Sachini Nipunsala is a born entertainer. Starting out as a child artist, Sahcini is now arguably best known as a television presenter, hosting the reality show Derana Little Star, and musical chat programme Champion Stars.
Sachini has been taking TikTok by storm through the content she has been creating, from dance videos to gym routines, to random snippets of her life and the people in it. Over two years, Sahcini has amassed 300,000 followers on the platform.
Brunch chatted with Sachini on just how she got into creating content on TikTok and what her process is.
Tell us about your journey as a content creator on TikTok so far.
I actually started my TikTok doing dance videos in my room. I was trying to do some dance moves, and I put some videos from training on my platforms, where they went viral. TikTok was the platform that got the most reach. Many people asked about my classes too and I saw TikTok as an upcoming platform where you could do innovative content. I thought I’d give it a try. I was inspired to do more too, because of the reach and the crazy amount of feedback I got from people.
How difficult is it for you to make content on TikTok?
For me, the first video was very easy to make. TikTok is very user-friendly. I could edit, put filters, etc. very easily. It was not a big challenge, and now that it’s trending, many people are doing it, and it has become even more user-friendly.
What was your most popular video, and how did you come up with it? How do you decide what to make on TikTok?
It was a video of just bloopers that I recorded during a shoot with my co-host Peshala, who bumped into me and we just did something.
I initiate a lot of dance challenges. When someone does a nice song, we go with these trends, and I myself have initiated a few dance trends, some of which have gone viral. With dance trends for TikTok, I get inspired by TikTok itself. I follow many creators locally and globally, and I get to see what the international users are doing on the platform.
If I make a dance trend, I make sure it’s not for professional dancers only; it’s for people who want to engage and do this as a hobby or for entertainment – that’s the objective for me. It has to be something that people can follow easily. I think each person has their own kind of vibe when they’re moving, and that should always come into it when you’re making a dance trend. It should be possible for people to add their own personal vibe.
Who’s your biggest market? What do you keep in mind when making content for your market? How do you decide which trends to follow?
I am a TV host who does a lot of children’s programmes and family programmes. I would say my TikTok audience is mostly 13-40.
I make sure to never do anything that might be harmful. Most of the time I don’t think anyone can cause harm on this platform, and even if I see something that can be harmful, there is stuff I can do, like reporting and blocking.
With the trends I follow, there’s no particular process. Most of the time it’s a dance tune and it’s catchy. I try the dance out and if I can do it, then I try to make a TikTok with it. It’s very entertaining to do this stuff.
How do you typically find inspiration for your videos?
Most of the time I do comedy stuff. My main inspiration is always wanting to do something new that people will enjoy. When I make a TikTok, I myself watch it about 50 times, because I enjoy it so much. It’s for my satisfaction and my entertainment.
There are no particular people I follow for inspiration. I follow a few comedic people, and when I see something fun, I try it out with my husband (he enjoys it too. There’s even a Tik Tok of him mocking me).
What advice do you have for budding content creators?
I think TikTok is a platform where you can view yourself. If you’re a shy person and you want to express yourself, you should definitely open a TikTok account for your own betterment. It’s a global platform where you can try things out and get global exposure. It’s a very good opportunity for anyone to try new things and innovate. It’s a great opportunity for people who want to come out and show their talent and get new opportunities.
As a platform, TikTok is very diverse too. You get everything from motivational videos to fashion tips to fitness techniques on TikTok. I also post a lot of my gym routines on TikTok. It’s a very useful platform where people can learn and create content in an innovative way.
How long does it take you to make a TikTok? How much do you plan?
Mostly I do makeover transition videos when I go on set – before-and-after videos. So I don’t really plan that much for my own content. But I love it when people plan and do their content. I think the longest it has taken for me to make a TikTok was two-and-a-half hours, when I made my recreation of the chocolate and sari video.
What can your fans look forward to in the upcoming year? Any future projects you can tell us about?
I’m definitely going to be a content creator in the long term, because I love it. I want to do more things, but as I said, I don’t plan much, so let’s see.
