Tope Oshin Ogun, Visionary Female African Television and Film Director

This week we interview Tope Oshin-Ogun. Tope is the first Nigerian director we are interviewing at indieactivity. She is a producer, actor, dialogue coach. she studied Theatre Arts, and directed Journey to Self.

indieactivity: Tell us about yourself?
Tope Oshin Ogun (TOO): I am a multiple award winning filmmaker; Director, Producer, Actor, Dialogue Coach and Casting Director who studied Theatre Arts, TV and Film Production from the Lagos State University, Ojo and finished as The Best Graduating Student in year 2000. She has served as the only female Director on M-NET’s multiple award winning multi-cam daily soap opera TINSEL, having shot about 200 episodes of the show till date.

In appreciation of her performance, was made the Box/Content Producer in the third season overseeing the entire technical and creative crew and 4 directors and supervised the creative production of all 165 episodes in that season. Amongst other notable productions she’s lent her directing and producing skills to are Moments With Mo (Africa’s biggest talk show), ‘The Apprentice Africa’(A Business Reality Show), Pampers Night Television Commercials, Emzor and Central Bank TV Commercials, to mention a few.

Tope Oshin Ogun Showreel 2019

---

Tope owns Sunbow Productions and runs Sunbow-Cast (a Casting Agency) on the side and has offered casting services for other notable tv shows and movies like “Rush” and “Tinsel”, “Journey To Self” and Ebony Life TV. She’s also Partner at Mindworks cdc (a content development and production company) and Associate Producer and Director with Promocom Ventures Ltd (a radio and TV documentary production company).

Tope’s short films ‘The Young Smoker’ and “Till Death Do Us Part” have won 7 awards and  7 other nominations At the IN-SHORT FILM FESTIVAL(Audience Choice for Best Film Award 2011) AMA Awards(Best Short Film Award 2012) and TAVAwards (Most Outstanding Short Film Awards 2012) and most recently Abuja international Film Festival 2012. Her movies have also  screened in festivals before reputed international audiences in Nigeria, London and Mexico and enjoyed extensive positive reviews visible online.

Tope was featured recently on CNN’s INSIDE AFRICA on the set of her latest work, a feature length movie titled Journey To Self which will be released in December 2012.

How would you describe your work as a director?
Tope Oshin Ogun (TOO): I simply describe myself as a film maker for change. Change from the norm, change from the usual and a change from the ills of the world.

Watch Amaka’s Kin – The Women of Nollywood

---

How did you get into directing?
Tope Oshin Ogun (TOO): The seed was sown by Amaka Igwe. In a script conference with her, discussing a movie of hers I was about to act in, she brought my attention to how much passion and unusual interest. I had in breaking down characters and the story and the other production elements of the story. At the end of that day, she told me to give a thought to being a director. Of course, I laughed at the idea, back then.

How do you choose a project to direct?
Tope Oshin Ogun (TOO): As I mentioned earlier, I’m a filmmaker for change. So the elements of the unusual, addressing issues or causes attracts me, then of course compelling story lines told in an unusual manner.

Describe a wrong impression actors, writers, and directors have towards directing?
Tope Oshin Ogun (TOO): That directing is all about setting up and shooting wide shots and close ups and all about yelling “action” and “cut”.

Do you take courses to improve you craft?
Tope Oshin Ogun (TOO): Yes I do. I regularly read books and take informal online courses and workshops and I follow regular filmmaking bloggers like Philip Bloom, Peter D. Marshall etc.

What books do you read?
TOO: I’m a filmmaking books junkie. I pretty much read any and every filmmaking book or material I come across without a bias for any author or book. I personally believe there’s always something to learn even in the most unusual places.

Watch the New Money trailer

---

Why would you choose an actor, writer and or producer? What do you look out for?
TOO: Casting an actor depends on what particular role I’m casting for and it’s peculiarities and how well the actor suits it physically, and emotionally as an actor. But of course first an foremost, there must be some acting talent present. As regards a writer, first check for me is proper script formatting. If as a writer, you script is not formatted according to international standards, that’s the first step.

Then beyond that, the first few pages must be engaging and keep me spell bound and interested, which means you must be a great story teller and understand the use of words which will to a very large extent determine if I will get to read the script to the end or not and how fast. As regards a producer, what you’ve produced in the past and what referees say about your work is what’s most important to me.

The basic organizational skills must be present and ability to think on their feet and solve problems and manage crew and talents effectively.

When offered a project, what things do you put in place to do a good job?
TOO: The story must appeal to my sensibilities first, then from then on plotting the script and working on pre-production follows naturally.

Briefly explain our latest work?
TOO: Journey To Self, a feature length film is my latest work. It’s the story of 4 women and their journeys to self discovery and empowerment through the death of their 5th friend Uche. The movie was directed by me and produced by Ashionye and Tosin Sido for Fressia entertainment. It stars Dakore Akande, Nse Ikpe Etim, Katherine Obiang and Ashionye and Tosin Sido. It premiered in November and is hitting the cinemas in January.

Watch the trailer for Up North

---

What thing or situation helps you during a production?
TOO: I like serenity and orderliness while working. It helps my creative juices a whole lot.

How do you advice director to find projects?
TOO: Basically to identify what interests you the most and going with it. There is no way you’re going to direct a job well if it’s not something you’re passionate about.

How do you advice filmmakers to finance their projects?
TOO: Anywhere from pitching to interested family and friends to bodies and organizations.

What do you want from an actor during a production?
TOO: Total commitment to the character. Total immersion in the role and ‘being’ the character, not just playing it.

How do you prefer to work with a producer during a production?
TOO: Allow me my creative space and make sure that all other elements of production are running well and are in place for the smooth running of the show.

What do you think a director can do to enter the film industry?
TOO: The Bible says “Study to show yourself approved”. Spend time studying and developing yourself in your chosen field and find time to network and get your work out there even if they are short films. It gives people a good idea of what you can do.

Who is you favourite director?
TOO: Not one person. I like accumulated styles of different directors.

What advice to you give directors?
TOO: Stay true to yourself and as an extension your art.

Briefly explain you careers?
TOO: My directing career has spanned 5 years so far. I’ve worked on reality shows, tv shows, soap operas, short films, a feature and tv commercials including Tinsel, Moments With Mo, Journey To Self, The Apprentice Africa, and my award winning short films Till Death Do Us Part and The Young Smoker. My work sites include.

---

Tell us what you think of the interview with Tope Oshin Ogun. What do you think of it? What ideas did you get? Do you have any suggestions? Or did it help you? Let’s have your comments below and/or on Facebook or Twitter.

Follow Tope Oshin Ogun on Social Media
Website
IMDb
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube