AKThaWicked is an independent filmmaker and creative artist who seamlessly blends VFX and cinematography to produce visually stunning videos. Hear more from the Nigerian filmmaker on what keeps him inspired, his essentials for crafting a compelling story, and how Musicbed elevates his work.
Musicbed: What sparked your passion for filmmaking/storytelling?
AKThaWicked: My passion for filmmaking results from my curiosity and love for action movies. As a young boy, I used to wonder how these movies were created and what was required to make my own movies. Ever since I came across YouTube tutorials explaining the process and requirements, I decided to pursue a career in filmmaking. So generally, I will say my passion for filmmaking was sparked by my young self-curiosity and trying to create amazing stories that made me happy as a child.
What keeps you motivated and creatively inspired?
My goals and dreams. I believe I have a lot to show the world through my creativity and I believe I could be a source of inspiration to the kids who grew up like me wanting to become a filmmaker. Also, creating films and stories makes me happy. Recently, I started putting out YouTube videos and tutorials and the positive feedback always wants me to keep going. It’s always a proud and encouraging moment for me.
What makes a story visually appealing? What role does music play in storytelling?
What makes a story visually appealing is the story itself, the environment, lighting, and camera angles—everything brought together by the power of music. The same story could be made happy, sad, romantic, or even fun depending on the music choice, so music is a very powerful element in storytelling. It’s like glue that brings the other parts of your story together.
What elements do you think are essential for crafting a compelling story?
There are 3 items that I consider essential:
- Environment/Lighting: This sets the tone and mood and gives the audience an insight into what world the story is set in.
- Composition: Your camera angles and the way your character interacts with the environment and one another. A good composition will help you tell your story better while keeping your audience engaged with the beautiful shots.
- Music/Sound: This is a very important part of every story. Without music and sound the audience will not be immersed into the story or even have an idea of what is going on. Good music and sound can drastically improve your story and prevent it from boring the audience.
How important is music in your work?
Very important. With music, I can tell my stories and connect to a larger audience regardless of the language barrier. It makes my work unique and relatable. Even when my story lacks dialogue, I am still able to convey the emotions of my story. Music is a universal language that everyone understands and as a filmmaker, it’s very important to me and my work.
What advice would you give other filmmakers/creators who are just starting their careers?
My advice is you have to take your time and learn the basics. Do not underestimate the power of a good story and music, regardless of what tools you are using to bring your story to life. Also, pay attention to planning out your story and have an idea of what you want your end product to look like to the audience. Lack of planning makes your process slow and unnecessarily tedious. Lastly, you must be goal and passion-driven. Your aim for going into filmmaking should not be only based on materialistic gains.
How do you find the balance between pushing boundaries creatively and delivering what your client wants or audience wants to see?
By understanding my audience, client, and myself. I am creating a form of storytelling that is unique to me. That way, whenever people see my work or commission me, they have an idea of what to expect and trust my creative vision, which generally means I avoid putting pressure on what my clients want or what my audience wants to see. I still try as much as possible to create for myself and add the elements of what my audience/clients like about my creative work.
What is the most challenging aspect of being a filmmaker/creative?
Growing up in Nigeria, I have had a lot of challenges as a filmmaker. Some of them are access to and the cost of filmmaking tools and learning resources, which leads to the most challenging aspect: consistency. Staying consistent can be very challenging. Also getting to monetize my content, as well. Before I came across Musicbed, my videos got copyrighted even after hours of searching for free non-copyrighted music online. This used to be a very big challenge for me.
What’s your favorite project that you’ve worked on?
My favorite project so far has to be my collaboration with Spotify. I also love my short cinematic films and edits. But at this point, I pay attention to everything I create and try to enjoy the process as much as I can. I have a saying: “My best/favorite project is my next one.”
How do you search for music on Musicbed? What are some tips that you’d give other filmmakers to search on Musicbed?
Have an idea of the music genre, melody, and tempo you need for your story. Browse through the What’s New playlist, and most importantly, go through other filmmakers’ playlists. It’s a very good place to find amazing music and reduce your search time. An unpopular method that also helps me is having my video play on-screen while I go through music on the website. It helps me get the one that fits the tempo and mood of my video faster since I can see my video and listen to the music at the same time.
Why do you utilize Musicbed in your work?
It solves my music problems so I can focus and create more. It used to take me hours to sort for licensed and uncopyrighted music to use for my videos. But with Musicbed, I have been able to get them in a matter of minutes and create my playlist. There are always fresh options to choose from, no matter what story you are trying to tell. Musicbed has generally been a game changer for me and I love it.
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Explore a curated playlist of the music AK uses to accentuate his content—available for licensing only on Musicbed.
