My Life In Nollywood: KC Obiajulu

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 ace cinematographer KC Obiajulu. 

KC Obiajulu’s first name is Kenechukwu, but he prefers to be called “KC”—as a matter of style. In a career of over a decade, the cinematographer has established his style, creating for himself and his audience a portfolio that includes films, television shows and commercials, music videos, and documentaries. Known for his storytelling through insightful visual artistry, he has worked on commercials for brands such as MTN Nigeria, DSTV, Colgate, Golden Penny, and Johnnie Walker, and documentary projects like Google News Initiative for Africa and A Pandemic Surveillance System for the Planet.

As a cinematographer and Director of Photography in Nollywood, KC Obiajulu has teamed up with different filmmakers on projects like Skinny Girl in Transit (2015), Knockout Blessing (2018), Fade (2019), Listen (2020), Black Is King (2020), Lockdown (2021), Rehearsals (2022), Glamour Girls (2022), Harmattan (2023), Shaping Us (2024) and the multi-award-winning film Over the Bridge (2023) through which he bagged the Best Cinematography prize at the latest edition of the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA). KC’s work is often enriched with the beauty and excellence of Black culture, showcasing the realities of Africa’s growing contributions to global fashion and entertainment.

This conversation with KC Obiajulu happened while he was on the film set of East West London with Tanzanian filmmaker Seko Shamte.

Let’s start with your work on Over the Bridge which won you the Best Cinematography Prize at the 10th edition of the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards. What efforts of yours went into that production?

You are talking about everything you see on screen, which was achieved as a result of the creative freedom I got working with Tolu Ajayi. I shared my ideas, had conversations, and collaborated with him. I am grateful to him for that creative freedom.

Over the years, you have worked with several filmmakers on different projects. Your work includes Skinny Girl In Transit, Glamour Girls, Shaping Us, Lockdown, and Dinner. How did your journey as a cinematographer begin?

I didn’t do the cinematography for Dinner but I worked on that set. My journey as a cinematographer began in Jos where I majored in cinematography at National Film Institute and finished in 2011. After film school, I worked with Muhammad Atta Ahmed and Kagho Idhebor who mentored me and I got exposed to their styles. I worked my way up the ladder from being a second assistant camera to a first assistant camera, camera operator, and then cinematographer. Since then, I have been able to create a style for myself that has helped me in the journey of being a cinematographer in and outside Nollywood.

How, then, would you describe your style?

That’s not something I can verbally describe. But I can visually describe it. It’s evident in every work that I have done. I am very dramatic in my approach to shooting, and that’s why not all kinds of stories work for me.

What was your first Nollywood gig, and how did that further impact your development in the film industry?

That was Knockout Blessing by Dare Olaitan in 2016. It’s still one of my best films to date. It’s one of the projects where I had the creative freedom to work and was not pressured to do certain things in certain ways.

You have spoken repeatedly about creative latitude, which helps define your style. How do you approach creative differences, particularly in a situation in which your vision for shooting a project differs sharply from the director’s?

Earlier in my career, I found myself having to manage such situations and that was because I couldn’t say “no” to certain projects. Then, I realized that I wanted to work with people who would want to work with me and who value my ideas. If I don’t connect with the story and I don’t feel like I bring anything, there’s no point being on the project.

Do you have any qualifications and training in your field that have been helpful to your career?

As I said, I did internships with the people who mentored me. I was their assistant for over seven or more years. Even when I became a cinematographer, they would still call me to work with them.

Can you enlighten me about your skill set as a cinematographer/ Director of Photography? 

That’s a tricky question. There was a point in my life when I was so eager to shoot stuff. So, I made a short film and sent the link to my mentor with the hope of impressing him. He looked at it and was disappointed. He called me and told me to stop showing him such films and learn to tell a proper story with depth. I felt bad about his reaction, but it was a wake-up call for me. I went back and decided to learn how to film stories properly. I took a brief course online, watched videos, read books and listened to directors whose work inspired me and changed my perspective at the time; I still do. I started applying what I learned, linked up with a director named Michael Omonua and we did a film titled Rehearsal—which is my best work ever. I think understanding storytelling is one of my key attributes, a major tool in my arsenal.

What was it like growing up? Are there any experiences from your formative years that prepared you for your current career trajectory?

Absolutely. I was born in Enugu state and raised between Enugu and Awka [in Anambra state]. My teenage years and part of my adulthood were spent in Jos where my career path was formed before I eventually moved to Lagos. Growing up, my mum used to work at Radio Nigeria. I used to be that kid that other kids would be jealous of because any time she was on the radio, she would give me a shout-out. She is also a cinematographer, and she became my first inspiration to become a cinematographer. I used to go to work with her as an intern while she was at AIT. Being a journalist and filmmaker herself, she inspired me so much to become the filmmaker that I am today. Those experiences working with her were quite valuable.

Are there ethics that specifically apply to your profession in Nollywood?

Mentorship and respect for the job. I have a core team that I work with and they know what to expect working with me. I am not rigid or strict, and I respect every story I have to work on without trying to change it.

Could you talk about the challenges cinematographers face, particularly in Nollywood?

One challenge I faced early in my career was having a steady, reliable team. I was working with whoever was available, and I would bring a different team to every project. This affected my mental preparation. Now that I have a core team, I don’t have to worry anymore about getting people and I am a lot more mentally prepared for any project. Another career challenge I have managed to conquer is getting to work with people who trust my work. Also, there’s the current challenge of building a sustainable system in Nollywood. Sometimes, you watch certain films and discover that some scenes are great while others dip—which is a result of how bad the system can be. And it’s not just about the guys who are behind the camera. A lot of other things affect production—for example, when the art department, costume, or props units are not doing certain things right, it affects the look of the film. When you set out to shoot early before sunset and an actor arrives late, you start battling with the sun and then it affects that part of the story and the film as a whole.

What other gaps do you think are noticeable in Nollywood, and what are you doing to correct them? 

Education. I’m currently working on educating myself on new ways to tell stories. I’m not stuck up on what I know since 2018 or 2019. We don’t have as much technology in film as Hollywood does. Theirs is way ahead—talk of VFX, set up, and certain skills needed to achieve certain shots. I recently had a shoot outside Nigeria and they didn’t let me touch the camera. I just described the shots I wanted to them while someone else, the camera operator on set, handled the camera. The tripod we used was quite different from the ones I was familiar with in Nigeria, and I honestly didn’t even know how to use it. You know, some of these technologies exist here but we don’t have people to use them well. But the industry is growing and we’ll get there in no time.

Do you have any role models that serve as an inspiration for you?

My mentors and role models are Muhammed Attah and Kagho Idhebor.

Would you like to talk about your latest projects?

I’m currently on the set of East-West Love, directed by Tanzanian filmmaker Seko Shamte, which would be my first romantic film. It’s a multicultural film, with a bunch of it filmed in Kenya. It comes out next year. Hopefully, when it does, you get to see it. Another project of mine, Owambe, is in post-production. I did that with my friends, Chris Odeh and Oluseyi Asurf. Asurf and I have grown to become great collaborators. I met him years ago but we never got to work on anything until recently. When he sent me the script for his project, 3 Cold Dishes, I looked at it and it was the kind of story I wanted to tell. We had a conversation about it and we made the film together. Owambe is expected this year while 3 Cold Dishes will probably be out next year.