Malik Hassan Sayeed facts for kids

Malik Hassan Sayeed is an American filmmaker. He is known for his work as a cinematographer, producer, and director. A cinematographer is the person in charge of the camera and lighting on a film set. Malik Sayeed is especially famous for his work on the 1998 movie, Belly.

Learning About Film

Malik Sayeed went to Howard University. He graduated in 1990 with a degree in Film Studies. This means he learned all about making movies. While there, he studied with Haile Gerima, a very important filmmaker. Sayeed also attended the Maine Media Workshops, where he learned even more about photography and film.

Making Movies and Music Videos

Malik Sayeed has worked on many exciting projects. He was a cinematographer for famous directors like Hype Williams and Spike Lee. A cinematographer decides how each shot looks. They choose the cameras, lenses, and lighting.

He helped film movies like Belly and The Original Kings of Comedy. He also worked on Spike Lee's films such as Girl 6, He Got Game, and Clockers. Before becoming a main cinematographer, he worked on the electrical teams for Spike Lee's movies like Malcolm X.

Sayeed has also worked on many popular music videos. He was the cinematographer or director for videos like Lauryn Hill's "Ex-Factor" and D'Angelo's "Left & Right." More recently, he worked on Beyoncé's "Formation" and "Brown Skin Girl."

In 2014, Malik Sayeed started a film studio called TNEG. He created it with Arthur Jafa and Elissa Blount Moorhead. Their goal was to make Black cinema as important in the 21st century as Black music was in the 20th century.

Awards and Recognition

Malik Sayeed's talent has been recognized with several awards. In 1999, he was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography. This was for his amazing work on the movie Belly. He has also won MTV Video Music Awards for his work on music videos like "Formation" and "Brown Skin Girl."