CIIT SHS had a strand for Media and Visual Arts.
My research on CIIT convinced me that I can learn many skills related to video editing or even other skills in the arts and multimedia fields in this school, so I immediately applied. Also, the look of the CIIT building assured me that this is a reliable art institution.
Why do you think a profession in the arts is viable?
I think in this modern’s society, media, technology, art, or anything related to it is so much more relevant now. We can see this because large companies really need traditional and digital designers and artists. We’re in very high demand these days.
Plus, everything is done online today, which means there are more opportunities for young, teenage artists to earn money online. With the help of CIIT’s track, teenagers can learn earlier, which makes it even easier to earn for themselves.
Do you have any advice for budding film editors?
My advice is: don’t tell this to your parents unless you’ve proven that you can earn money and have a stable career. Just kidding. But on a serious note, just be patient and determined. I think a lot of teenagers hold back on studying the arts because they are afraid others can’t accept that art is valid and that they can have a great future in this field.
My advice is do not undervalue this track. Just go for it!
Do you want to go to a school that can take your existing skills to the next level so you can secure a stable, rewarding future in the arts? Then join us in CIIT!
