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A Keeper and Giver of Moments

Life is procedural. So is filmmaking

By Azuoma ObikuduPublished 3 years ago 5 min read
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Life is procedural. So are films. So is filmmaking. Life is growth. The addition of time and chance and action and lessons. Life is small. And big. Fleeting and monumental. Fast and slow. Life is yesterday. Life is today. Life is tomorrow. Life is many things. Most of all, to me, life is all about the picture at the end. Moments and circumstances are pixels and puzzle pieces; only beautiful as a complete ensemble. That’s why we watch films. We get to see totality. A complete circle. In my creative journey, I am seeing a circle about to complete – my passion for storytelling through filmmaking is becoming a possibility. I first fell in love with films. Then I learned how to write thoughts. Then I learned how to write poems. Then I learned how to write songs. Then I learned how to tell stories. Then I learned how to take photographs. Then I learned how to communicate and work with a creative team. Then I learned how to paint. Then I learned how to write scripts. Then I realised that in all of this – I had learned how to make films. Life is procedural. So are films. So is the creation of a filmmaker.

Perspective is the foundation of story. Allow me to explain. There is a truth under the sun that has held my heart and compelled me to capture life. The truth is that you will not see most of the world. Your life is held together by millions of stories aggregated into one big story, however when compared to the grand scale of the existence of man, you only take up a very minute place in the big picture. And so does everyone else. To get a better view of the world, you need other people’s eyes. Yours can only see as far as you can travel. But it has been designed that you will not see everything this world has to offer, unless you see through other people’s eyes. This is why the concept of perspective is fascinating to me. Perspective is the foundation of story. And photography. And storytelling. Where you are looking from, what you are compelled to look at, what you see, and what you do not see – is different for every single one of us. We only get the full picture when we get to see life from as many eyes as possible. That is the point of film. And storytelling.

The place with the most treasure is the earth. But not because of its shimmering stones. Decomposed bodies used to be containers for souls and the sad truth is that most people die with the most valuable thing they came here to be given – their stories. True wealth is not what we have come to think it is. True wealth are the experiences we rack up along the way. The wisdoms that are born from truth we discover. The scars that are, and the ones that were avoided. The victories that are and were and the victories we never saw or will see. This is your wealth that should be given back to the world before your go. The totality of the build-up, the climaxes, the many beginnings and the many ends do not belong to us. They belong to the people in the world that would never experience what you have experienced. We owe it to each other to share our total perspective.

It is for this reason I take pictures of strangers. It is why I capture moments in photographs. And capture emotions in songs. And ideas in stories. Because they are so precious. On their own they are easily disregarded but when they come together to are so powerful. So, I take pictures of strangers and all come together to tell stories. The same way somebody must feed the birds. Somebody must make sure that moments don’t die. However, as life often does – I have become unsatisfied. I now realise that all the skills I have built now allow me to go even further to protect moments and stories. I now want to capture the stories of the people around me that will soon be leaving this earth. They are the people closest to me and I believe that I have been given the burden of capturing perspectives so that their lives will mean more than just ‘something that happened’. I now want to share their perspectives. Their wealth. That is why I have become a filmmaker. A protector and giver of moments.

The world is getting smaller and smaller. Netflix and social media have not only tapped into the human need for connection but they have also broken the mould for the vigilant independent creator seeking to adapt creativity in a technological world. They have created the membership/followership model. Which I believe is the way forward for creators. In the same way I build a following for my photography, poetry and paintings. I now want to create a community of people that will be able to see my work, without giving all my power to Netflix. This generation of creatives now have the power the create the content, market it and distribute it without a machine behind. If I win, I will use the money to build my platform to be able to host my films, music and art works. An online cinema, theatre and gallery. Capitalising on the membership model.

Life is procedural. I have learned not to bite more than one can chew. But I have also learned to take advantage when you know what the next iteration is going to be. I want to protect the wealth of the people I know and will know. I want to put meaning to the lives they have accumulated. I want to give their perspectives to those who may never see the world any other way than the way they see it. I believe this is what life was meant to be about. Stories.

Adventure
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About the Creator

Azuoma Obikudu

An avid writer. Check out my thoughts.

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