Sheziha Rahim: “Creating videos enhances your vision”

By Shania Perera

Sheziha Rahim is a 19-year-old visual storyteller and filmmaker with a passion for bringing life onto the screen. She’s been working on her projects since the age of 16. Sheziha is also a model and marketing enthusiast.

 

How did this all begin?

I used to shoot videos and combine them through the Movie Maker programme included in Windows. In 2016, I shot a few videos of my friends through the iMovie app on my phone. The following year, a friend of mine asked me to work with him on a video for a brand, and I’ve been working on videos ever since.

 

Who is your biggest influence?

I follow Jordan Taylor Wright who goes by the username @taylorcutfilms. He has his own online university for filmmaking and I follow his work on YouTube also.

 

How do you seek out opportunities?

Well, I would be lying if I didn’t say looking for opportunities is a bit tough when you’re a girl in this industry, because it is mainly male-dominated. People don’t normally think of a girl being behind the camera. Those who trust my work collaborate with me. From there, I look for contacts which help me gain opportunities in this field.

 

Tell me about your school life.

To be honest, school wasn’t that interesting (laughs). I was fully invested in business studies and I’m still pursuing a diploma in business management. Filmmaking was just my hobby that turned into my career, which was completely unexpected. I’m happy to say that I’m having fun doing it and I want to continue being in this field for some time.

 

How do you cultivate a collector base?

It’s the people who come up to me. Some of my friends are influencers too and I work on projects through them and with them. I have modelled for a few brands too.

 

How do you navigate the world pertaining to your work?

Well, it’s difficult to reach deadlines when there’s so many shoots I need to work on. I work overnight to maintain perfection in what I do. It’s not an easy task, but since I’m passionate about my work, nothing is impossible.

 

A day in the life of Sheziha…What does that look like?

I wake up, check my phone for messages and emails, and sit in front of my computer until I’m done with work, and repeat.

 

What current trends do you follow?

I have to say hoops!

 

What are your plans for the future?

I plan to make more videos which include travel. I also hope to build a bigger social media fan base for my videos.

 

What would you do if you got Rs. 1 million today?

I wouldn’t buy any gadgets because they are easily rented. I really want to invest in what’s happening all around us; climate change, pollution, and scarce resources aren’t simple issues. I will spend my money on trying to solve these problems.