I was at the Free Spirit Academy last Tuesday when the renowned George Osodi shared his story with the students of the academy.
I was moved and above all, my passion was re-ignited. From his words, it was clear to see that he was and is still being driven by passion and not what the passion can give him in return.
However, as the known Bible verse says, ‘seek ye first the kingdom of God and every other thing will be added unto you’, in his case, I would say ‘work diligently with passion and consistency and all other good things of life (money) will be added unto you’
George Osodi was a man who had just one thing in his hand – his camera, and that one thing brought him before kings. While sharing his story with the students of the academy, he noted that learning photography or any skill at all is not all you need to succeed in that field but a driving passion and a discerning mind.
As the only local photographer who covered 2002 Lagos Bomb Blast, he said he could not explain what possessed him to spend a week in the Ikeja cantonment while the bomb blast was on going. He was later admitted in the hospital for days in order to neutralise the chemicals he had inhaled from staying so close to the explosion for days.
George Osodi who has earned 16m just to shoot a wedding narrated how his hands were shaky the first time he was asked to write an invoice in which he finally totaled the bill to N7000.
Adding that his photography journey has been filled with constant research and personal trainings, he reiterated the need for upcoming photographers to find the artistic side of every project they embark on.
He wished the students of the academy well in their chosen career and promised to be a mentor to those he can as his busy schedule takes him round the country and the world for photo projects.
Free Spirit Academy is the training arm of JB Multimedia Studios. Their vision to equip budding filmmakers with the right technical skills led to the creation of the media academy, where they offer a range of filmmaking courses, from camera training and lighting techniques, to sound recording and video editing.
Classes are small and personal, and the students are taught by professional and dedicated filmmakers.
During the training, students have the opportunity to use industry standard High-Definition video cameras, including the Canon 5D MkIII, Canon C300, and the Panasonic AF100. They will also learn editing techniques using Apple’s Final Cut Pro and Adobe CS6/CC.
The hands-on training approach give students a practical feel of how the real world of filmmaking works and by the end of the course graduates will leave with a showreel, the right technical skills, and confidence to go out and explore their creativity.
