There is something so special about edits that take you to another place. The aesthetic, the graphics, the art of it all. We were able to conduct a Zoom interview with Kayli Sandoval, a student at SD state who has an online presence, known for her editing style. She’s already worked with numerous brands and influencers like Vinnie Hacker and Quinton Griggs! We especially think it’s so cool that editing is something she recently rediscovered and has found so much passion in. She was so sweet and gave us some awesome answers to some questions we had.Thank you Kayli again! Check out her posts on Instagram and Tiktok!
What is your major at SD state? Do you have any minors?
Yes! I go to San Diego State University, and I am studying journalism with an emphasis in media studies, and I have a minor in television, film, and media (TFM).
What is your dream career/job in film?
Honestly, I’m not totally sure yet. I know that I really like making videos, and I’m still seeing what I exactly like. I have many interests, so it’s hard thinking of one thing that can fulfill everything that I like. I’m not completely sure yet, but I like everything I’m studying and everything I’m doing in and out of school.
Are you working on any major projects right now?
Yes! Right now I’m working on launching my Youtube channel. I have one video I’m currently editing and a long list of ideas I have. I’m really excited to have that going for me. Aside from that, I have a really cool edit that showcases my interest in fashion. I’m really excited for it, because I used to make fashion TikToks before my account blew up for my edits. I’m also incorporating some really cool animations.
*Her Youtube is Kayli Sandoval*
When did you get into editing and what caught your interest?
I started editing here and there around middle school, but it was on Videostar and I made the cringiest music videos with my sister. I experimented for a bit. In high school, I started making more videos for the fun of it. In high school I was more into sports and grades, but I knew I liked making videos. Once I got to college, I stopped playing sports and I had a lot of free time. I went back to editing and I realized how much I loved it. Since I left for college really, is when I started pursuing editing more and a social media platform. Also, quarantine is when I made a ton of content!
Do you have any favorite filmmakers, or any particular figures or things that you would consider your “editing inspiration?”
Yes, for sure! I would say my aesthetic right now is very 90s inspired, but some specific people I look up to include: Cole Bennett (Lyrical Lemonade), Max Novak, Lonewolf, Illegal Civ, and AWGE. I get a lot of inspiration from music videos!
What is your favorite thing you have ever edited?
I would say, I think my favorite is my recent on my Instagram, which got a lot of recognition for. I like that one the most because I experimented a lot and it took me so long, because I had to restart my sequence over and over. It took me around 2 weeks to edit. I restarted so many times! It’s a Maui edit, and it says episode 1.
How do you maintain your passion for editing? Do you ever experience burnout?
I wouldn’t really say burnout, I would say creative block can be hard to deal with. Another thing I’ve dealt with is not getting a response I like. For example, one of the first videos that blew up my Tiktok was a 2020 edit. It got millions of views and likes! It was crazy and my DMs were flooded. Recently, I made a 2020 part 2 edit, which had high demand at the time. I spent so much time on it and posted it, and it did not receive any of the hype I thought it deserved. Things like that can be really disappointing as a video creator, because you put so much of your time and soul into it. So I would say that’s hard to deal with, along with a creative block like I said. Honestly, for me, one of the ways I’m able to overcome that is taking time to look back at what I’ve done and realize, I’m doing this for myself. I really enjoy this, and not just for other people. Yes, I want to gain a following and make videos that other people like, but at the same time, I really enjoy making videos which is something I have to always think about. Other than that, sometimes, listening to new music will inspire me for new video styles too.
How would you describe your editing aesthetic?
The style that I have now, I don't know if it's permanent because I really like experimenting with different things. But currently, I do think it has a 90s aesthetic like I was saying, but it's also very fast paced, which a lot of people have commented about. What I mean by that is, I work with 30 frames per second when I’m editing. Nearly every frame, or every 3 frames will have something new, like a flashing doodle or something going on. I’ve talked to another content creator who thinks the same as me-I have ADHD, and whenever I’m rewatching my videos, I get bored of them really easily. I feel like that's the reason why my videos have so much going on, but I like it that way. So yes, my style is very fast paced, 90s aesthetic, and I’d say that’s it for now. Like I said, I’m still experimenting with different things. It’s not very defined yet. I’m still finding my way through my edits.
We know you’ve worked with influencers like Vinnie Hacker and Quinton Griggs. What was that like? Do you have any dream collabs?
Yeah for sure! I’ve worked with Vinnie and Quinton, and some other brands. I posted a film edit I made and someone reached out to me, and wanted me to hop on this project for Vinnie, to launch his Youtube channel. So it was really cool working on that. I really enjoyed it because I think that’s also where my style I have now, kind of developed. I was editing skate montages for him! I’m interested in skating culture, which also led me to the 90s aesthetic. I think if it wasn’t for me editing Vinnie’s videos, I probably wouldn’t have the same style I have right now, so I’m really thankful for that opportunity it was really cool. Quinton was a one time thing, but it was still really fun to do too. I love collabing with people, but I don’t have one specific dream collaboration. I would definitely love to work with other creators in the future, and I also have some big projects with other brands coming up too, so I’m really excited about that.
What advice would you give to teens aspiring to work in the film/video industry?
I would say it doesn’t matter what software you have. You can start off with iMovie, or any other editing app you have on your own! Just get started, and kind of experiment. The best way to learn, I think, is to just mess around with whatever clips you have and whatever software you might have. I literally edited on iMovie, until my freshman year of college. I made edits similar to what I have now, and I could do edits similar to what I do now on iMovie. You don’t need a $300 software like Final Cut Pro or a software like Premiere Pro which is what I use right now, where you need a monthly subscription. I think that a lot of people don’t want to start editing because they don’t have the money to pay for it, but you definitely don’t need anything like that. I film everything with my phone or an old camcorder that I have, so you don’t need money to start. I think that if teens are interested in doing this, they should just go for it. If they like doing it, they should just experiment with it. They might find something they love like me. I didn’t know I loved it as much as I did, until now really.
💯❤️❤️❤️🙏🏻