The Challenges Behind the Camera: Filming and Editing "Bali Motion Feat. JMP – Ya Allahu"
By Nathaniel Gabriel Ameka
When people see a finished music video like "Bali Motion Feat. JMP – Ya Allahu," they perceive the color, sound, movement, and atmosphere. They admire the sharpness of the images, the synchronized sound, the vibrant scenes, the cuts, the transitions, and sometimes even the emotion the song conveys. What many don't see, however, is the effort behind the camera. They don't see the planning, the stress, the waiting, the missed takes, the lack of resources, or the mental exhaustion. And that's where I am—proud and devastated at the same time. Because even though I directed a video that demanded everything from me, I received more insults than words of encouragement from people who don't even know half of what it means. Honestly, setting up a camera, shooting a music video, and editing it to create a flawless result isn't easy. Especially if you're an independent director like me, Nathaniel Gabriel Ameka, driven more by passion than money, working with a limited crew, limited equipment, and sometimes no funding at all.
Camera settings alone can ruin you.
Let's start with the basics: camera settings. Many people think you just turn on the camera and go. I wish it were that easy. For "Ya Allahu," we had to scout the location days in advance. We had to consider the lighting: how the sun hits the location at different times, what angles we could use, and how shadows might affect the shot. We had to bring tripods, stabilizers, spare batteries, memory cards, lenses, and sometimes homemade lights because the sun doesn't always cooperate. We had to calibrate the settings: frame rate, shutter speed, ISO, aperture, white balance – everything had to be perfectly matched to the type of shot and the desired look. Shooting outdoors in a place like Bali means dealing with unpredictable lighting. Sometimes it's sunny, sometimes cloudy. That alone can ruin continuity and color correction in post-production. Sometimes I was leaning over the monitor, manually adjusting the focus, squinting through a dusty lens, sweat pouring down my face. My hands weren't shaking from fear, but from fatigue and pressure. Because if the shot goes wrong, more hours are lost. More days for editing. More criticism awaits in the comments.
Directing Emotions
Now let's get to the directing. I wasn't just a cameraman. I had to guide the artists – Bali Motion and JMP – to convey an emotion that matched the song. The song "Ya Allahu" is spiritually profound. It's not just a hit. It's a scream. It's a prayer. So I couldn't have them lazily singing along to a backup song or jumping around just to look cool. I needed connection. I needed fire in their eyes, tremors in their voices, and meaning in their gestures. I had to get them from "performance mode" to "statement mode." That takes time. You have to understand human psychology and build trust. And often, they're tired. They're not robots. Sometimes we rehearsed a scene five, six, or seven times until we got one that worked for us. And in the midst of all that, I was also worried: Is the battery dead? Is the microphone recording properly? Is the memory card corrupted? Did the background move? Did someone walk into the frame?
Editing is the real battleground.
Do you think the stress ends after filming? Then you've never seen the edit. That's where the real madness begins. Hours of footage, sometimes multiple takes of the same scene. You have to go through it all, cut to the best sequences, sync the sound, then correct the colors, add effects, transitions, titles, and sometimes special motion graphics to give it all a professional look. For "Ya Allahu," I edited for over three weeks. Three weeks straight. From morning until midnight, I sit in front of the screen, my eyes burning, my back aching, and my ears ringing from hearing the same chorus over and over, trying to get my lip movements in sync. Sometimes the software crashes. Sometimes the files get corrupted. You think you're done, but then you realize a clip was half a second off, and you have to edit ten layers just to fix it. Sometimes I cried from frustration. Sometimes I'd ask myself, "Why am I doing this?" Because after all the pain, after all the sleepless nights, you post the video and the first comment is either laughter or "This one isn't that good." Just like that. Weeks and months of work are dismissed with a single sentence.
Unsympathetic Criticism:
I understand that not everyone likes your work. I've accepted that. But what hurts the most is how quickly some people criticize, but they don't lift a finger to support or encourage you. They don't share it. They don't like it. They don't say a kind word. But they analyze your work like experts. They don't know we didn't have a RED camera or a high-end stabilizer. They don't know we borrowed lenses. They don't know the sound was cleaned in a soundproof room. They don't know we edited with free software because we couldn't afford Adobe or DaVinci Resolve licenses. Some even ask, "Why is the color like that?" or "The angle doesn't make sense." Brother, did you help us scout the location? Did you go to the set when we were shooting under the scorching sun and without shade? Did you offer us feedback or money? If you can't help, at least show your kindness.
But still, we keep going:
Despite all this, I won't stop. Because when I watch "Ya Allahu," I see growth. I see art. I see what we've accomplished with the little we had. I see two passionate artists, Bali Motion and JMP, pouring their souls through music in prayer. I see my own imprint in every frame, every cut, every transition. I'm learning. Every take makes me better. Every mistake makes the next project better. And even if just one person sees and says, "That song touched me," I know I did something right. So, to all aspiring video directors, hear me out: Don't stop. Whether people applaud or criticize, do your job. Trust your process. Improve with every project. Don't wait for validation to finish what you started. Encouragement is free, but powerful. To everyone who watches music videos, especially Nigerians, Africans, and independents, please understand the hustle and bustle behind what you see. Behind every three-minute video, there are weeks of work. Don't be quick to insult. Don't be proud to put others down. A simple "Good job" or "Keep going" can brighten someone's day. We are doing our best. We are learning. We are evolving. And we can achieve more when we support each other.
Conclusion:
Directing Bali Motion with JMP - Ya Allahu wasn't easy. It tested my skills, my patience, and even my mental health. But it also showed me what's possible when passion meets perseverance. I didn't have everything I needed. But I used everything I had. And that's what it means to be a creator in this harsh world: to achieve, even when it hurts. So when you watch a music video online, remember: someone set up the camera, someone yelled "Action!", someone worked all night editing. Respect that. And if you can't respect it, at least don't make fun of it. Thank you so much for your time and God bless you all.
▶️ 3Speak
https://x.com/mrnatty90/status/1936376985103610214?t=_Px0L8z6kLAsHuS-hBU8qQ&s=19