The work of young creatives like Chiderah David has been on the rise lately. Moved by his love for creating, the Actor’s striking personality is something you always see in his roles and social media content. The “Guess Who” co-star, has also featured in TV series like Akwaaba Magic’s, Dede and Finding Daisy. And is steadily growing his catalogue within the Ghanaian movie industry, playing roles and taking on his own film projects. For Chiderah, acting and video creation will always remain his first love, before anything else.

(Responses have been edited for length and clarity) – All images courtesy of Chiderah David

Spark: For people who do not know Chiderah David, how would you describe yourself to them?

CD: Chiderah David is a multi-passionate creative, energetic, fun-loving and happy person all round. As a creative, my main focus is being an actor and video creator. But I dabble in content creation as well. 

Spark: What or who influenced your creativity growing up and now? Has that changed your style in any way? 

CD: Well, I’ve being influenced by nature. The things I saw growing up and what I see daily ever since I started creating. It could be life’s happy moments, struggles. There’s not one person I’d say has personally contributed to my growth as a creative. It’s just been a collective of nature and people. Also, as a video creator, I watch a lot of reels and content by other video creators. And those things teach me what I need to know. 

Spark: Some people may have been introduced to you through your reels, would you say that was your first introduction to being an influencer and at what point did you decide to pursue influencing all together?

CD: Erm! Till today I haven’t really labelled myself an influencer. I just call myself a content creator, although I do some influencer work. It started out as me creating content for myself, since acting is my first love – creating skits and videos to show my acting skills and put myself out there. But then it evolved into what it is today –  Making other videos just came as a result of hanging out with my friends, going to events. Nothing was intentional, it just happened the way it happened. 

Spark: Being in the industry as a creative, how would you differentiate influencing from content creation? Is there a point where both  interact? Can someone be a content creator and not be an influencer and vice versa? 

CD: I think a content creator is different from an influencer. One can be both an influencer and content creator, but then you can also be a content creator without being an influencer. Say, an influencer is hired for brand promo, you as a content creator can shoot the video, edit it and the influencer gets to post it. That doesn’t strip you off of being a content creator, it also doesn’t make you an influencer. I think people just use it interchangeably but they are not the same. To me at least. But in most instances, an influencer creates content due to the nature of the job.

How To Guide: start your content creator career in 2024

Spark: Let’s switch to your acting career. When did it start and how would you describe the movie industry in the country?

CD: So, I started properly with stage acting, doing drama since primary 2 or 3. But professionally I started doing stage shows in 2016/2017. In 2019, I got featured in Yolo TV series and in 2020, I did ad campaigns that got me to meet Film Director Shirley Frimpong Manso. She gave me my first gig, a film role in 2021. 

CD: Erm! The movie industry I’d say is growing. I mean it’s not where it’s supposed to be, because back then it was really popping and it slowed down a bit – I don’t know what happened. I would blame Covid but it did way before then. I think right now it’s picking up because there’s a lot of talent in the country. Talent that needs opportunity and investment, which when provided, a lot can come out of Ghana.

Spark: We’ve seen you feature in a number of films and shows but we’ve also seen you put out some amazing short form monologues and recently your own short film. How has the reception been and how often should we be expecting more of these? 

CD: Err Yes! Previously it’s just been TV shows and web series. But this year in particular, by the grace of God, I got featured in a lot of films and it’s been great. And I put out my own stuff because I want to stay grinding and keep working so I’m not too idle. It’s also a way for people to see what I do as an actor – I mean, I hope to put out more stuff as often as possible. I just need to get myself in order and be consistent. 

Spark: Which recent production of yours were you excited about creating? What was different about it for you? 

CD: Well I’ll just talk about the last short film I put out. Premonition. This took me a year to work on. I first shot it in 2022 but when it got to editing, I didn’t know how to piece it together or how to communicate it to the public, so I left it – Fast forward November/October, 2023, after working on my mini series, I decided to go back to it. I did face the same challenge on how to effectively communicate the idea. But then eventually i got around how to edit and communicate, and by December, 2023, I was done with the short film. And in February 2024, earlier this year, I released it. 

Watch Premonition – Here

Spark: People have different things to say about content creation and influencing as a career choice. What would you say to people who want to pursue a career in either field? How do they manage expectations and feedback from people who may not really understand the space? 

CD: For a lot of influencers out there and some content creators, they didn’t decide to be doing this. It just happened. Take me for example. But then if you’re intentional about starting influencing/content creation, like every other thing, you need to learn from people out there. But ultimately just start with what you have, whenever you can – With consistency, growth and the sheer desire, the possibility that you can be is there. It may not be rosy and easy but start and seek feedback, always!

Spark: We can’t speak without touching the elephant in the room. We have seen how the country is going through a power situation. As a creative, how has the current situation affected what you do?

CD: Well everyone is experiencing the power outages in different ways. But as a creative, it makes you plan well. It may not go according to your plan but trying that for yourself, calculating the periods the light goes out – you get to plan when to shoot, the times to shot 

Spark: What are your last words to people reading this?

CD: My last words are – Support creatives, watch their content. Share their content and give feedback. Because only feedback helps people grow. Also, if you have any friends who are creatives, support 

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