Music Tips: Video Editors

Music Tips:

 Hi y’all, it’s been forever, hasn’t it? Because it sure does feel like it. Well, I’m glad to see you again, because you probably look nice and the weather is so great and there’s something awesome ringing in the air…

And if you ask me, I think it goes by the sweet name: MUSIC TIPS!

Hurrahs and huzzahs because it's time for another round of delish questions and delish answers. If you’re new here to music tips, it is never too late to hop on the train with us. But here’s a speedy recap. 

So far, we’ve been on a trip around the CiDAR world (and you might want to check out our previous journeys). Exciting trips of exclusive interviews with our very own CiDAR Africa family. On ‘Music tips’, we ask our in-house brainboxes about the work they do here and pick some DIY tips along the way for you to go home with. Benevolent, much? Yeah I know

      So from our lawyer to our label manager, down to our designer, community manager, and even producer, Music Tips gives all the virtual access and all the tea to start your journey into the music world, learning through their experiences.

 And today, we have another round of fun fun fun! Today, it’s all about the creatives who turn raw footage into action, into something to laugh about, or simply to enjoy. The ones who turn a series of moments into something to capture, weaving a story and leaving an imprint. 

        And if you’re not sure who I’m speaking about or you’ve guessed it right away, I’ll… still say it anyway, because it’s 'VIDEO EDITORSSSS'!

WHO ARE THESE GUYS?

  Well, a video editor is a creative and technical professional responsible for assembling raw video footage, audio, and visual effects into a cohesive, engaging final product. In plain speak, they’re the people who make our originally ordinary videos and clips into something exciting. They’ve got that magic touch!

  So from the cabinets of CiDAR House and CiDAR Africa, we’ve brought to you our very own – and one of our coolest new additions to the team – VIDEO EDITOR, Bolu! So bless us with drum rolls as you welcome Bolu to the hot seat!

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  Q & A

1. Hi bolu, thank you for joining us. So, first question: What would you describe as your ideal day/ what constitutes a day in your life. Work personal stuff, what does your day entail

BOLU: Well, my ideal day is just good vibes and having a smooth workflow. I usually start with checking out the things I need to edit or work on, then I lock in, open my laptop and get straight into editing mode. That’s it really; then I disappear for hours and balance it out with music, random scrolling, and just catching cruise. So yeah… I try my best to have a really productive day without suffering in return.

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2. Give us a brief and cool explanation of what it is you do at CiDAR. 

BOLU: At CiDAR, I turn the simple and easy vibes in the studio into actual content people can watch without getting bored. Basically, I make things look more intentional than they actually were, pulling something out of ordinary simplicity.

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3. ⁠Walk me through your editing process from raw footage to final export.

BOLU: Well, first I scan through all the clips – because let’s be honest, not everything deserves to make it 😂 – then, I arrange the good ones into a rough story. After that, I start cleaning things up – the cuts, the syncing, the colour, and the transitions. By the end, I make sure it goes from looking like "Who shot this?” to "Okay, wait… this slaps.”

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4. ⁠So how did you even get into video editing? What was that moment you felt like, 'Huh, I enjoy this, maybe I should do this full time'?

BOLU: I started randomly. There was no “big plan"; it was just pure curiosity and vibes. But at some point, I realised I actually enjoyed the process, like I could sit for hours adjusting tiny details in a video and never get tired. That’s when I knew, yeah, this is getting serious.

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5. ⁠How did you feel when you edited your first video? What was it about?

BOLU: I was really proud. But if I see that video today, I’m skipping it immediately. 😭 At that time, it felt like cinema, though I won’t lie.

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6. ⁠What’s the one thing you’ve learned since you started editing professionally, and what’s something you’re still trying to improve on?

BOLU: The biggest lesson I’ve learned so far is that doing too much can actually spoil your video. Now I’m more about clean and intentional edits, and I’m currently trying to improve on motion design, storytelling, and pacing, making everything flow like butter.

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7. ⁠What part of editing do you enjoy the most?

BOLU:  Oh, it’s definitely that moment when everything just clicks: the beat, the visuals, and timing. It’s that point where you can finally lean back and be like, "Yeah, I did something here." 

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8. ⁠What’s it like editing BTS videos of artists in the studio?

BOLU: It’s actually really fun, because I get to just watch artists in the studio being themselves, and I get to see them in their element. Sometimes it’s all seriousness, sometimes it’s pure chaos, and my own job is to organise all that serious chaos and make it look cool.

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9. ⁠If your editing style had a tagline, what would it be?

BOLU: It would be “Clean, smooth and no stress.”

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10. ⁠Who’s your favorite CiDAR artiste?

BOLU : I’m not trying to cause any internal problems 😭, but I’ll say Kunmie. I like the way his songs pierce through minds and put you in a mood that makes you think!

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11. ⁠Favourite song at the moment and why?

BOLU:  Right now it’s “Back outside” by BNXN & SARZ. What a masterpiece!

The number of times I’ve put that song on repeat is so unhealthy. I’m a BNXN fan till I R.I.P 

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13. How do you decide what clips make it into the final video and what gets cut?⁠

BOLU: By checking out the most important thing: if the clips add any value to the story. If the clip is not adding value, it’s gone, because the goal is to pick moments that actually mean something or at least look good.

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14 How do you pick the right song for a video?

BOLU: Hmm, if the music doesn’t match the video, the whole thing is already in trouble 

So I always go for something that fits the mood and carries the visuals.

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15. Any tips for syncing clips to music without it looking off?

BOLU: Honestly, If your cuts are not following the beat… I’m already judging you, small ... 😂

But yeah, the key is to lock into the rhythm of the music you’re using; after that, everything feels natural.

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16. ⁠What kind of music do you think works best for BTS or studio videos?

BOLU: I think anything that has a good vibe generally but is also not too loud, because you want the music to support the video, not come in and be the main character or be against the video.

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17. ⁠Would you consider yourself a storyteller with your videos? If yes, what do you always want people to know, and how do you balance that storytelling with keeping things visually exciting?

BOLU:  A storyteller? Yeah, for sure. One thing most people don’t realise is that even small clips tell a story. So I just try not to make it boring, because once it’s boring, you’ve lost everybody, to be honest.

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18. ⁠What are those things you used to do that your current self would cringe at now

BOLU:  Ah… Where do I start 😭? Overusing transitions, unnecessary zooms, random effects. The way I used to spam transitions, then mehnn, I don't think I’ll forgive myself for that.

I really thought I was doing something back then.

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19. ⁠If you could say one thing to your past self. The beginning stage of your journey – what would you say?

BOLU: Hmm, I would say, 'Relax, you're not as bad as you think… but also, you’re not as good as you think, so just keep working.’

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20. ⁠If someone wants to kickstart their video editing journey today, what would you recommend that they focus on first

BOLU: Please!!!  Learn how to cut first. Not everything needs an effect. Just chill and learn how to cut first.

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21.  Alrighty then, noted! So, another one, ⁠where do you usually find inspiration for funny or relatable content?

BOLU:  Mostly online, from the memes, trends, and random relatable stuff. Sometimes real life too… people are naturally funny without trying, and I’ll use myself as an example. If you know, you know. 

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22. And for our last question of the day, ⁠If you had to give three quick hacks to achieve a great video content, what would they be?

BOLU: hmm , my three hacks are,

    If it’s too long, cut it

    If it doesn’t match the beat, fix it

    If it looks like you tried too hard… you probably did.

And that’s it for today, folks! Thanks for sticking around with us and we hope you learnt something cool or something great! See you soon. 

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