In an atmosphere of relaxed fun, and entertainment, MultiChoice Talent Factory West Africa graduated the 2023 students in Lagos on December 14. The class of 20 had been through a 12-month intense sponsored training programme, which equipped them with the skill set and ethics needed to tell truly authentic African stories.
At the climax of the ceremony, a Nigerian participant, Samuel Oluwasegun Ogundeyi, emerged as the best-graduating student of the set. He was awarded an eight-week scholarship to the New York Film Academy (NYFA).
Here’s all you need to know about this special talent:
Background: He is a 25-year-old photographer and a graduate of Information Technology. Samuel is the last born of his family, with two siblings. He graduated from Valley View University, Ghana, in 2021.
Passion: Samuel has a passion for photography and creative storytelling. His passion and enthusiasm to tell stories in the African way made him apply for the MultiChoice Talent Factory programme.
Inspiration: Samuel said God, life and music inspire his creativity. “There are lots of stories to tell. Living through life is a story. So, every day I wake up, I want to tell a story that’s different from what I told you yesterday. I’m a photographer originally, and I still do photography so each time I go through my day before I go to bed, I try to close my eyes and picture the event that happened and that’s one of my inspirations. And ultimately, I get my inspiration from God. Music also inspires me” he said.
Leisure time: During his free time, Samuel watches videos and listens to music “I watch videos that improve my skills and I listen to jazz. I like to soak in that tune. It inspires me.”
Mentors: His mentors are; Nigeria’s maverick filmmaker, James Omokwe; renowned radio and TV presenter, Moses Akerele and American comedian, Kevin Hart.
Most challenging period: Working with other students was the most challenging part of the MTF programme for him: “The toughest and highest point was when I had to work with 19 others when things started getting real when we had to start doing the work and all of that. It taught me how to be a better team player because I’m reserved as a person, so it brought me out of my shell.”
Motivation during the intense programme: “There were 20 creatives in a room. I didn’t come from a film or TV background. I just had on-field experience before I applied. Getting there I saw people with the experience; they had done theatre arts in school. I told myself one thing, I was not going to come here to be intimidated. I know what I came for and I was going to strive to achieve it and focus on the goal which is creating content in my way that impacts and touches lives positively.” Graduating as the best student was a shocker to him: “From that moment up until now it’s been like a dream for me and I am living the dream,” he said.
Aspirations: “In the next five years I see myself being on the Forbes 30 under 30. I see myself owning one of the biggest production companies in West Africa and I see myself on billboards, and TV screens telling stories that touch lives,” he said.
Launched in 2018, MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) is a dynamic corporate shared value (CSV) initiative at the forefront of imparting technical skills needed for high-quality film production in young African talent through a 12-month fully-funded training programme.