#24 Feranmi Abiola: Visual storyteller with a mantra to connect hearts and minds with film

I am a cinematographer with a passion for storytelling. I love creating films that touch people’s hearts and minds and I believe that film is a tool for connecting people and bringing them together.

Mar 28, 2023

Hi, Thank you for joining us for today’s episode of StudentsWhoCreate Interview. Our Student Creative for today is a 300-level student at The University of Lagos (UNILAG) studying Mass Communication. She describes herself as a cinematographer with a passion for storytelling who loves creating films that touch people’s hearts and minds and believes that film is a tool for connecting people and bringing them together.

What led her to cinematography? What are the biggest challenges she faces as a student creative? How does she navigate these challenges? How did the covid-19 pandemic impact her and the work she does? What drives her work as a visual storyteller? What keeps her going? Read and enjoy!!!

Hi, Thank you for speaking with us. Can we meet you?

My name is Feranmi Abiola also known as TFA. I am currently a 300-level student at The University of Lagos (UNIILAG) studying Mass Communication. I have a specific interest in PR, Advertising and Marketing although it’s not something I am actively pursuing at the moment.

I am a cinematographer with a passion for storytelling. I love creating films that touch people’s hearts and minds and I believe that film is a tool for connecting people and bringing them together. My mantra is connecting heart and mind.

I currently work with Hervest, a fintech company to create their visuals. I have worked with a wide range of clients ranging from local to international organizations on a variety of projects.

Beyond cinematography, I have worked as a project manager for a film and commercial project. I also work as a talent manager for an artiste. I have done a lot of work in the music business as a publicist but right now, I have a music talent I manage. So my work cuts across music, film and media in general.

Interesting!!! How did you get started?

As a kid, I found that I was alone most of the time because my parents would be at work and my siblings would still be at school when I got back home from school. The alone time allowed me to see and enjoy movies and series. It was a different experience from that of my peers for me because, beyond the entertainment that these movies provided, I enjoyed and paid so much attention to details like the music used, the acting and the portrayal of the roles by the actors to the extent that I started to self express and act out different characters in the front of the mirror. This experience developed my interest in the film world. I was so familiar with the directors and actors of the movies I watched because I would research them and check them out online. I was so engrossed in the film world.

After I got my first android phone, I started to make random videos and edit them to post on social media, even though most of them didn’t make sense. I also started making freestyle and cover videos for my friends who were artistes because I had a number of them as friends. On getting into the university, in the first semester of my second year, a friend of mine wanted to start and run a YouTube show and was looking for presenters.

A quick back story; I wanted to become a presenter when I got into school to study mass communication. I didn’t think videography was lucrative and only wanted to do it as a hobby.

I auditioned to present for this show and got picked as a presenter. On the day I was supposed to present, I missed my opening because I got there late. So I just stayed with them behind the scene and continued there because I fell in love with working behind the scene and never got in front of the camera after that. I joined the team of the sponsor of the show as an intern. I would follow him around for shows, doing basic tasks and running errands. I just continued from there picking up tasks and skills.

As for music, because I grew up around a lot of artistes as friends, I just gravitated to it and went to music business classes. I took up the opportunities as they come.

What has the journey been like since you started

It has been good. There have been times when I feel like I was made to do this and there have been times when I just want to do something else. It has been beautiful but Nigeria has not made it easy. There’s no structure, everybody is just winging it. There’s this anyhowness in the cinematography space. But overall, I have grown and it has been beautiful to watch.

How have you been able to combine school with pursuing your interests?

The thing is, I am actually a good student maybe not a “good student” but I have good grades. I had a 5.0 GPA in my first semester in my first year even though I wasn’t even aiming for it. It just happened and from that moment, I felt like I had a standard I had to uphold and I have been trying my best. It has not been easy because there have been bad and good days but I am still on a first class.

Currently, I don’t have any written notes. I just registered for my courses for the semester and it has always been like that but I always manage to catch up towards the end of the semester. By the time it’s one month to exams, I start to focus more on school and get all the notes, materials and resources. I start catching up with everything they have done because I can’t really combine both.

Normally, I should be done with school by now but I am still in school because of all the incessant strikes. And I don’t think I want to forgo my career at this point because school is dragging me back. So I focus on my career at the beginning of the semester when there’s not a lot going on in school and I start to put a pause on work and turn down projects when things start to get serious towards the end of the semester. I really do not turn up for classes that much because I assimilate better when I read on my own. I also make sure to ask my friends for help and updates.

It has been tough but I always tell myself that I would see this degree through no matter what. I may shout and complain when I need to but I will keep forging ahead.

What are some of the challenges you face as a student creative?

One challenge is when you’re trying to get jobs and they realise you’re a student, they try to beat down your salary/prices even after acing your interviews. I feel like irrespective of what you can do, people tend to put a cap on what they want to pay you because you are a student and I find it ridiculous. For the first job I got, I didn’t tell them that I was a student until I had gotten the job. Also, people tend to doubt your abilities when they know you are a student.

I got a very good job offer with a well-known name in the industry in January but it was going to be an onsite job which would take out all my days of the week. I lost the opportunity when I tried to talk to them about making concessions and arrangements for remote days. I still think about it and I am still pained about losing the opportunity.

Another one is having to turn down jobs and projects. In December, I had to turn down two big opportunities because I was writing exams in school. So, school comes in between my work and I have to choose school.

How have you been able to navigate these challenges?

For projects, when I have to really be on the ground and I can’t, I just turn it down. And for some situations, I get my team members to work on it depending on the nature and scope of the project.

As for pricing, I think about the scale of the work to be done and not myself because if I think about myself, I will be afraid to call some prices but when I think about the scale, quality of work to be done and the people I need to involve in the project, it becomes less about myself. This helps me with pricing.

Are you a part of any creative community in your school?

I am not aware of any so I am not a part of any in my school.

What is your creative process like? How do you go from the brief to the final result?

On getting a brief, I try to understand it as much as I can. Sometimes, I get ideas instantly and sometimes, nothing comes to mind. In a case where I am blank, I research about the company and related companies to see what has been done in the past which can inspire new ideas. I sometimes just watch movies or listen to music and eventually get ideas.

After getting the idea, I move on to script the entire process. After scripting, I create my treatment. The treatment will direct the script. It dictates the type of shots to be taken, the costumes to be worn, the location, props and settings, and everything involved. The treatment is like a guidebook for the project that let anyone who comes across it understand my idea for the project.

I share this with the clients and after approval, we move to production and get the things needed for the shoot like location, cast and so on. After this, we shoot and edit. The post-shooting stage is where there is usually much back and forth with the client, especially the less-paying clients. When we finally agree on it, we finalise the edit and share.

What part of this process do you enjoy the most?

I think it is the pre-production and planning stage and the final stage where I get to see the final output. Shooting is usually stressful. Editing will break your heart.

What tools and software do you use?

I majorly use Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects. I can use Final cut pro for editing too.

For gadgets, I use a Canon Mark IV for personal projects.

How would you describe the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on you and your work as a creative?

I actually started actively and broke through in 2020. The lockdown allowed me time to be at home to learn and intern properly at the studio. I also worked on a personal project that taught me how to edit properly during the lockdown. The pandemic was a sad event but the lockdown had a positive impact on me because it gave me the time to learn, explore and think about what I wanted. It made me more industrious and realized that life could get on hold in the blink of an eye.

Have you ever felt like quitting?

No, I have not. Though I have thought about majoring in directing and not getting involved in DOP but I have not thought about quitting totally.

What are some of your proudest projects?

One is an ad I did for my school for the NUGA Games.

Another one is a documentary for a tech company.

My favourite project is called Pushback. It was a documentary I did about the ASUU strike. I didn’t have a lot of resources at the time but I managed to get the best from what I had.

How do you stay creative? What keeps you motivated to keep creating?

I can easily say it’s the need to grow and ultimately build a company. I want to build an agency but not the conventional one. I want to go beyond bounds. So my dreams keep me going.

What do you do for fun? How do you relax when you're not actively creating?

I don’t think I have been able to crack that because people say I work too much. I try my best to watch movies or series when I can. I also sleep too. On rare occasions, I go out with my friends.

Who are the people that inspire you?

Meji Alabi, Ava Duvernay, Dada Temitope, Raine Allen-Miller and Korty.

Who is that one creative you would love to work or collaborate with on a project?

That would be Meji Alabi.

What brands would you love to work with?

Apple, Nike, New Balance, HBO, Piggyvest and Access Bank.

What advice do you have for someone just starting out in their creative journey?

Massively invest in yourself so that you can have brand equity. The truth is that the space is really saturated. If anyone is patronizing you, aside from the fact that they know you, it is because they have your budget. The truth is that if they have a higher budget, they will go for someone else. So invest in yourself to improve the personal brand equity you can give to people who work with you.

Always put yourself out there. See yourself as a brand, see yourself as a business. Build a pitch for yourself and put your work out there. Reach out to people you will love to work with and learn from and work as hard as you can because you cannot cheat hard work.

Who would you like us to interview next?

Daniel Amao.

How can people reach you?

You can connect with me on Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out my work.

Thank you for sharing with us!!!

Takeaway Nugget: Massively invest in yourself so that you can have brand equity. Always put yourself out there. Reach out to people you will love to work with and learn from and work as hard as you can because you cannot cheat hard work.

Thank you for reading and don’t forget to share the story

See you next time!!!

StudentsWhoCreate