“I started Cinematography with Sony Ericsson W810i Phone”.Femi Adegbite

This is coming from a cinematographer based in Lagos Nigeria.

Mr Femi Adegbite is the CEO of “ink Production Company”, They are specialist in photography, cinematography, video and picture editing, event coverage etc.

Trinity Show Media held an exclusive interview with him, read details below

We welcome you to Trinity Show Media. Can you please introduce yourself?

Thanks, I’m pleased to be here and thanks for the honour.
Femi Adegbite is my name.

We will be pleased to know more about you

I’m an entertainer and a media personnel
I act, I do photography and cinematography

Since when have you been into cinematography?

I started way back 2008 with a phone after I discovered my love for it. I shot and edited series of short comedy skits with the phone and later upgraded to camcoder. And went ahead to learn pro editing too
I dint go to any production school to Learn all this. Learnt on the job and through some friend who had equipments
The phone I used then was Sony Ericsson w810i

Do you feel or look inferior when you started ? Using a phone while others were using professional equipments

Nope, not for once, it even increased my hunger to handle a professional camera then, but then there were limited avenues to use a professional cameral.

Why cinematography?

Love for motion pictures, quality picture on screen, passion for good production against what we had in our film industry back then.
Tho, I started with modelling in 2005, and started acting in 2006, these were my passion then, I love acting. But as time went on, I began to see so much lack in the cinematic area of our industry and then I started seeing the solutions or say a better way to some errors I see on screen in our films. So my love for doing it right behind the camera started developing in 2007. So when ever I go on set to act when I’m done with my scenes I stay behind a little and make friends with the crew members especially the D.O.P. and I will ask questions and will get answers.
So I started going on set with friends and got the opportunity to start using professional cameral at some point, and started doing event coverage, shot in churches on Sundays, later started doing behind the scenes for photographers, became camera man for some TV programs (pressman), coverage some mighty concerts, shows in the heart of Lagos as a pressman and so on
Worked with the likes of Snaptv, College Line tv, Watz on ur mind (interactive youth prog in unilag), Berts production, etc

So what are the challenges you are facing or have faced in the industry ??

Lack of Personal Equipments due to high cost of acquiring, high cost of renting, underpayment, how people see photographers and cameramen, delay of payment by clients etc

Tell us about ink production

Ink productions is a production company founded by me. We do photography, cinematography, video editing, photo editing & graphics. We film & do photography for any kind of event ranging from weddings, birthdays, church programs,get-together, etc
Ink productions started around 2009, and our slogan is #ink it.
We have worked with several other production outfit as a contractor, collaborator, and as a team member to a large chain of production. We are based in Lagos but we shoot anywhere in Nigeria and outside the country if there’s any. But as of now we haven’t done any production outside Nigeria.

Can you name some well known events you have inked ?

Koko concert, industry nite,
Sound city music video awards, hiptv awards,
Lagos carnival, Aje festival (ife), can’t remember most, cus in recent times we do more of weddings and corporate events… etc

Can you please tell us your uniqueness?

Our jobs speaks of our uniqueness, the discipline we have as a crew when on a job, team work, result of the job after post production etc

Where do you aspire to be in the next five years?

Same question I was asked in 2009/10 by Helen paul. To be at the top of my game, at the top in the industry too, to be a profound filmmaker/director, to be outstanding, to be global, cut across the world with my production.

A lot of people are looking up to you.. What advice do you have for them?

Hmmm, be humble, be focus, discover your talent, groom yourself, develop your skills and strategies, be diligent, be disciplined, be respectful, help others to grow with the little you have, have faith, be patient, be approachable, develop a good relations skill
Be mindful of what you say and do, be considerate, be decisive, keep learning, never give up, pray, work smart