Shem Muikia is instantly recognizable if you watch content from Pulse Kenya regularly. He’s the face behind many content formats including vox pops, partner videos and more. In this interview, Shem takes us through his journey. A strong interest in video and video production led him to a communication and media degree in university, and ultimately to Pulse. 

Let’s talk about how you came into digital media

I ended up where I am today because I’ve always been interested in making videos and the medium in general. I studied communication and electronic media in university to pursue my passion which has pretty much always been visual media.

Tell me about getting into Pulse. 

I think my journey at Pulse has been quite an interesting one. I heard about the company on LinkedIn when I was looking for an internship to finish my university credits back in 2017. I came in as an intern making short-form Wochit videos and after my internship ended I stayed on. After I’d been at Pulse for a while, the Head of Video at the time noticed that I had a bit of a knack for being in front of the camera after I co-hosted a Facebook live show with Carolina; the presenter at the time. I transitioned into the role of Presenter shortly after that, going out to the street to shoot Voxpops, Strivias (street trivias) and such, as well as doing interviews with celebrities and covering events. My next transition was into the role of Video Editor, something I’d always been interested in even while making Wochit videos. My role then became that of a Video Editor and Video Presenter. In 2021 my role changed again slightly when I joined Pulse Studio, the commercial video team of Pulse Kenya.

What’s your current role at Pulse?

As I’ve mentioned above I’m currently part of the Pulse Studio team. My role can best be described as that of a Video Producer. I work both in front of and behind the camera to create content to meet our various clients’ needs, coming up with ideas or helping the Sales team actualize theirs. I’m also a video editor, editing some of the content that we usually produce.

What does a typical day look like for you?

A typical day for me depends on the nature of the work that we have as a team. Sometimes it involves coming into work to start setting up for a shoot. Some days it involves coming in to sit down and work on an edit. And some days it involves going out on location for a client shoot. 

How do you draw inspiration?

When work gets tiring I believe in relaxing and taking some time just for myself. When it comes to inspiration, I think I draw inspiration from the world around me and the content I actively consume like movies and social media. There are a lot of amazing video creators out there and I think their work inspires me.

On unwinding

For the most part, I’m a homebody. I enjoy spending time indoors. But I also enjoy going out with my friends from time to time.