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Youth Month Content Feature

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#BehindtheSelfie with... Kyle Lewis

This week, we find out what's really going on behind the selfie with Kyle Lewis, the only SA director to have been featured twice this year on Shots, nominated for a SAMA for best music video for the third year in a row.
Reflections of his selfie with Kyle Lewis. That’s “Action Cut Kyle” to you…
Reflections of his selfie with Kyle Lewis. That’s “Action Cut Kyle” to you…

1. Where do you live, work and play?

Lewis: Cape Town is my playground.

2. What’s your claim to fame?

Lewis: I’ve made a name for myself directing local hip-hop videos for mega artists like Cassper Nyovest, Khuli Chana, Riky Rick and Anatii, as well as creating commercial work for brands like Volkswagen and Absolut Vodka.

3. Describe your career so far.

Lewis: My career has been a tough road to get to where I am. But I have stuck to my aesthetic and it’s finally paying off.

4. Tell us a few of your favourite things.

Lewis: I love fashion and original aesthetics. I like using each of these elements in my work.

5. What do you love about your industry?

Lewis: I love being able to express myself and having an audience to enjoy it.

6. What are a few pain points your industry can improve on?

Lewis: We need more integration in head of department roles. We need to nurture our youth coming into the industry to create a diverse industry.

7. Describe your average workday, if such a thing exists.

Lewis: Nothing is ever average… No day is the same, which makes my job so awesome.

8. What are the tools of your trade?

Lewis: My collection of crystals and broken glass that I use as a blurring effect on camera… There’s always a crystal in my pocket, just in case.

9. Who is getting it right in your industry?

Lewis: A big source of inspiration to me is a fellow director at my company Arcade Content, Lebogang Rasethaba. He is bold and pushes boundaries. I admire his fearlessness as a filmmaker.

10. What are you working on right now?

Lewis: I’m working on a brand new video for Riky Rick and a secret VW job.

11. Tell us some of the buzzwords floating around in your industry at the moment, and some of the catchphrases you utter yourself.

Lewis: “Upper” is a phrase we like to shout out if we really got a great shot!

12. Where and when do you have your best ideas?

Lewis: My best ideas come in the shower…

13. What’s your secret talent/party trick?

Lewis: I can make a mean plate of nachos.

14. Are you a technophobe or a technophile?

Lewis: Definitely technophobe, but I am a whiz kid at PowerPoint. I leave the tech to my incredible post crew.

15. What would we find if we scrolled through your phone?

Lewis: Endless unread emails and a couple of hip-hop artists’ personal numbers.

16. What advice would you give to newbies hoping to crack into the industry?

Lewis: Never give up and fight for your spot with a humble attitude and a passion for your craft.

Simple as that. Click here for more on Lewis, browse his work at Arcade Content, the company that represents him, by clicking here or follow him on Twitter.

*Interviewed by Leigh Andrews.

About Leigh Andrews

Leigh Andrews AKA the #MilkshakeQueen, is former Editor-in-Chief: Marketing & Media at Bizcommunity.com, with a passion for issues of diversity, inclusion and equality, and of course, gourmet food and drinks! She can be reached on Twitter at @Leigh_Andrews.
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