Graduate / Cinematography is the Soul of Filmmaking: Narrative Statement (MFA Filmmaking New York Film Academy) [4]

I just finished with writing my narrative statement for admission into the New York Film Academy. I need people to review this and make corrections where necessary.

As the opening scenes came to view on the large white projector, I heard someone whisper "Charlie well-done." It was a familiar voice coming from behind me, and it was the voice of my friend who had been with us through the whole process. Resonating, it was as if the compliment woke a million butterflies from their slumber inside of me. As the whole thing came to an end and the sound of ovation kept echoing in my ears, I felt like I was a projectile and the seat I sat on had shot me straight into cloud nine. It was such an amazing experience.

Born on the 5th of February 1992 in Ile-Ife, Osun State, in the southwestern part of Nigeria, a town that seems to have its share of civilization owing to the only federal university located in the heart of town, it looked as though my fate was sealed. Just as any average child born into that kind of environment, taking a white collar job and leading a quiet life after graduating from college seemed to be more of determinism than free will for young adults in that environment. Although the environment might have been the least place of developing artistic traits, my years of watching and trying to mimic some top Nigerian actors I see on television, and my early exposure to music by my parents helped in modeling my thoughts into an artistic one. Featuring in staged plays and getting involved in music festivals quickly became activities I loved engaging myself in, and at age 14, I started learning how to play the trumpet. The art of filmmaking however caught my attention after seeing the making of James Cameron's 'Titanic'. Seeing the making of that movie kindled my love for filmmaking and changed my perception about the art. Realizing that film takes more than just a camera and a tripod stand to shoot, I felt like learning the process right away. From that day onward I decided if so much time and resources could be thrown into shooting a movie this way, then I also want to shoot movies in this manner. By senior year in high school, my filmmaking aspirations had grown stronger it brought closer to me friends of like minds with whom I discuss filmmaking. While escapist movies were the order of the day for a great number of my peers, I wanted more out of movies. Being a student of literature, I longed for movies with an organized set of diction. Although I was in secondary school at the time, it was difficult for me as a person to fathom my deep taste for movies with strong themes, ranging from crime, to romance and epic movies infused with fine storytelling and great music. With our thirst for making films, my friends and I once tried to shoot a movie, but owing to the busy schedules of adults that were supposed to feature in the movie, we couldn't go on with the shooting. However, all the energies which were meant to go into filming the movie were pulled together and focused on some documentary which we did for the class I graduated with.

Coming from the part of the world where youths are mostly misguided about the choice of career, I never knew I could study filmmaking as an intellectual course. I believed my love for filmmaking could only pass as a hobby. So I put in to study law in college, but was admitted to study philosophy. While in my third year in school, getting myself enrolled in a workshop for filmmaking seemed to be the best of ideas, as my restlessness kept getting a better part of me. I felt I just cannot help but feed my curiosity about filmmaking.

My time at the workshop helped a great deal in broadening my knowledge a bit about filmmaking, and my chances of getting involved in the field, working with my tutor exposed me to a full range of exercises from cinematography, to editing, Continuity and directing, and for the first time, I found something I love the most about filmmaking. Cinematography as an art appealed to my soul, and camera movements fascinated me. As my time in the studio extended, I started developing my own opinion about cinematography, which I shall like to call the soul of filmmaking. Cinematography, I believe is capable of setting and dictating the mood of a movie and once gotten right, gives a movie the power of holding the audience at spell bound and vice versa. Other areas that appealed to me were directing and editing, and this was because they afforded me the opportunity of paying more attention to details during and after production. What I took with me from the workshop afforded me the privilege of being involved in a music video project for my 'community development scheme' group during my one year compulsory service program to my country, as I involved myself in the cinematography of all, directed one and edited two of the four music videos project, one of which officials of the 'National Youth Service Corps' previewed.

As I kept reminiscing about the event of the preview and the ovation we received from the members of the officiating body and colleagues, I felt elated and fulfilled. Even though we were paid no dime for our work and had to work with a couple of DSLR cameras and tripod stands, the experience of having to work on that kind of project with a couple of friends with the same mindset of making films as mine was a pleasure and helped in motivating me to keep working on myself and thrive more to become a fine filmmaker. Moreover, the project made me thirst for writing, shooting and directing my own movies, which I hope to use some day in changing the face of the Nigerian movie industry.

I strongly believe that graduate studies would be valuable to me in several ways in achieving this feat, and I see the New York Film Academy as the path to getting there. First, I see graduate studies in your institution as a professional stepping stone that will pave the right ways for me on my return back home after completing my studies as people tend to take professionals who have an intellectual understanding of what they do more serious.

Furthermore, your institution's holistic approach to filmmaking which is second to no other is what I believe will help students have an all-round knowledge about filmmaking, one which I have not found in other schools I have been checking out. In addition, a practical approach to filmmaking is what I believe all aspiring filmmaker need rather than the rigid theoretical approach employed by many film schools. More so, your emphasis on the 'hands on intensive program' makes your school the best bet for any would be filmmaker. So in the course of searching for a good film school and a good talk with Mr. Brian Koplow while I was in college, I was certain I wanted to attend the New York Film Academy more than any other film school. So when I heard that the New York Film Academy was coming to Nigeria, I quickly jumped at the opportunity, and meeting Ms. Lizzie Sack and Mr. Blake Babbitt and the way they related with me in an accommodating manner made me determine that if I would ever have a professional experience, then it must be at the New York Film Academy.