Interview with Videographer Kenan Mezda

The interview is as follows:
 
Hello Mr. Mezda. Thank you very much for accepting our interview invitation. Could you please tell us about yourself?
 
Hello. You’re wellcome. I thank you. I was born in 1986 in Istanbul. I graduated from Istanbul University, Faculty of Communication, Department of Radio-Television-Cinema. I continue my master's degree in the same discipline. I am currently working in Büyükçekmece Municipality Press and Corporate Communication Unit. I also work as freelance on film and video.
 
Can you tell us a little bit about your orientation to this profession? What was the motivation that drove you to do this profession?
 
I am a cineaste since i was a child. I loved watching movies in my youth and would relax when I watched movies consecutively. It was my dealing way of those depressing, complicated spirit of adolescence. Focusing on different life stories made me realize that the world doesn't revolve around me and look at things from a wider perspective. This is how I decided to studying cinema.
 
When did you first enter the industry? How was this process for you?
 
First of all, you can't just get into film works. I have got into media sector as a video editor of an internet newspaper in my twenties. I had been doing simple news and video editing work there. This was how I quickly learned the camera using and video editing, despite the intensity of that workplace.
 
What are the challenges you face in this industry? How did you deal with these?
 
The state of the media sector in Turkey is known. The working times are not clearly stated and we have to work long hours. Sometimes we don't have time to eat or even sleep. But when we watch the resulting thing - a commercial, movie or documentary - and when it is liked by someones, the tiredness goes away. Doing good work always provides high motivation.
 
Could you please mention about the projects you have realized?
 
Although I initially aimed to shoot movies, the process worked differently for me. The dynamism of the sector and my economical concerns kept me in this work area when I entered the advertising and promotion business. I started shooting promotional and commercial films especially in the tourism sector. During political election periods, I shooted candidate advertisements and produced social media video contents. I took part in the production or post-production stages of many video clips and commercial projects. All of them were works that I loved to do.
 
What advice would you give our students studying in the Advertising Department? Should they experience the sector while continuing their education?
 
They should definitely act as if starting career from the day they started undergraduate education. Because this profession is not a "get your diploma and just start a job" style. It is necessary to learn a lot of technical information while being a student. As far as I saw when I was shooting at Gelişim University, the facilities of the school allow this. I advise students to make maximum use of the shooting-editing studio, advertising atelier and the equipments of the school. Although this sector seems fun and comfortable, it requires high discipline and dedication. I recommend that they work hard and practice a lot.
 
Are there any programs that our students who want to turn to this profession in the future should learn now? If so, how can they learn these programs? What are the most used programs in the advertising industry?
 
Of course there are. Unfortunately, media sector is competitive. They need to know more than one program for their career. We prefer Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects for ad editing. Of course, Final Cut and Edius are also used in the sector. But Adobe's programs are always the most preferred ones. It’ll be useful to know Photoshop and Illustrator as well as Premiere Pro and After Effects, albeit at a basic level. Recently the most preferred program for color processing is Da Vinci Resolve.
 
Is there anything you would like to add?
 
I must say that the main thing is to work hard, think creatively, and improve your perspective rather than what equipment or what program you use. When you do these, success comes naturally.