 Bled, so for extra smoothness, I had to roll a blade to get that movie effect, that movie, so extra, that extra extra smoothness so that you can me think that you're watching a movie, but it was just me on a skate on a gimbal, yeah that's all. Let's talk about locations, I've seen some very interesting locations in your video over here, so I'm very, a place I didn't even think was Nairobi, what was happening as a videographer, how do you go about selecting a unique location? Definitely when you are just around, you just see somewhere, you know, as a content creator, when you see something, you just know like, this is it, yeah, from any place, oh and sometimes it's just random, like there's a time I went to a job in Diani, and then after I finished the job, I was like, let me shoot, it's just where you find yourself, and then you try and make it as cinematic as possible, you try and make it as good as possible by color grading and all those kinds of stuff, yeah. I can see you've done, you've played a lot with the colors over here as well, I can see this rainbow effect of the park and the drone shots, and as somebody at home is probably just as fascinated as I am, and is wondering, if I wanted to start out in videography, what kind of equipment do I need from the most basic equipment? Yes, just people start with the phones, imagine, yeah, you just, as long as you have the creativity, like we normally have a saying, it's not about the camera of the equipment, it's about the person behind the equipment, so yeah, you can start with just a simple camera, you don't need to start with like heavy gear, yeah, you don't need to start with heavy gear. I've also seen there's something you talked about when it comes to how you draw your inspiration, you talked about you just go with the flow, you take note, you're very observant. Yeah, you just observe, like okay, I also watch a lot of YouTube videos of American, British, just around the world, other videographers, yeah, I also get inspiration from them like Casey Neistat, Peter Makinon, yeah, those guys who are at the top there, Peter Makinon, you've even told us the people that inspire you. Yeah, they inspire you the way they make the videos, the cinematic, and maybe you see like, like the one I put the color greenade, the smoke bombs on the skateboard. Yes. Where do you get smoke bombs from, because I'm surprised, I was like wow. You import them, you know, you have to go the extra mile for video, you know, some people in a video, they look for aspects so that they can stay connected to your video, so that maybe the wow factor, you have to find a way, in every video you have to have a wow factor. Wow. If you don't have a wow factor, people will get bored. Yeah, people get bored and you'll take long to be recognized, so you have to have a wow factor. Yeah, even for videos which I'm about to shoot like music videos, which I also do, I tell the clients like they have to be, there has to be something that stands out that can wow somebody like, you know, yeah, so you have to have like two, three wow factors in the video so that it can blow people's mind away. Wow factor, two, three wow factors in your videos. So let's talk about Aikal, just a little bit. How old is Aikal and are you self-taught? And yeah, let's just start with Aikal Productions. Aikal Productions is like one year old, but I started, this is my third year of doing filming. Why did you call it Aikal? Aikal Productions because of the eye, which represents a lens. And then Carlos, my name is Carlos, so the cow, so in combination, Aikal Productions. Okay, so basically it's Carlos' eyes through the lens. So is it a registered company? Yeah, it's registered. Okay, so let's talk about how you build your clientele, your customer base and what are some of the aspects you did, what was your first work about and how did you get yourself known? Just first of all it doesn't come easy, you have to work your way to the top. So I just started shooting not for money, just go out there, just shoot and put your content out there, somebody will notice you. So just then I think my first big job was a job I did for deforestation, it was showed in KTN. Deforestation, so you were actually passionate about the environment? Yeah, it was just a job, but it was also, as I was doing it, I was also passionate. Because we went with the three conservatives, people concerned about conserving forests. Mostly it's just referrals, people say, oh this is Tantis, this is Tandar, I also did a song by Fenagitu. Enosolik, the director called me and we did a song Fenagitu, it came out recently, it's called Steam. So it's just people will see your work and one day you'll get, as people know your work, people started saying, you're good, you're good, you're good, you're good, you're good, you're good. And then eventually you become, people refer you to more things and stuff like that. So also I mostly do weddings and the weddings I feel is just referrals. I hear most people start with weddings, even photographers. Even me, I've done quite a number of very many weddings. I even have a video, just a combination of weddings around Nairobi which I did for drone footage. In the age or the dawn of social media, how do you utilize social media to make your business more visible? And also you're also a YouTuber and I'd like to understand what's a YouTuber because I find this thing is very diverse anyway. So can you please specify what kind of YouTuber you are? I'm not a vlogger, that's for one. But I'm just out to put content on YouTube, any type of content. So it's a platform of showing myself a portfolio. Like if you want something, a portfolio. Like if you want to hire me to do something like a job, I'll tell you, you ask me for my portfolio and I'll show you my YouTube page. Kalo Sonyango. And then you go and watch my videos, you're wild, definitely you'll take me for the job. Have you started making any money from this YouTube? I hear there's a lot of complaints when it comes to monetizing YouTube. Before, it requires a lot of subscribers and a lot of views. It's when you can start making money. But once you start, it's real money. I hear the cutoff was actually raised. Like now they changed it. Like in order for you to monetize it, they've increased. They've increased the... So you have to reach a certain level so that you can be able to monetize. But for me, I use it mostly as a platform. I use it as a platform so that my work can be out there and just... I can see your work here. I'm sorry, I'm so distracted. I just keep looking at it. It looks really, really good. How long does it take before you complete a project like this? This one I did it in one day. One day? Ya. I did it in one day. So who does the editing? I also do the editing. I also do the editing. I do everything, pretty much everything. I do the editing. But for the skate video, it took quite long. It took like three months. I figured. Ya, we had to even wait for the park had not yet been completely painted. Oh wow. Ya, so we just had to wait. I just timed when it's fresh, when it's looking brandy. And then ya, went for the shot. Well, there's a question I had asked you and then I forgot about it. Which is, is this self-taught or did you go to school for it? YouTube. Ya, mi am a lawyer. I'm a student. I'm a law student. I graduated from a law degree. Now I'm doing Kenya School of Law. Ya, so I didn't have time to go to... I have friends who have gone to school and such, but me never went to school. So even currently, ya, so I just jagal. You're just brilliant like that. You just learnt it, wow. Ya, I just learnt it in YouTube. YouTube has a lot of things people can learn from instead of sitting at home. Editing, making cards, printing. Ya, a lot of things you can learn from YouTube. Ya, so I learnt a lot from YouTube and it's very informative. It's very informative. Ya, very informative. There's a quality you've mentioned when you're doing your productions, which is, it takes, sometimes it can take almost up to three months. And that's patience. Ya, that's patience. So what other qualities do you believe that any videographer at home should also have if they want to be as professional and as outstanding? Wow, there's the well factor. You have to have a cinematographic eye. Cinematographic eye. Ya, you have to have a cinematographic eye. Like you know this and this. Ya, like me in most places, somewhere I see where it could be very, very, very, I could get like very good one million shots like one million shots is in town. But it's difficult shooting in town. Yes. Especially with the drone because of, ya, all these kinds of regulations and ya. By the way, those are low about it the other day. Ya, just the other day. Ya, so it's a bit difficult to be able to shoot everything you want because ya. Can we save that for the challenges and then stick to the qualities because I think we'll go to the challenges. Ya. So I'm seeing a cinematographic, basically an eye for detail. Ya, eye for detail. Ya, what else? Patience, what else? Ya, and you have to know your ground. As in don't try and copy others. You have to be, you do your specific way of doing things. Appreciate your uniqueness. Ya, uniqueness. So have your own uniqueness, have your own way of doing things and it will take you far. Don't try and copy. Yes. Just do your own creativity because a lot of people in Kenya I see they just, same things ya, same things. Ya, I've seen even beats, I've seen even producers starting to make very similar beats. Ya, just try and make yours, just try and be distinctive as possible and ya, you will get recognition. Wow. Ya. So now let's go to the challenges. Have we really had one? The issue of some locations it's difficult to shoot Ya, it's very difficult to shoot. because of regulations and kanjo and whatever. Ya. What other challenges are there? Other challenges are definitely acquiring equipment. Like you know they are, Oh and they are damn expensive. Ya, they are expensive. Acquiring equipment is expensive because like you normally just start from the bottom. Climb, you climb, you climb, you buy equipment. Ya, it's a tricky challenge and also the regulations like I've been said, you know, young people there's no work we're being told to be entrepreneurial look for your own work. Yes, create your own work. And then now if you go and create your own work the government comes again and like filming the way the regulations have imposed and most people doing this young stuff. Ya. Ya, young people and now the government like as I can these rules they impose or I don't know you have to pay wards. Like just shooting in town you have to, I don't know how many you have to go through procedures and I don't know you spend how much. So this is really discouraging the talent in the industry. Ya, it's discouraging. It's discouraging young people. Especially if you don't have that financial muscle because also I remember there was this whole conversation of how since 8 was shot in Kenya and it didn't make any sense how they got all these permissions how they pulled off the scene. They blocked a whole tickarole. Yes, in fact this whole globe here I can remember that. I remember they caused I don't know how many accidents here. Ya. And I was wondering that must have cost a lot of money. That must have cost a fortune. Okay, so that means the young talent in this particular industry are frustrated because now they make it so expensive for you to do things that are out of this world. Okay, let's talk about I believe that message has hit home. Ya, definitely. Let's talk about some of your best moments. I'm seeing your work is so amazing. I'm trying to figure out what could possibly be your favorite one out of them all but what can you say has been your best work so far? Okay, my best work I think the skate video was my best work. Wow. Because I really put my heart in that video and the shots and the creativity you know I had to go all in all and also I put some investment in it of course. It was good. I also Ya, when I did the video for Fena it was also nice working with because you know before I did the video I also looked as an inspiring director so I used to look up to Enosolik and then now after a few like a few months you told Oh, Enosolik is calling you for a job. So you actually invited him to mentor you directly. So I was excited because he doesn't know me and ya so I was excited because he is one he is I think the best videographer among the best but to me I look up to him so it was nice working with him. It was a good experience and he also liked my work so that was nice. Also like your work anyway but not that of a professional but I really like it I think it's unique. Okay, so let's talk about when it comes to diversification you know every person who opens a new enterprise for example if you start like ladies usually when they do when they do hair they start to do make up they start to do nails they diversify into different other aspects what do you see yourself diversifying into? Which field? Which direction? whether it is in your film are you going to do movies do you plan to do movies now? I want to do my aim is advertisements advertisements big advertisements that's my like that's your goal for now that's my goal that's my main goal because I believe I can do and shoot music videos also so that's my goal so that I can be amazing there are also other directors video directors I look up to outside Kenya and I'd like to maybe even exceed the level because I like the way they shoot videos they also shoot adverts and that's where I want to that's where I see myself that's where you plan to be in the next few in the next coming years okay so I think as a patinshut I'd like to understand from you where can the fans find you and also any words any piece of advice is there any work that we can look for infact wait before we get to the social media is there any work that you're doing that we can look forward to in the near future? definitely I have a couple of music videos lined up I have even finished drawing scripts you know you just don't go and shoot you have to draw scripts storyboard so I have artists who I'm going to work with this year so people can look up to look forward to that you'll be notified on my IG handle maybe so now let's go to your social media handles what are your social media handles? my IG handle is Thalos Onyango Thalos underscore Onyango and also in YouTube you can get me at Thalos underscore Onyango and then you'll be able to find my work so you can just go you can follow, you can subscribe to my YouTube channel and I promise to bring content proper content I think if there's little cheese we have is anything to go by I think we're going to have a lot of goodness there's a lot of coming you've just begun that is how you're beginning I cannot wish to see what you're going to do in the future so now as a parting shot something for the viewers at home yeah okay everybody has his own thing you're good at something so you focus on what you're good in because there's something just find something you're good in and stick with it give it your all give it your passion give it your heart give it your all even if people don't appreciate it by that time and say you can't do it or don't think you can do it you just have to push it you don't allow people to manipulate you you just have to push it I like that my landed friend thank you so much Kalos Onyango for coming to the studio today thank you so much for representing Aikal yes you're watching entrepreneurship Tuesday I've been with the CEO of Aikal Kalos Onyango himself he's such a brilliant boy I don't even know where to start thank you so much for watching please don't touch that there but most of us is coming up next in the next interview