After my last post, I thought that I had used up all my knowledge and, dare I say, wisdom to pass on to anyone reading. Then I realized that I had to write one of these every couple weeks and suddenly I had a new topic to write about! Funny how that works….
If you couldn’t guess based off the title, I want to highlight some cool creators/artists/videographers in the current age of media. The world of media is changing. Cameras are more accessible, there are tutorials everywhere and sharing work is easy as a click of a button. As a result, some of the most talented creators in the world aren’t always making feature length films. Instead they are independent creators using Instagram and TikTok as primary platforms for short form video content and to grow their audience. They are influencing the new generation of creators and therefore revolutionizing film and media right in front of our eyes. Despite only being mainly being on social media and creating work for brands, these are still some the most talented creators I have ever seen and individuals that I draw a lot of inspiration from. I hope that you are able to see the beauty in their work, become fans and potentially be led towards other artists that inspire you.
13th Witness
13th Witness (Timothy McGurr) is currently my favorite photographer/videographer today. Not only does he have one of the freshest artists names ever, his stuff is extremely good. 13th Witness is considered one of the best creators in the world. His work has been sought out by Nike, BMW, Beyonce and currently Lewis Hamilton. He is the original, photography instagram page guy, with shots dating. back to when he was shooting on his iPhone but now his work is global. His vibrant, high saturation, yet vintage and timeless aesthetic is nearly impossible to replicate but still here I am trying to do so. His images tend to have a film look achieved by the use of grain or a fade filter. He is undoubtedly has one of the most defined and special aesthetics currently and it is not surprise that he is so coveted as a creator.
Kark Shakur
Karl Shakur is the definition of a travel photographer/videographer. Originally from Kansas, he has been able to use his art as a way to travel all across the world and story tell every he goes. Best known as a travel creator, Shakur has ventured across the world documenting different cities, creating content for different brands and even putting together tutorials on YouTube for how he creates his work. What I love most about his work is the depth and fullness that all of his images seem to hold, whether video or photo, on an iPhone 13 or Canon R5 his work all seems complete and of the highest quality. He is also a daredevil having attempted (and succeeded) in taking some of the craziest you’ve seen. Check out the two videos below, the first being a reel containing some of those photos I mentioned and another being a “regular” video.
Director K
The last person to highlight is Director K a music video director from Nigeria. He is currently the biggest director in the Afrobeats genre of music having done videos, for Wizkid, BurnaBoy, Rema and more. Director K is the closest out of any of these three creators to a stereotypical filmmaker as music video often adopts the same methods of creation as films with the use of characters, scenes, plots and more. He often starts his music videos with pan onto the subject of the video, and his coloring is always glory and creamy as well. Check out his music video to Essence by Wizkid featuring Tems.