There hasn’t been a time to be more proud of Nigeria’s creative scene than now. Owing to the investment going into film, fashion, music and similar sectors, more young mavericks like Fedworks, born Chukwuka Davidson Edeogu, have been able to rise up the ranks and birth new pathways of prosperity for themselves.
For nearly a decade, Fedworks’ artistry as a cinematographer has contributed to the growth of the Nigerian music scene. His visual enigma on Nigerian music videos, from Wizkid’s ‘Diamonds’ and ‘IDK’, BNXN’s ‘Gwagalada’, to CKay’s ‘Emiliana’, to Ayra Starr’s ‘Sability’ and Rema’s ‘Charm’ and ‘Dirty’ have helped to capture the opulence, charisma and stories befitting the global image of such a bustling music scene.
But the buck doesn’t stop there for Fedworks. He has also grown a robust portfolio shooting commercials for TV like a commercial from Burna Boy x Havana to Johnny Walker, then chances are that you have seen through the artsy lenses of Fedworks.
His cinematic eye has also worked through other more elaborate projects including short films and documentaries like Lonely Planet, among others.
While Fedworks remains on a speedy shuttle to the top, the Lagos-based storyteller stumbled upon this life of lenses, purely by coincidence. “I initially wanted to be an accountant. But the office I started interning at had a video production studio. I helped them from the ideas I had gleaned from working with the church’s visual team. Over time, I started working with a photo camera. I think it was a Canon 550D. From there, I went to YouTube and learned more. I met mentor figures like Olancollardy, Timmy Davies, Adam Newport-Berra and Bradford Young, and they helped shape the earlier phases of my career.
“I became a portrait photographer and wedding videographer after that. However the lockdown gave me a lot of time to unlock new interests and test my inner capabilities. I started specialising in cinematography. I had already started shooting weddings by then, but I wanted something more. Being a cinematographer was just it for me. Then I started with documentaries, then music videos which helped me learn on the job, and then commercials, met a few directors, and the rest is history,” he tells Guardian Life.
The Pastà-loving filmmaker also credits much of his growth to consistent learning, practice and collaboration, citing that the industry needs to focus on more mentorship programmes to help the next generation of filmmakers.
For Fedworks, this dream is not simply built on any other hill than inclusivity. “For the industry, I want it to grow into a space where people behind the scenes are recognised,” he notes. “Most cinematographers have to make a film or movie first to get recognition, but I want the industry to grow to a point where cinematographers on TV commercials and music videos have a say and space on the table.”
One thing about the present video production scene in Nigeria is the rising hegemony of styles. It’s easy to set a trend and watch entertainers crowd that scene, with everyone wanting a slice of that new ‘sauce’. However, most filmmakers tend to get lost in this frenzy, and gatekeeping and secrecy steal the sweetness of the art form from the spotlight.
Filmmaking, essentially a collaborative sport, gets better with collaborations, contrary to prevailing practice. And this is what Fedworks hopes to upturn in his own pilgrimage through the scene.
“I want to encourage more collaboration within the ecosystem; because it will ultimately lead to more beautiful visuals. Filmmakers coming together to create magic leads to more growth; growing together, creating together and winning together. The most iconic filmmaking eras were all filled with collaborations, for instance, the French New Wave of the 1950s. It’s actually a recipe for evolution rather than the ‘idea theft’ that a lot of creatives are anxious about.”
As his camera’s shutter continues to click towards birthing a globally renowned creative sector, Fedworks believes that his legacy doesn’t rest at fame or profit. “I also want people to know that they can become what they want to become if they put in the work. I want my brand to become a platform that can stand the test of time: A brand that when you see you recognise excellence and I can be an inspiration to other emerging filmmakers.”
Through the rest of the year and in the near future, there’s hint from the filmmaker about upcoming art experiences, a short-film project and many more such storytelling experiences. The short film is set to be released later in the year, padded with multiple related exhibitions across West Africa and Europe.
Regardless, one thing is certain, and it is that Fedworks is changing a lot of narratives about cinematography in the new Africa, and he’s doing so by telling one important story after another.
