OUR LEGEND OF THE WEEK #5

“He is not a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer, a sports man or an actor. Yet, he has proven to the whole world that when you are diligent at whatever you do, you will wine and dine with the most successful people because you are one as well!” 

We are about to reveal to you the brain behind some of the notable blockbusters in the Nigerian film industry. He is the masquerade behind the cameras of those ground-breaking movies with a second-to-none quality graphics even at a time when Nollywood was non- existent. You will definitely remember masterpieces like THUNDERBOLT MAGUN, SAWOROIDE, TI OLUWA NILE, OLEKU, THE NARROW PATH, ARUGBA, and MAAMI. But, you know what! He has never appeared on screen as an actor. Let’s meet the legendary cinematographer, movie director and producer, TUNDE KELANI.

Born in Lagos and raised in Abeokuta, T K as he is fondly called has played a central and pivotal role in Nigerian cinema. He has contributed to most of the feature films that have been made in Nigeria on celluloid in his capacity as a Cinematographer since the 70’s. He became an apprentice photographer in the Lagos studios of Dotun Okubajo from 1969 to 1970. Shortly after, he joined the newly established Western Nigerian Television as trainee cameraman and started on a career path that would lead him to being one of Africa’s most prolific filmmakers.

Tunde Kelani believes that “whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well”; he holds a Diploma in the Art and Technique of Filmmaking from the London International Film School, London. After many years in the Nigerian Film Industry as a Cinematographer, he now manages MAINFRAME FILMS & TELEVISION PRODUCTIONS, an outfit formed to document Nigeria's rich culture. He also does newsreel, shorts and documentary work for BBC world service and other international news organizations in Nigeria and Africa, including, the M-Net New Directions initiative as cinematographer, director and producer. TK has been involved in various movie productions as the cinematographer/director such as: Ireke onibudo, Efunsetan, Vigilante, Iya ni wura, Ogun Ajaye, Mosebolatan, kannakanna, Eri okan, Ti oluwa nile, Ayo ni mo fe, koseegbe, Oleku, A place called home, The White handkerchief, Twins of the rain forest, Saworoide, Thunderbolt, A barber's wisdom, Agogoeewo, The Campus queen, The Narrow path, Abeni, Arugba and Maami. TK will wow every mind once again as he is set to release a new movie on the peculiar blood genotype – Sickle cell. DAZZLING MIRAGE is the title. Don’t miss it!!!

Tunde Kelani is a recipient of numerous national and international awards. Some of these include: 2013 AMAA (African Movie Academy Awards) Lifetime achievement award; AMVCA (Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards); the prestigious 2012 Africa Reel Award at the Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF), California, USA; Heart of Africa Awards; several AMAA ‘Best Director’ and ‘Best picture’ categories amongst others.

Tunde Kelani is passing a message across to you. Can you hear him loud and clear? He’s saying this: “Do not follow the multitude, follow your heart”. Get a direction for your life and don’t regret studying that course or being in that profession/job because your future is very bright so far you can DREAM BIG and WORK HARD. Don’t be discouraged, IF YOU CAN THINK IT, YOU CAN DO IT!

                  hrfnigeria@gmail.com          @HRF_Nigeria          08148327860

 You may also like to read this: HRF Legend of the week #4, FELA DUROTOYE                 http://hrfnigeria.blogspot.com/2013/08/our-legend-of-week-4.html?=1

HOW FAR DO YOU SEE WITH YOUR 'INNER EYE'?

Dear reader, I have good news for you today. Make sure you read and digest this article because I’m sure it will awaken the sleeping ‘giant’ in you. But, hold on! Don’t keep this to yourself, share with friends and people around you. These days, many youths have gone astray- they have allowed their ‘today’ to blindfold ‘tomorrow’. While some want to ride the most expensive cars in a jiffy, others want to become millionaires overnight. It doesn’t work that way, please tell them! Be the change agent that the world has been waiting for.

What you think in the deepest zone of your mind is what you see with your ‘inner eye’ and whatever you see with it is what you are in reality. With your ‘inner eye’, you can see yourself being given standing ovations, awards in the year 2018. Yet, this is 2013. Do not undervalue how far you can see with your ‘inner eye’. Begin to make use of it today; it will pave the way for you. If you see yourself as someone who is born to be great in life; someone who will succeed irrespective of the family background or the challenges of life, you will definitely make it in life because you are what you think. Some people see themselves as failure, poverty, and mediocrity. Tell me, how on earth will they succeed?

Let’s consider this. When God created the world, he didn’t provide electricity, paper, aeroplane, internet, Facebook, Blackberry, and GSM. You must be wondering why. The reason is simple. He expects us to complete the constructions which he started by making use of the asset he has given us i.e. creative mind. Thomas Edison saw microphone and light bulb with his ‘inner eye’, he created them and then, we use them today. The Wright brothers saw human beings flying in the sky, they developed the dream and today, we travel around the world by aeroplanes. There is no human being without a potential. All these show that the world is waiting for YOU to take its shape and that was why God created you. There are problems in your locality, school, place of work, state and nation that need urgent solutions; create these solutions and become a superstar. Come to think of it, there is SOMETHING you do perfectly well, nobody does it better than you. Please, work on it because it’s a road sign that leads to the Promised Land.

The great speaker from Bahamas, Dr Myles Munroe talked about human potentials and purpose in life. Check it out here:

 “The WEALTHIEST SPOT on this planet is not the oil fields of Kuwait, Iraq, or Saudi Arabia. Neither is it the gold and diamond mines of South Africa, the uranium mines of the Soviet Union, or the silver mines of Africa. Though it may surprise you, the richest deposits on our planet lie just a few blocks from your house. They rest in your LOCAL CEMETERY OR GRAVEYARD”. Uhm mmm, then, what are these deposits?

He continued: “Buried beneath the soil within the walls of those sacred grounds are dreams that never came to pass, songs that were never sung, books that were never written, paintings that never filled a canvas, ideas that were never shared, visions that never became reality, inventions that were never designed, plans that never went beyond the drawing board of the mind, and purposes that were never fulfilled. One of the greatest tragedies in life is to watch potential die untapped. Only a small percentage of the 7 billion people on this planet will experience a significant portion of their true potential. Are you a candidate for contributing to the wealth of cemetery?” Finally, please take note of this: Don’t go to the grave with your treasure within you. You must leave empty!

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                       hfrnigeria@gmail.com    +2348148327860     @HRF_Nigeria