Introduction

Picture this: You are frustrated with your work or studies and decide to unlock your phone and browse Instagram for a while. After replying to messages and checking the latest stories, you decide to browse reels for just a few minutes.

As you are browsing, you happened to see today’s guest teaching about the human body and its complexities or motivating you to get back to what you were doing in the first place.

Before I introduce Saad, I want to share that I and Saad have had a friendly rivalry thing between us since 2017 when we competed against each other in public speaking. Since then, each one of us went down his road and worked upon himself.

Our passion for educating and helping people has manifested in different ways. Him and his social media page where he benefits his audience, and me with Lessons and Obsessions teaching its readers.

Originally, I had a whole layout of an introduction where I spoke about self-help and motivation trends in the past few years, as well as the rise of short educational content through Instagram and Tiktok. Instead, I thought it would be more fitting to make a more personal introduction since nothing else clicked with me.  

Introduce Yourself

Meet Saad, a 22-year-old medical student who has a passion for pursuing everything. On an occasional day, You would find him dancing, drawing, or practicing an entirely new skill.

I follow a mindset of “ If I start something, I have to become good at it.” Luckily, most of the things I started were a success, and that just motivated me to explore even further and further.

He is mostly known for his educational and inspiring social media presence. Some of his popular work includes his content, extracurricular charity documentaries, and freelance projects like shooting videos for Beug’s.

That’s only the start for me.

What Inspired You to Start Making Videos?

Ever since I was a kid, I would help people and offer advice even if it wasn’t appreciated. In my teenage years, I pursued public speaking and things just naturally took off from there.

I guess what drove me to forward myself to the world was my philosophy. I believe that knowledge doesn’t divide, it multiplies. If I teach someone something then I would receive something in return.

In later years, Saad developed a love for videography, which paired nicely with his confident and helpful nature.

The two ideas just clicked and that evolved into my current career and account.

He first started experimenting with videography during the 2020 lockdown where he learned his craft by watching a lot of inspirational videos, travel vlogs, and commercial advertisements, comedian and public speaker Youtube channels.

Since I consider myself an audio-visual learner, I didn’t read a lot of books. Instead, I studied popular filmmakers and the breakdown of their work.

I pointed out that he is the second person featured on the blog to say that breakdowns matter a lot more than the results (See here), and he replied:

Contrary to that, I think results are underrated, a lot of people learn how to do things but do not appreciate the finished work. So you end up learning from others and combining what you learned into your own style.

Whether you, the reader, choose to follow Saad’s or Violet’s opinion, I leave that up to you and what you make of it.

What Were Some of The Difficulties You Faced When Starting?

Surprisingly, Saad’s first difficulties weren’t about videography itself. He was more concerned about reception and feedback. 

I had to learn how to accept good critique, value meaningful feedback, and separate hate. Kinda like knowing friends that laugh with or at you. 

In the later stages of content creation, Saad realized that he strayed from his original goal.

I found myself looking for engagement rather than educating my audience which is my main goal. Eventually, I found a balance between entertainment and knowledge.

On top of that, Saad records his face for the content he makes. Consequently, he is suffering from success as people would recognize him and be surprised that the Saad on social media is the not same as in real life.

I don’t have any privacy anymore. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad thing. I am more likely to get judged in public, especially during my outings with friends. The Saad that laughs and dances with his friends is not the same Saad that explains topics in medical attire

DJ Khaled memes aside, Saad opened up to a serious issue that most characters in creative fields suffer from (this blog included) which is consistency. 

The hardest part is the mental struggle that comes with consistency. With each project comes new difficulties that you have to face and that gets tiring. I found that the only way to combat this is to accept that we will never be on top of our schedule and do our best.

How Do You Decide on a Video Topic?

Finding video topics is the easiest thing for me. Most of the ideas come from fruitful conversations with someone or something I learned in med school. If I like it, I note it and visit it another day [..] I would say that 95% of my ideas make it into a video.

Saad clarified that the rest of the ideas that don’t become a video have a reason why. For instance, there are some topics he doesn’t have the right to discuss simply due to his lack of qualifications and experience.

Most of Saad’s videos are a combination of these 3 categories: General medicine, mental health awareness, and his own life experience.

How Did You Know You Were Going to Continue In Video Production?

As mentioned in the beginning, Saad likes to pursue things fully. So it was no surprise that the day he decided to start his videography career he wouldn’t quit. On top of this, the encouragement and reception he received motivated him to continue.

What Were The First Days Like?

I experimented a lot in my first year. Things like length, set-up, orientation, etc. Eventually, I gathered enough data to learn what people liked and I just built on that.

I also listened when the reception was bad. This meant that I had to improve on myself, my style, my mindset, and my process.

What Is Your Usual Gear Setup?

I really enjoyed Saad’s humble nature which was put on display the moment we talked about the setup of his first videos. I could notice the passion and enjoyment in his speech when he spoke about the suction cup tripod attached to his mirror that held his phone selfie camera illuminated with natural sunlight.

Slowly I invested in new gear from a tripod to a professional microphone. I have come a long way since then.

By the time this interview will be posted, Saad should have posted a new video where he used a professional set-up including new background and decoration,  invested in a tripod and microphone, 35mm f2.0 lens all edited through Adobe Premiere Pro.

Explain The Process of Making a Video From Start to Finish

Just like every great thing ever made, the entire process begins with an idea. After Saad collects a bunch of topics in his notepad, he makes scripts for every promising idea.

Following that, Saad prefers to group up these videos and record all the videos in one weekend morning. For editing, he likes to scramble his editing session whenever he can find the time since videos only take 30-40 minutes each to edit.

Surprisingly, once the video is posted, Saad minimizes the interaction and only answers comments 24-48 hours after it was posted. 

Does Being a Medical Student Affect and Influence Your Content? Has It Helped You in Your Success?

Being a medical student gave me the chance to study a lot of interesting things. You understand everything better including the human body and brain. I also found that my years as a medical student gave me credibility for my content.

I can’t deny that being a medical student helped me a lot with my success. However, it wasn’t the main thing for my success. Even if I wasn\’t a med student I still would have tried to be where I am today. 

Who Is Your Main Audience?

I liked how instantly Saad replied to this question showing that he understands his audience.

Youth who believe in getting better. 

How Do You Feel About Self-Diagnosis?

I think people have the right to feel anything. It’s good to be aware of these emotions but if you feel this way then do seek professional help. I think that if people self-diagnose, they can manifest that condition even if they didn’t have it in the first place. That’s why I stopped making content like that since it can be harmful to some. 

How Do You Manage Followers’ Expectations?

The Saad people see on social media is very different from the real person. People expect me to give them correct perfect content. Don’t get me wrong I try to constantly improve my skills but not to an unrealistic level. In the end, I follow my standards and ideas. 

Do You Get Imposter Syndrome?

Oh man, I remember asking the same question to Mustapha Swinga. He told me that you never beat imposter syndrome. Instead, you learn to live with it. I took his advice to heart. The doubt gets smaller and smaller the more you work and receive great feedback.

What Has Been Your Biggest Achievement With Your Video Production Career?

Once more, when Saad was answering this question, I could see the fire in him blazing. He told me that his favorite part was when people recognize and talk with him in public.

When people thank me for my videos and how they helped them. That is the best thing for me, it fully embodies my goals which satisfies and motivates me to keep on going and improve myself. 

What Is The Next Move For You?

Saad is a highly ambitious person who likes to join many projects and chase multiple paths. Apart from finishing his studies as a general doctor, his ultimate goal is to become a mature consistent version of himself while balancing personal/business projects.

What Is Your Ideal Project?

Fortunately, Saad has already found a videography project that he loves pursuing. Every year, he partakes in extracurricular projects that range from seminars and interviews to humanitarian work and documentation. 

I love doing those projects since it pushes me to improve myself and inspire people to do better. However, I try to limit it to once per year as the process takes 2-3 weeks to finish from shooting and editing.

What Is Something You Want People to Know About You?

I am everyone’s friend. If you want to talk come say Hi!

What Is Your Latest Obsession?

Emotional balance.

Conclusion

I must confess, writing Saad’s interview was the easiest one so far. This is because I and Saad share a similar mindset and the way he would answer my questions was straightforward and didn’t require much explanation from my side.

Everything he said can be instantly quoted and it would make perfect sense. All I needed to do was structure and format it. So why am I telling you this?

Well, interviewing Saad felt like interviewing myself. It was refreshing to reconnect with an old rival/friend and it drove me to continue forward with this blog as a whole.

As for you the reader, Saad’s social media profile and videography career serve as an inspiration and a large lesson on content for your brand. In this industry, it is often said that your content should be one of these three: Educate, Entertain, and Engage.

I am sure that today’s guest worked hard to reach where he is now. Throughout the way, he listened to feedback and applied it to his content and it paid off. The formula he uses manages to corner all three aspects which make for killer social media content. Add that with his creativity, life experience, and network and you have a recipe for success.