What project shot you into limelight?
Most people to say it’s Sean Tizzle’s Sho Lee. As of then, it was like the biggest song around and I shot the video. But before then, I had shot Black Magic’s Rainbow and a couple of other songs but because Sho Lee was really huge, it has to be it.
How did you feel when the video was highly accepted?
It felt good because prior to that time, I had not shot a video for any song that big so it was very huge for me.
What were you into before you started music video cinematography?
I was just a regular student at the Lagos State University and I was also a production assistant. I studied Computer Science and Mathematics.
What was the most discouraging thing ever said or done to you while coming up?
When I finished school, some of my friends were getting regular jobs. Some got jobs in banks, some in IT firms, earning money monthly but I still believed in my dream. Then, I used to date a lady who later dumped me. She felt that I wasn’t going to amount to anything in life but I just kept doing what I was doing. I started as a production assistant. I started from the bottom and I didn’t always look good so she left me because she felt what I was doing didn’t make sense. Two years later, I shot Sho Lee and everything changed.
What is the trick that got you to where you are today?
First thing is that you have to be very passionate about your job. You have to believe even when no one else believes. Passion is the only thing that would move you to the next level. You also have to be hard-working and ready to make sacrifices. I remember some of the sacrifices I made then that made my parents to wonder what I was doing. So, you have to be very dedicated.
As a cinematographer, what do you hope to achieve in the long run?
There is something I’m working on right now. It is called the Unlimited Possibilities. It is basically targeted at young individuals – people who do not really know what it takes to shoot. I train people on basic camera operation, lighting techniques and everything that concerns music video. In the long run, I want to influence the new generation of cinematographers and music video directors. I did one in Abeokuta three months ago and it was absolutely free. We had no sponsors, so I funded everything. We had about 600 applications but we had to draw up a shortlist of 100 people who attended the master class. I will be holding another one next month in Lagos and a couple of sponsors are interested.
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