I’m not ashamed of my filmmaking journey — Kayode Kasum

Filmmaker, Kayode Kasum, talks to PELUMI KAZEEM about his career and other issues

What usually draws you to a story?

I am always looking at why I want to make the film and how I want people to feel. I always like to have something to say. Sometimes, it is personal, and sometimes, it comes from experience. I always want to talk about the Nigerian condition.

As a filmmaker, you can make films about what you know, and I like to make films about what I know. I also like inspiring people. I’m confident that I can deliver, so, majorly, I just like inspiring people.

What do you think has changed the most about the way filmmakers tell stories?

Now, we know we have an audience listening to us. Before, we didn’t know; it was just vibes and we were testing the audience. Now, we understand the audience better. Cinematography has improved, techniques have improved, and we understand the craft a little better.

We are inspired because the audience is talking about our films. There is now communication between the filmmaker and the audience, so we know how to make films better for them. Nigerian stories have also been accepted worldwide.

We are a growing industry. You cannot compare us to others, especially with the economic challenges involved in making films. Filmmakers are still figuring things out and still deciding to continue telling stories.

How has the growth of streaming platforms affected the way you approach filmmaking?

It has made us make more films because we now know there are platforms where people want to watch our films. It has also made our films accessible to people around the world, which is a good thing. Basically, streaming platforms have affected us positively.

What do you look for when choosing the actors to work with?

I look out for actors who are going to support the project, because making films is very hard. You are looking for actors who are going to believe in your story, push it and market it.

I also look for actors who understand the script and the world that you are creating; actors who are easy to collaborate with and hardworking because making films in Nigeria is very hard. I look for actors who love storytelling and are not just in it for the money alone.

As a director, how involved are you in shaping a character beyond what is written in the script?

I am very much involved. Even with the story itself, every film I direct, I work on the story. The story has to be great because, if not, what are you directing?

The job of a director is not just to tell actors, “Action.” You are also a storyteller crafting a story. So, yes, I do craft the characters as well. What I want them to do, the story comes from the characters. I’m telling the story through them.

Part of the job of a director is also being a storyteller, and I take that job seriously. I am very much involved in the story from zero to 100 per cent, from when we are on set with the characters to when we are in post-production, editing the film, and until the film gets on screen.

What has filmmaking taught you about people and relationships?

I have learnt that everybody just wants to be seen. Everybody is very much capable of love and also capable of hate. Human beings are very emotional beings, and things have happened to people that make them do what they do. Everybody has a past.

Everybody is also very capable of doing things that are bigger than themselves. Everybody is also in charge of their own lives and the decisions that they make.

What has been one of the most challenging projects you’ve worked on?

‘Star Lomo’ was challenging because every time we were making it, we always had to go back and reshoot because I felt like we had not gotten the story that I saw in my head. It is very challenging when you have a strong story like that, and you are really passionate about it and want to make it work. You go to full lengths to make it happen.

I think filmmaking is a challenging endeavour, so every day I go into it expecting challenges and expecting to overcome them.

We had to shoot in Lagos and Ibadan; then come back to Lagos. We had to shoot on the streets of the Mainland, Marina and the CMS area for days. Shooting in Lagos is not easy. We also had a lot of cast members. Even writing the story to get it to where it was; it was very challenging.

Is there a genre or kind of story you haven’t explored yet but would really love to?

I have not done any war films, and I would really like to do one. I hope we find the budget to do a very big war film. That’s a genre and a challenge. I would also like to do a football film. I haven’t done any of those two, and I would really like to do that.

Is there anything you would approach differently if you were starting your career today?

A lot of things. I have been learning on the job, so there are a lot of things I would have approached differently. One thing would be collaboration. I should have started collaborating a bit earlier. But there are a lot of things, even the way I tell stories and how I shoot them.

However, I like the journey of how I got to where I am. But, there are always things that you can do better, maybe the type of stories you tell, the way you release your films or the way you market them.

Still, I am very proud of where we are today and how far we’ve come in the storytelling business. If you always go back, there are a lot of things you could have done differently, but I’m just not ashamed of the journey.

What are you currently working on?

There is a film I did with Dare Art Alade and Diekolola Art Alade titled ‘University of Side Hustle’. We did it for Livespot360. They are screening it at Entertainment Week Africa in November.

It is a beautiful film. I think it’s one of a kind and one of the biggest films to come out this year. But right now, the focus is on ‘Star Lomo’. At the premiere, people really reacted to it well, and I can’t wait for the world to react to it as well.

Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).