By Prisca Sam-Duru

The best way to understand why Frank Itom is known as the king of transition in Nollywood, is by watching any of his videos. They are magical, mesmerising and will get you pondering if what you just saw was real. The impact of the works of this seasoned digital content creator is one of the reasons we have an improved output by Nollywood movie producers.

A story teller, creative director; an all round entertainer with over 300 thousand followers on Instagram, Frank is famous for his videos with creative transitions. “My place is digital media, you will find my contents on social media platforms,” he begins simply, during an encounter with Saturday Vanguard.

Having worked with brands both locally and internationally, Frank understands the power of storytelling and the importance of connecting with audiences on a deeper level. Through his innovative use of illusions and magic, Frank transforms ordinary videos into captivating narratives that leave viewers mesmerised.

“I tell stories using my talent of dancing, acting and editing. I tell my own stories, personal stories of other people and much more. I’ve been in the content space for over four years but I’ve been in the social media space for over a decade. That’s about 14 years or thereabout even before social media became a thing.

“I was first a graphic designer, and then I started working in corporate communication. It was in 2020 during the official lockdown that I officially started creating content.”

Collaborating with some A-listers in the industry is a testament of the much he has done in terms of content creation and video editing. “I’ve collaborated with a couple of Nollywood actors, like Iyabo Ojo, Kate Henshaw, Real Warri Pikin, Osas Ighodaro, an amazing actress; RMD- his work was like crazy, amazing, I think it was his 71st birthday. I’ve also done collaborations with Funke Akindele, and many others. Together, we have created impactful contents that have gone viral. All these names are people well established in their crafts. To collaborate with them is not something I take for granted.”

In the course of his job, Frank created a course, ‘Introduction to Transition with Frank Itom’. This is a video editing course designed to elevate editing skills to new heights. It is a gateway to the art of seamless video transitions.

He shares what informed the course. “I wanted more people to understand how I create the kinds of videos I’ve produced. If you come in contact with any of my videos, you’d discover one thing, they are magical; it’s like magic happening before your eyes. You’re seeing objects flying here and there, ordinary paper turning into a laptop, someone’s clothes changing, papers turning to shoes. These are things that look magical.

“We thought there needs to be more people like us who can, in their own way, in their space, create this type of illusion. That’s why we created the course ‘Introduction to Transition with Frank Itom’ and it went live last week of March this year. Interestingly, many people have downloaded the APP as well as given very positive feedback.”

The Course he stated further, “Is targeted at aspiring creators; people who are looking to become content creators themselves. It’s also for people who have passion for editing, or those who just want to know how I create some of the things I create. Some are already creators. Others are not creators but edit people’s content. It is also for individuals who want to acquire a new skill. Video editing is a very sought after skill and because of that, more creators are coming into the scene and they require more professionals; that makes the course very important.”

Frank has always been spellbound by how special effects in movies make the whole thing believable and according to him, “Before I started creating contents, I’ve always been fascinated by how you see something that you know was edited, yet looks so real. That total realism’- you’re like, is that real? You think it’s not possible because of how believable it is. I’ve been fascinated by that. I’ve seen various creators especially outside Nigeria who create these types of videos. So when the opportunity came, I knew I could create videos that would look mesmerising. Videos that will captivate the audience and make them feel like it’s magic. I get comments like, ‘no be juju be that?’ on my videos. Sometimes, we rewind for those playing cassette or try slow motion to see exactly how that action happened. Our videos look like that. They look very real in a way that you appreciate the transition and the magic that we create. So, when we decided to design the course, it was also because of that. We wanted people to make videos that are real, mesmerising, as close to reality as you can find.”

Interestingly, “The reception has been fantastic. We keep pushing so that more people will hear about it. We want more people to have access to it, especially as its beautiful for people who just want to pick up the skill and grow in that field. It’s not only for editors or professionals but also beginners who want to understand the concept of how to craft the kind of magic that we create.” Frank reveals where he draws inspiration from. “The ideas come from a space in my head that I’ll say God has planted. I am a Christian so I believe all inspiration come from God. However, I play a part through research, watching movies, going through what people have done. The personal desire to want to stand out and do something nice and different, is the reason our videos come out the way they do. Since we started, people call me magician; the King of transition because when you look around, you won’t find anything close to what we are doing in Nigeria. You’d see a couple of people who are learning, that’s great but in terms of the complexities, quality of the output, when you talk about ‘make belief’, people just say, Frank is the king of transition, leave it for him,” he explained.

Another amazing innovation from the storyteller is the ‘Frank Itom Movie Club. “I started the movie club because I love watching movies. I review movies on my social media platforms and ask people to say what they think. They are always impactful. Sometimes, producers and directors request that I do a preview or review of their movies.

“It started when people with similar interests with me, decided to begin hanging out together to watch and review movies afterwards. We had our first hangout in March. This is aimed at promoting our own contents as Nigerians. Majority of the conversations we have in the club are centred on Nollywood. Many people are already asking that we replicate the Frank Itom Movie Club in Abuja, Port Harcourt, etc.”

Opportunities abound with social media and Frank has a word for the youth on how to make the most of it. “Young people today have what many of us didn’t have- the ability to connect with people outside our locality. They have the opportunity to learn faster than we did. While in school, the library was the best way for me to learn but now, information is available on phones. They should take advantage of the technology they have; many youths are already doing that actually. So, I encourage more young people to come in as content creators; there’s no barrier, anybody can learn the skill. Time has gone when young people thought they must be involved in fraudulent activities to make money. There is so much opportunity to take advantage of.”