Ayoola Opere, popularly called A-wizzle, is from Isale Eko, Lagos state. He studied Mass Communications at the Lagos State University (LASU). With his unpleasant experience with folks while trying to put together his own music TV programme forced him to the Multimedia Training Institute(MTI) where he learnt Film Making and Videography.

MTI was in Surulere, Lagos and though it is now defunct, perhaps, due to its expensiveness, with its Indian teachers and a lot of people couldn’t afford it, their standards were very high. Opere was in school with the likes of Cobhams and Tee-Y Mix. The school had an audio section too.  He cut his teeth in video production about three years ago. With a privileged childhood as first of five children, the one-time radio DJ discovered music- video shooting and today squeals that video shooting is only a means to an end. Popularly called A-Wizzle, this music video and tv commercial director takes us through his journey to the  top.

You got a Mass Communication degree for your video shooting ?

Not quite. I went to school for my parents. If it was left to me, I’d be a footballer like Kanu.
And MTI?

I’m a movie fan. There are very few movies that I haven’t seen.  I have hard drives of all kinds of movies. While I was in MTI, they showed us quite a lot. They tried to teach us to watch movies from a different angle and I’d been watching movies from that angle since I was seven. I was used to dissecting movies.

Why Film making and Videography…?

I was the kind of a child that wasn’t allowed to leave the house. I was locked up. We had a lot of movies, cartoons and games and I got used to (spending time with) these things. Along the line, I wanted to have my own music channel Tv like SoundCity and the likes.  I used to work in Eko FM, a radio Lagos based station as a DJ, so I thought I’d put stuffs together and do my own thing but I had no training for it (TV production).

I had a couple of people who I thought could help me but my money kept going down the drain. The graphic guy and director kept ‘choping’ my cash. So, I decided to put the project on hold and go to school (MTI) to learn. Making music videos is supposed to be my learning point or experiment point but then I started making cheese (money) from it. So, it went from being learning point to wage-maker.

When did the name ‘A-wizzle’ come in?

At MTI, we usually had projects for assignments. So, I’d always come up with something crazy and they’ll say, ‘this boy, you’re a wizard’. And that’s how it started: A-wizard, A-Wizzle… So A-Wizzle’s like telling you ‘this guy’s a wizard’ and since then, it’s stuck.

Your first video?

It was for a guy called 4tizzo. I don’t quite remember the title now. I shot it in a classroom. I was paid Gala (a snack) and a sachet of pure water or something like that. It was aired on Nigezie for a very long time. It must have been about three years ago. That was my first video.

Video reel

Inyanya- Love Truly (the only Nigerian shot video in the Best R N B nominees’ list o f the NMVA ‘09); Bondigidi, Shima, Confirm, Same Ni (Remix) yet-to-be-released- Zeez, Slow N Steady; 7:45, etc.

Role Models.

There’s Clint Eastwood, Spike Lee, Mel Gibson; these are my people. When I see these folks, I run mad. They are movie directors.

Are you considering leaving music video shooting for movie production?

That’s the idea. Shooting music videos is to learn the ropes and get famous; movies, next step. I’m writing stories and trying hard not to come up with the regular stories everybody tells. For now, I’ve to survive. So, shooting music videos is my side-kick. If movie production can be as financially rewarding as music videos, then I may not shoot music videos again, unless I find a song I really like.

Even right now, I only shoot videos for songs that I like. A song has to make sense for me to express myself. That’s why I don’t shoot for every Tom, Dick or Harry.

Is video directing a career one can live on?

Yes, I don’t know if there’s any suffering video director, especially, if you’re popular. I’ve shot over 30 videos in three years and I shoot commercials too. I shot the ‘Koko Mansion’ commercial with D’banj in a Limo. I also shot the new Amstel Malta commercial. Those are my most recent commercials.

Challenges on the job.

At times, you may have to work with a confused artiste. At times, an artiste may not be confused but his friends might be. For example, you shoot a video for an artiste and cost him for what he wants. Then he comes to pick up the job and he thinks the video’s so mad (well done). He goes home and comes back same day saying, ‘my guy talk say…’; Those are part of the challenges.

What does it take to work with you?

A song that makes sense, good attitude from the artiste and give me 100 per cent creative freedom.
How much does it take to shoot a good video with you?

I can’t throw a figure at you. N600, 000 will probably get you an ‘okay’ video, nothing extraordinary. And a good video can cost as much as N2m.