MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WAS FRIGHTENING – Creative Director, Psalm ‘De-Wizard’ Oderinde
Psalm Oderinde is gradually becoming a household name in Nollywood. The director of Cinephile Moving Pictures, a production outfit known for Films, Musical Visuals, Commercial and Documentary, Television Content provision and General Visual Media packaging shares with us his experience back and forth in the industry. Excerpts below:-
CAN WE MEET YOU OFFICIALLY?
My name is Oderinde Samuel Adesanya, I was born into a polygamous family of three wives, six children. I studied Mass Communication at the Lagos State Polytechnic. Professionally, I am a Screenwriter, a Cinematographer, A Visual Director, call me a Film Maker in the total sense. I sometimes act too.
CAN YOU DISCUSS WITH US YOUR FORAY INTO THE MAKE BELIEVE WORLD?
Well, originally, it all started from the church way back in 2005 but in 2007, a friend introduced me to the then Chairman of the Ifo LG ANTP in Ogun State and that was where I learnt the art professionally but I had to stab it in pursuit of academics. In my first year in the higher institution, I carved a niche for myself when I played the role of OLUWO (Chief Priest) in the EFUNSETAN ANIWURA staged by my department theatre group, later on, one of my lecturers, Steve Anu Adesemoye who is also a Creative Director saw a documentary I co-shot with Tunde Onifade using my phone camera, the doc went viral as it was about the missing Chibok girls, he tutored me, he gave me several books to read and I became a professional screenwriter through his tutorship and I worked with him for sometime, he gave me a full set of equipment to shoot my short film STRANGERS but before I met him, I have produced and directed my first feature film “EARLY DAYS”
HOW CONDUCIVE WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE NIGERIA FILM INDUSTRY?
Nollywod is like a rubber band, it keeps stretching when you pull. We have a whole lot of film makers who are doing great thus making it competitive and I believe it’s the competition that makes our productions one of the best in the world because everyone wants to do better. No one wants to produce a whack movie anymore.
HOW MANY MOVIES HAS YOUR NAME ON IT EITHER AS AN ACTOR, DIRECTOR, CINEMATOGRAPHER OR WRITER?
We don try small o (smiles). Mind you, I am not stereotyped to just fiIms. I have worked on music videos too. I featured in several Yoruba movies as an ANTP member, my teenage colleagues and I also shot a film back then though it never hit the market. In 2013, I played the role of Jeff (a secondary school boy in an Afriwood series by Mnet “KORPA” also, I wrote and directed a short epic movie “SACRED DRUM” during my reign as the creative director of my school’s drama troupe. EARLY DAYS debuted me as a director in the labour market in 2014, later that same year I wrote, cinematographed and directed a short film “STRANGERS”. I also worked on a script for Steve Adesemoye. And this year, I worked as the Technical
Director on Tunde Onifade’s short film CAB 911 and also played the role of SANYA in his just concluded short film GUILTY. Also, I have worked on about four music videos, I directed ‘KUSH’ for Shegzman and ‘ANTI-LUXURY’ for De General ft SME All Stars and I worked as a cinematographer on the rest.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR FIRST STAGE AND SCREEN EXPERIENCE.
My first stage experience was in church, I was used to the audience so it was fun but when I acted before a large audience of notable actors including Dele Odule, Fatai Oodua (Lalude) et al at one of the artistes night hosted by the Ifo LG Chapter of the ANTP, it was frightening and challenging but I did well. Screen acting on the other hand was exciting because I have seen it coming and it comes with lots of retakes when you make a mistake on set unlike stage plays.
HOW IS IT LIKE FUNDING A MOVIE?
Funding a movie in this part of the world can be quite difficult. Investors are backing off because of piracy. You have to write proposals to different organisations for sponsorship. Some bluntly turn it down, some respond positively while others let it die under the desk. You just have to run helter-skelter to make things better.
YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT.
(laughs) can I figure anything on that…? If there is any, I think it was when I wanted to shoot EARLY DAYS, one of the female actors auditioned did not show up on set and when contacted by the production manager she said she would not partake in a project that will not fetch money. I was embarrassed but I let it go and we got another actor for the role, a better one.
YOUR WORST FEAR.
Nothing really. I make plans before I embark on anything and I pray about it too but if something happens contrasting my plans, I see it as God’s will.
FUTURE CAREER PLANS.
To make movies, more movies and more movies that will take Nollywood to the top of the world and to create a footprint that will exist when I am gone and to make more money of course.
MOST CHERISHED BODY PART.
My hair. I take my time to care for it.
IF NOT FILMS, WHAT WOULD YOU DO.
I would have become a broadcaster or fit into some other area in the media.
H COLLEAGUES.
I am cool with all of my colleagues, the elderly ones, my peers and the younger ones. We work together, I do not really have friends in the industry but the few around me enjoys the company as much as I do.
SHOUTOUT TO LOVERS.
Hello, I remain my humble self Psalm Oderinde De Wizard director. I say thank you for your support, love and kindness all the while, may we not experience bitterness all the days of our life. Jah bless.
