Videography is the art of making video films. Videographers like Raffin Murwanashyaka, record live events and produce some videos for later use like documentaries, short films, legal depositions, weddings, birthday parties, sports events, commercials, and training videos. Known for going the extra mile in his commitments, Murwanashyaka is a young videographer who has been in the field for a year now. His work includes taking short videos for advertisements, taking and directing video song, or simply capturing memories as he likes to call it. The 20-year-old presents himself as a God-fearing man and very passionate about constant learning. “I personally didn’t study videography until later, it is due to my natural curiosity that I approached my friend and role model Romeo Habimana, known as Alan Creations, who is a ‘pro’ in this field and he taught me the basics, after which I went ahead and took some training as well.” He nonetheless observes that videography has started gaining popularity in Rwanda, and that slowly by slowly, people have started acknowledging this form of work. “This is a starting industry in Rwanda and we have experienced some growth across the years,” he says. Murwanashyaka has been in the field for a year now. But now with the difficulties that came with the covid-19 pandemic, things have become so complicated for us and those who are just start-ups like me,” Murwanashyaka adds. “Before the pandemic, we used to get our wages from weddings and concerts. Now the weddings are scarce and even then, the pay is less compared to before. As of concerts or any other social activity that involves a lot of people coming together, we all know they no longer take place,” the videographer laments. As a young videographer, he says he still faces challenges with affording the right equipment required to make his work perfect or that can help him compete on an international level.
