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Videography in Jordan – work that requires passion
By Haya Najdawi, Jordan News
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21-year-old Palestinian-Jordanian videographer Bashar Obed
has been working in cinematography for seven years; it is a job he loves, but
where he finds challenges as well. اضافة اعلان
“I taught myself how to edit and use visual after-effects on videos even before I learned how to film properly. As a teen, I watched a lot of YouTube videos that were definitely advanced for my age, and I learned the techniques necessary to edit,” Obed told Jordan news in an interview.
Whether filming a commercial, a short movie, or even a music video, editing the videos post production is of great importance. That is where overcoming challenges comes in.
(Photo: Handout from Bashar Obed)
“Sometimes we need props or pieces of furniture that I cannot get; those can be added through editing. There are certain locations that are hard to find here in Jordan, too, so I rely on editing and angles while shooting to give the illusion that the video was filmed elsewhere,” he said.
Obed leaves his touch on his videos by adding a colored-theme.
“Filming the video is the first step. Then you have to work on adding sound effects, special visual effects, and the coloring; it is all about coloring, as it can change the resolution of the video as well as make it very artistic,” Obed said.
For example, in one of his projects, a music video for local rapper TRBLX, where the color theme was all green, “the green color left its effect. When this project is mentioned, people always talk about the theme, plus even though the video was filmed here in Amman, you get the vibe it was filmed somewhere in Korea,” he said.
(Photo: Handout from Bashar Obed)
Renting equipment can also complicate the process of filming, Obeid said.
“Usually videographers rent the equipment they need for filming, like cameras, tripods and lights, for example, but renting it is not practical and it costs a lot as well, so the payment the videographer ends up getting mostly will not cover his fees,” he said.
Another videographer, 23-year-old Palestinian-Jordanian Qusai Abu Aisha, otherwise known as Seka, talked about the difficulty of obtaining, at times, the necessary permits and clearances needed for production.
He admits, however, that even though videography has its challenges, being passionate about filming and photography motivates him to pursue it as a career.
(Photo: Handout from Bashar Obed).
“When you are a kid, they always ask what you want to be when you grow up. I always answered ‘a photographer’. Filming challenges my creativity,” he said.
In one of his latest projects, the music video of “Bela Rouh” (without a soul) by singer Bilal Shabib, one sees at the beginning Shabib and his business manager signing a contract, “selling his soul for music”; then he passes out and you get an inside look at his thoughts and fears.
“Throughout the song the artist says: ‘I am better off without contracts’, so by the end of the video you see him ‘getting rid of the contract, freeing himself’, connecting the intro and outro of the video together,” Abu Aisha said.
(Video: Handout from Bashar Obed)
“This project was emotional, but a fun experience as well. We laughed throughout shooting, and we cried too; we even reshot some scenes at different locations. It was kind of exhausting,” Seka said.
“However, no matter how exhausting it gets sometimes, I still enjoy every little experience I get. I have met a lot of my friends and colleagues through my work via mutual connections,” he added.
That is how “Wavy Cloud Production” was born. Abu Aisha, alongside his friends Mohammad Naji and artist Bilal Shabib, decided to combine their different skills, knowledge and connections into one company, and formed a team of videographers, music producers and directors.
(Photo: Handout from Bashar Obed)
“Wavy Cloud is a local broadcasting and media production company; those were not that common here in Jordan, so we put together a team to help local artists and the community, too. It was an important step for me to further improve my knowledge. It allowed me to organize my priorities,” Abu Aisha said, adding: “Plus, having my own business gave me more freedom. While my teammates take care of other stuff, like clients or financial issues, I can focus on the visuals and filming. We formed a little family that is full of passion for work, and I have high hopes that the ‘Wavy Cloud’ family will continue growing.”
Read more Lifestyle
“I taught myself how to edit and use visual after-effects on videos even before I learned how to film properly. As a teen, I watched a lot of YouTube videos that were definitely advanced for my age, and I learned the techniques necessary to edit,” Obed told Jordan news in an interview.
Whether filming a commercial, a short movie, or even a music video, editing the videos post production is of great importance. That is where overcoming challenges comes in.
(Photo: Handout from Bashar Obed)
“Sometimes we need props or pieces of furniture that I cannot get; those can be added through editing. There are certain locations that are hard to find here in Jordan, too, so I rely on editing and angles while shooting to give the illusion that the video was filmed elsewhere,” he said.
Obed leaves his touch on his videos by adding a colored-theme.
“Filming the video is the first step. Then you have to work on adding sound effects, special visual effects, and the coloring; it is all about coloring, as it can change the resolution of the video as well as make it very artistic,” Obed said.
For example, in one of his projects, a music video for local rapper TRBLX, where the color theme was all green, “the green color left its effect. When this project is mentioned, people always talk about the theme, plus even though the video was filmed here in Amman, you get the vibe it was filmed somewhere in Korea,” he said.
(Photo: Handout from Bashar Obed)
Renting equipment can also complicate the process of filming, Obeid said.
“Usually videographers rent the equipment they need for filming, like cameras, tripods and lights, for example, but renting it is not practical and it costs a lot as well, so the payment the videographer ends up getting mostly will not cover his fees,” he said.
Another videographer, 23-year-old Palestinian-Jordanian Qusai Abu Aisha, otherwise known as Seka, talked about the difficulty of obtaining, at times, the necessary permits and clearances needed for production.
When you are a kid, they always ask what you want to be when you grow up. I always answered ‘a photographer’. Filming challenges my creativity.“You cannot film at certain locations unless you have a permit. It can take a very long time to get it after applying, and even when you have it, in certain situations, like when using a drone for example, it can get extremely complicated,” Abu Aisha said.
He admits, however, that even though videography has its challenges, being passionate about filming and photography motivates him to pursue it as a career.
(Photo: Handout from Bashar Obed).
“When you are a kid, they always ask what you want to be when you grow up. I always answered ‘a photographer’. Filming challenges my creativity,” he said.
In one of his latest projects, the music video of “Bela Rouh” (without a soul) by singer Bilal Shabib, one sees at the beginning Shabib and his business manager signing a contract, “selling his soul for music”; then he passes out and you get an inside look at his thoughts and fears.
“Throughout the song the artist says: ‘I am better off without contracts’, so by the end of the video you see him ‘getting rid of the contract, freeing himself’, connecting the intro and outro of the video together,” Abu Aisha said.
(Video: Handout from Bashar Obed)
“This project was emotional, but a fun experience as well. We laughed throughout shooting, and we cried too; we even reshot some scenes at different locations. It was kind of exhausting,” Seka said.
“However, no matter how exhausting it gets sometimes, I still enjoy every little experience I get. I have met a lot of my friends and colleagues through my work via mutual connections,” he added.
That is how “Wavy Cloud Production” was born. Abu Aisha, alongside his friends Mohammad Naji and artist Bilal Shabib, decided to combine their different skills, knowledge and connections into one company, and formed a team of videographers, music producers and directors.
(Photo: Handout from Bashar Obed)
“Wavy Cloud is a local broadcasting and media production company; those were not that common here in Jordan, so we put together a team to help local artists and the community, too. It was an important step for me to further improve my knowledge. It allowed me to organize my priorities,” Abu Aisha said, adding: “Plus, having my own business gave me more freedom. While my teammates take care of other stuff, like clients or financial issues, I can focus on the visuals and filming. We formed a little family that is full of passion for work, and I have high hopes that the ‘Wavy Cloud’ family will continue growing.”
Read more Lifestyle
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