My Life In Nollywood: Olalekan Isiaka (Lekan Swanky)

Every week, Culture Custodian grants you an all-access backstage pass into the lives of Nollywood professionals. You get to hear their fascinating background, their behind-the-scenes stories, and more. This week’s edition features production designer, art director and set designer, Olalekan Isiaka (Lekan Swanky).

Since his rise in Nollywood over a decade ago, Olalekan Isiaka has worked with several production and media houses and filmmakers on films and shows, acquiring a reputation as a dependable crew member and leader.

One of Isiaka’s frequent collaborators is famous filmmaker and box office queen, Funke Akindele. He worked on the sets of her shows Industreet, Jenifa’s Diary, Aiyetoro Town, and My Siblings & I, and made his debut as an art director in mainstream cinema on Omo Ghetto: The Saga. He served on the set of A Tribe Called Judah, another Akindele production that is currently the most  successful film of all time at the Nigerian box office. Isiaka’s other works are Shanty Town, which gave him his first Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA) nomination, Omoge Suzzy, Cordelia, Palava!, The Order of Things, The Perfect Arrangement, Badamasi, Onyeegwu and Tokunbo. He is also the art director for Akindele’s Everybody Loves Jenifa, which is set to be released in Nigerian cinemas next month.

This conversation with Isiaka happened just before the release of the Ramsey Nouah-directed Netflix action film, Tokunbo, on which he served as production designer and art director.

What does it mean to be a production designer, art director, and set designer? How do these responsibilities intersect and differ, particularly in Nollywood?

Production designers (PD) oversee the entire art department in film, ensuring to translate the ideas into visuals. This department includes the costume designer, set designer, make-up artist, and art director (AD). The PD might not be available to oversee construction works on set, so he needs an AD for that. This allows the PD to run other aspects of the art department. The roles of the AD and PD are often interwoven. I often work as both a production designer and art director on a set, just as I did on Tokunbo. The set designer creates the technical drawings to determine what will be constructed on the set. He needs to have ideas for construction, welding, carpentry, etc. so that he can communicate with the artisans in charge.

I read online that you got into production design in 2009. How did it all start?

I studied Fine Arts at The Polytechnic, Ibadan where I bagged my ND and HND. After school, I came to Lagos and stayed with one of my uncles, Bankole Adedoyin, who was a sound engineer. He introduced me to Mr Bedford Boluebi in 2009. Mr Bedford was in charge of the set designs for MTN Project Fame, and Nigerian Idol. He was working on Let’s Dance, one of the popular dance shows at that time. He said he was going to train me and would be paying me fifteen thousand naira every month. We started with Let’s Dance by Endemol, an MNet project where I handled the mural paintings and stage designs. He saw my zeal and decided to put me on Project Fame Season 2. I got to design the artworks for the academy, while still understudying him. I went for my NYSC and returned to join him on other seasons. It was through him I got to work with Mo Abudu who was starting EbonyLife at the time and I worked on their maiden reality drama series, Sistaz. Then, I did the props and set design for Mo Search, another  EbonyLife reality show, in 2013. After acquiring much training from Mr Bedford Boluebi, I got a job offer in Globe Broadcasting & Communications Ltd where I worked as the pioneer set designer for Wazobia TV.

You seem to have an amazing work relationship with Funke Akindele. How did you get to meet her?

In 2016, I got a call from Funke Akindele to do the set design for Industreet, a TV series. She was pleased with my work and then contracted me to create the hair studio for Jenifa’s Diary. I joined her company, Scene One productions, as an art director and have worked with them on other projects such as Ayetoro, My Siblings & I, and Omo Ghetto: The Saga. Omo Ghetto: The Saga is my first cinema project.

What are your most challenging projects?

All projects come with their challenges. For a period movie, for instance, you need period pieces, ranging from architecture to props. If you are doing glam, you need opulent items.

Budget constraint is generally considered a problem in Nollywood. Apart from this, what other challenges have you encountered in your career so far and how did you manage or overcome them?

Time is a major problem. I once looked at the making of a foreign movie and discovered that they had about eight months, which was enough time to create the set. This is unlike us here in Nollywood where a producer calls to inform you that they want to start filming in two weeks. After doing the budgeting and other things, the producer will now release funds for you when it’s just about two or three days to principal photography. Most times, you just push and overwork yourself.

It’s interesting to know that you served as art director on Tokunbo, a recently released Netflix movie directed by Ramsey Nouah. Can you enlighten me about your work on that set?

Tokunbo is action-packed and gritty with exciting moments. We did a lot of set-building. The mechanic workshop is a model created out of nothing. It was just a space at first. I had to go to Ladipo, hire a big truck, and rent a lot of car parts as well as cars put into the warehouse that we created as a workshop. We made sure that all the equipment worked. The stunts in the film are real, including the car entering the water.

As an art director, you are expected to work with the vision of the producer and flow with other crew members. How much creative control do you have over your work and how do you handle creative differences on set?

Whenever I am recruited for any project, I first get to have a conversation with the director to understand his vision, also aligning with the director of photography. When the executive producer is not the same person as the director, it is a bit challenging especially when there is conflict in design interest due to budget or perception. Such a person tends to speak from both positions, so I need to be more flexible to work with them. I find a way of communicating and trying to reach a compromise.

Apart from movies, you are involved in the set designs of talk shows. Do you approach movies and non-movies differently?

I have good knowledge of both set designs on movies and non-movies. I started with reality shows and moved into television, talk shows, and film. If I am working on a talk show, I know it’s as a set designer. I come up with a design and present it for approval. After approval, we go into budgeting. When the budget is approved, there is disbursement, and then we can start working. We have our work plan and let the showrunner know how long it will take to build the set. We also carry them along as we work and deliver when we are done. It’s the same approach for film and other projects.

What would make you reject a particular project?

If the budget or timing is not right, I reject it.

Before deciding on the budget and equipment you need, do you consider any specific factors?

Before coming up with a budget, I study the script, do a script breakdown, and consider the whole set that is required. I speak with the producer or director to know their expectations and what they are providing.

Do you have role models or other professionals in your field that you look up to?

Yes. I did a masterclass on production design with Adekunle “Nodash” Adejuyigbe at Something Unusual. I saw some of his works and found them impressive. Today, we still maintain a good relationship. I understudied Uncle Pat Nebo before he passed on. I also learn from my contemporaries, and even my subordinates.

We know that platforms like AMVCA and AMAA have award categories that recognize the efforts of production designers and art directors in Nollywood. What other ways do you think industry stakeholders can encourage productivity and excellence in your field?

Producers need to understand and appreciate the roles of crew members on a production set. As much as they own the vision or have influence over the production, they should not take credit for the job of, say, the production designer or art director. Crew members, too, need to start placing value on themselves. Then, Then, industry stakeholders should also consider workshops/training/masterclass that teach and offer certifications in production design in Nigeria.

Do you have any intentions to embark on a personal project or initiative in your field? Or are there any plans to venture into film production?

I intend to have a warehouse where we can create and showcase set elements, engaging artisans, training people who are interested in the art department.

When you are not working on set, how do you spend your time?

When I’m not on set, I paint, see some movies, and engage myself in spiritual activities as a Church boy. I also spend time with my wife and kids.