Meet The xoNecole Tribe: Gynai Kristol, Video Editor

Background

Where are you from? Born & raised is South Central Los Angeles, but based in Brooklyn, NY now.

How old are you? 27

What's your occupation? Video Editor

Where did you go to school? And what was your major?

The University of California, Los Angeles with a major in African American Studies.

When did your love affair with film begin?

Honestly as a kid, I was always glued to music videos (which were my first love), biopic films, and docuseries like Diary and Behind the Music. I could and would watch that all day until my mom forced me to go play outside. And I'd also say that I was inadvertently influenced by my grandad too because he did photography. I bought my first camera in undergrad and haven't looked back since.

"I bought my first camera in undergrad and haven't looked back since."

How and when did you start working with xoNecole.com?

It's actually kind of crazy how it happened. My friend tagged me in a tweet Necole posted about looking for more content creators. Being that I'd been following Necole's work since the Necole Bitchie days, I said 'why not reach out, what's the worst that can happen?' So I emailed her, she responded that night, we had a call the next morning, and then I met with her the day after that. And December of 2017, I was officially working for xoNecole.com

How do you practice self-care?

My go-to's lately have been aromatherapy (oil diffusers are something amazing, let me tell you), going to the gym, and sweating my stress away as well as getting those endorphins up, and then I've also been creating different playlists for different moods, ranging from ratchet/ignorance to super lovey dovey, because balance. And on top of all of this, my constant self-care is having my phone on Do Not Disturb 24/7, too many notifications make me anxious.

"My constant self-care is having my phone on Do Not Disturb 24/7, too many notifications make me anxious."

Are you single? 

Like a dollar bill. HA!

What are your interests? Do you have any hobbies?

I like a lot of artsy type of things. So you'll see me at random art pop ups in NY a lot, especially since I told myself to go outside more in 2019, as well as travelling when I can.

What is your favorite book of all time? What’s the last book you read?

My favorite goes to The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo. I read it right before I moved to NY and it's what gave me that extra push to take that leap and leave my comfort zone. And coming in at a close second is The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield, which is the last book I finished reading.

What’s your endgame? Why do you do what you do?

Aside from continuously improving my video editing skills, I'm working at bettering myself at creative direction, which aids in me becoming the best director I can be period. I want to continue to help tell our stories in the best and most relatable ways, shining positive light on our culture through film. You'll see my work soon, I'm sure of it.

What is the most rewarding part of your job? What is the most challenging part? 

The most rewarding part of my job is knowing that a lot of times, the videos have a super positive and uplifting impact on those watching. It feels good to make others feel good. I'd say the most challenging part would be wanting to do so many different video ideas, but not having all the [wo]man power to knock it out at the speed/rate wanted.

What advice do you have for other freelance filmmakers/video editors?

Doing everything on your own is impossible and you shouldn't try to. Don't be afraid to just ask. Ask for help, ask questions about things you don't know, ask for job opportunities, JUST ASK. Shoot your shot. Oh and...GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY.

How can we keep up with you on social media?

Follow me on Instagram @_kristolklear!