What was the brief like?
We came up with the idea of creating Netng’s second documentary and based on popular demand, we decided to focus on Davido. This documentary was to cover how he has positioned himself as a ladder for those around him, his impact on the lives of his friends and fan, as well as his philanthropic activities.
Let’s talk about how you handled the brief.
As the main video producer on the project, I worked very closely with the project coordinator from the conception of the documentary idea till its debut. I began the project by gathering several existing videos of Davido from online sources and after reviewing them, the Netng team and I drafted interview questions in-line with the narrative we were trying to come up with for those we intended to feature.
While preparing to have the interviews, some of the people we reached out to, turned down our request, and some others didn’t respond at all – but in all, we got to speak with six people who were available and willing to be featured in our production.
After recording all the interviews, the scriptwriter developed the script, we got it approved, and I began the production. On completing the first draft of the production, I did not feel satisfied with the output and knew the job was not yet over. At this point, I decided to speak with some other movie directors to get their opinions on that draft and find out what needs to be adjusted or included. Thanks to people like Chris Ihidero and Wole Ajetomobi of Pinpoint Media. They both guided me on the direction/narrative and suggested that each part of the documentary should focus on different aspects of Davido’s life. This was where the idea of looking at his early life, critics, scandals, etc., came from.
With the feedback and insights we got from the review of the first draft, the project coordinator and I sat back to rework the script to suit our new story direction. That’s how we came up with what is today the first-ever documentary on the life of Africa’s bestselling music star, Davido.
Can you share some of the results or outcomes from this project?
Working on the documentary was a learning curve for me. Things didn’t move fast enough with the initial people I was meant to handle this project with so I decided to pull in my colleague, Michael Orodare. That was quite a relief as he put in all efforts to ensure the project was progressing at a really fast pace.
The next delay we experienced was, getting those we wanted to interview. Some of their responses came in very late, there was a lot of back and forth with scheduling interview dates, and some other people on our interview list just ghosted us. When we thought everything was fine and we were in a better place, we realised that the script we were working with had technical issues and needed to be reworked. So Michael and I went back to figure out how to improve it.
After eight months of intensive work, we got our final approval to go ahead with our rollout plans, and the documentary which we titled, ‘We Rise: The Davido Story’ premiered on January 15, 2022. Since its debut, we’ve received commendations on social media, our website, and everyone who has watched the documentary came back to us with positive feedback.
What were your key lessons from this project?
The documentary production taught me never to run along with any script I receive unless I’ve shown it to other experienced minds (e.g movie directors, filmmakers, and other scriptwriters) to ensure the direction of the script is in line with the narrative we’re trying to drive.
Secondly, I’ve learned to pay more attention to getting more than enough BTS shots and B-rolls to include in our production. It’s better to have a lot of it and select the best of them than not to have enough.
I also got to improve my editing skills during this project. So of course, working on the Davido documentary was worth the while.
What’s next for you over the next three months?
More work. BBNaija is back for the seventh edition and as usual, I’m working with the editorial team to create video content for our social media platforms to keep fans of the show engaged. I will also be involved in other editorial activities that require video production.
I’m down for all of it!
My moods during the campaign:
At the beginning: 🤔
Midway: 😎
At the end: 🥳
