My Life In Nollywood: Emmanuel Igbekele Odihiri

Every week, The Culture Custodian grants you an all-access backstage pass into the lives of Nollywood rock stars. You get to learn about their fascinating backgrounds, the behind-the-scenes stories, and more. This episode features cinematographer, editor and colorist, Emmanuel Igbekele Odihiri.

Emmanuel Odihiri grew up in the 90s  Ikotun, Lagos, living with his grandmother in a home without a television. His exposure to film and television came only during weekend visits to his mother, where he watched martial arts movies, Bollywood, and Nigerian series. For most of his childhood, however, his entertainment came from literature books, which he devoured. This early love for literature awakened his storytelling instincts, leading him to craft stories with which he entertained his primary school friends. During leisure periods at school, his teacher often invited him to read his stories to the class, an exercise that nurtured his confidence.

In secondary school, Odihiri had improved on storytelling and character constructs. He had also embraced drawing and painting, gaining an understanding of colour combinations and broadening his artistic bandwidth. Despite the poor grammar that accompanied his writing in these formative years, he often gained the attention of his peers—with some of his scripts morphing into stage plays. At Obafemi Awolowo University where he studied Dramatic Arts, Odihiri met a friend and connected with other like-minded creatives, which marked his journey into professional filmmaking.

With almost a decade of involvement in Nollywood, Odihiri has built a sturdy portfolio of film and television projects where he is credited as a colorist, cinematographer and editor. His professional journey began with Picture Perfect (2016), written and produced by Biodun Stephen and directed by Tope Alake. On this project, he collaborated with Dickson Godwin as cinematographer and co-edited with Adio Solanke, establishing a lasting working relationship with Stephen in the process. His filmography also includes notable projects such as Far From Home, Soole,  Breaded Life, Afamefuna, Adire, Ajosepo, Introducing The Kujus, Queen Lateefah, and Farmer’s Bride. 

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

What inspired you to become a cinematographer, and how did your journey into Nollywood begin?

My love for film started when I was young. In secondary school, I used to write stories, do stage plays and even directed my script for stage. I had always wanted to attend film school in Jos, but the crisis there at the time made my mother unwilling to let me go, since it was far from home. The alternative was to study Dramatic Arts at Obafemi Awolowo University. At university, I met Shola, a friend whose father had given a camcorder. He was also a storyteller, and together we decided to shoot a short film. Our first attempt was around 2012 or 2013 with colleagues from Theatre Arts as actors, but it never moved beyond filming. We made many mistakes, especially with continuity, and without formal training we relied on online resources to guide us. In 2016, I met Biodun Stephen, and that marked the start of my professional career in Nollywood as a cinematographer and editor. My first work with her was Picture Perfect. At the time, I focused on second camera operation and editing, which placed me firmly in the camera and editorial departments.

In addition to your academic degree at Obafemi Awolowo University, did you  acquire any special training or undertake any courses in cinematography and editing?

It was mostly through internships. Along the way, I met Niyi Akanni, who was already working as a director. During a workshop, he guided me on what to focus on and how to navigate a career as a filmmaker in Nigeria. Back in school, a lecturer also influenced my approach to cinematography. However, one person I particularly shadowed and learned from through his work was Yinka Edwards. I would apply lessons from his style when creating my short films. 

As a cinematographer, and with reference to any of your Nollywood projects, how do you approach collaborating with the director and other members of the camera department?

For example, in Afamefuna, the goal was to capture the essence of Igbo culture. We wanted it to be elaborate, big, upscale because when you talk about Igbo business, it is always on a large scale. That guided my choice of equipment, the texture and quality of light, and what I rented for the shoot. I also discussed it with other team members, especially the production designer. Whether we were building sets or working on location, we had to consider the kind of colors that would be present in the film.  We also planned lighting carefully with the gaffer, talking through lighting charts, going on recces to see the spaces, planning how to rig them, and scheduling everything. For Farmer’s Bride, it was a bit different because I had not worked with either of the two directors before. Adebayo Tijani is a known name in the industry with deep knowledge of Yoruba culture, while Jack was a newcomer with a fresh perspective on aesthetics. My role was to balance those two visions and create a cohesive visual language. That meant guiding choices like camera movement, lens selection, and composition. For example, I went with the ARRI because of its strong color science, which suited the period style. We also created a film LUT to monitor on set, so we could see if the look we wanted was working. That guided our lighting decisions across the film. 

Which of your Nollywood projects would you say pushed your limits the most as a cinematographer, and why so?

That was Soole. That film really tested me. The shooting days were very few for such a demanding project. Most of the time we worked with only one camera, sometimes two, yet what we had to cover in less than fifteen days could easily have taken three months. It was a character-driven film with many action sequences and a large cast, so we were shooting ten to fifteen scenes in a single day. A lot of the film takes place in a bus, which is a very tight space, so we built a custom rig that allowed the camera to tilt and track. We also used a lot of handheld shots. For lighting, we could not rig big lights outside because of risks, security concerns, and lack of resources. Instead, we relied on the bus lights and added small tube lights and portable LEDs to create a natural effect. The weather was another challenge. Many of the shoots were at night, and sometimes we had only four hours to work. Heavy rain would cut that time in half, leaving us to set up and work in two hours. On top of that, some actors arrived late, which was not their fault because they were tired from long shoots of the previous day, and we had to adjust by turning day scenes into night scenes. The traveling sequences with shootouts were also tough. Normally, you would take everybody to a remote bush location, but the budget and security concerns made that impossible. Even after doing the proper paperwork with the Lagos State government, you still had to provide your own security, and that did not guarantee safety. There were times when area boys appeared out of nowhere in places you would not expect. The actors panicked, and we had to wrap up for the day because you do not want the actors saying they are no longer interested.

You were part of the camera operating team for the Netflix Naija Young Adult series, Far From Home.  Can you recall some of your specific responsibilities on that set?

My responsibility was to make sure that for each camera the exposure of the light was consistent. When I did compositions and camera movements, I made sure I was working according to everything the director had told me, whether it was about tracking the actors or following a sequence. I also made sure to read the script. That guided my thought process on composition and camera operation. One of the directors, Catherine Stewart, was very detailed with the camera. The way you compose your shot, even when following a character, how the camera rests in composition, and what elements appear when the camera settles on the character, she was very particular about all of that. We did some handheld sequences that looked like work done with tripods. For example, some of the keke napep shots we used to follow Ishaya Bello on his journey were handheld. The camera was on my shoulder, I was squeezed into tight spaces, sometimes in very awkward positions, but I had to take the shot. All of that built my resilience and improved my camera operating skills.

Editing gives you the chance to shape the emotional tone of a film after shooting is done. In your experience, how does this process redefine what was originally captured on set?

I have not edited for a while. The last big film I edited was Breaded Life. I worked with Biodun Stephen on the project. We bounced ideas off each other, and she was clear about the path we needed to take. So while editing, I already had that direction in mind. In editing, I focus on entertaining the audience and keeping them engaged with the story. Even when the shooting is not perfect, editing helps improve and promote the film. At the same time, you cannot lose honesty because you must stay true to the story. It all depends on the editor, but the goal is to keep the originality of the film while bringing in creativity, moving things around if necessary, and sometimes rearranging scenes to create a stronger, more linear flow.

How do you manipulate colour correction and colour grading to tell stories in alignment with the director’s vision?

When I am working as a colorist on a project, I usually receive the production files prepared for grading. I collaborate closely with the editor and the production supervisor to discuss the visual direction and resolve any issues. After that, I get the drives for the grading process, and we go over the overall feel of the film. If I have more creative freedom, I also sit with the director of photography to understand their vision. I may even consult with the composer to align the mood of the visuals with the score. I then create sample looks or tests, share them with the team, and we decide on the direction together. After the shoot, I expect to receive a schedule and a color reference book to guide the process. That is generally how I work.

Earlier, you mentioned Yinka Edwards as one of the cinematographers you understudied while developing your craft. Are there other filmmakers and cinematographers locally and internationally that have influenced your style?

Yes. One is Bradford Young, the cinematographer for Arrival, an American Sci-Fi film. I liked the way he approached the film in that he went away from how Sci-Fi looked. He had his own style, and that influenced me in the way I approach cinematography. Other cinematographers I admire in the industry here are Muhammed Atta Ahmed particularly from the days of Gidi Up and also KC Obiajulu.

One of your upcoming works, The Herd, directed by Daniel Etim-Effiong, is scheduled for release in domestic cinemas in October. Could you share your approach to working on the project and highlight what the audience should look out for?

The approach to working on The Herd is unique. The film involved a lot of handheld shots, and since Daniel was also acting, I had to be his eyes while he was in front of the camera. That meant being both DP and, in some way, part of the directing process, making sure everything we discussed was working on screen. Because I love handheld, I chose lighter lenses since I knew I would be doing a lot of long takes and long days. That choice also guided how we prepared for the shoot.

What are your other expectations? Do you plan to go further into filmmaking, or are there special projects or initiatives you are currently undertaking that you would like to talk about?

I just completed a film production programme from the University of Salford, Manchester. What I am really expecting from this is to collaborate with people beyond Nigeria. Some of the ideas I have learnt, I want to put into practice and use them to shape my craft.