I’m an audacious film maker, I don’t compromise on quality — JBlaze

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14 hours ago

Film director and actor, Jide Oyegbile, popularly known as JBlaze, takes us behind the scenes of his award-winning short film, “Brukaci”, which won Best Short Film award at the recent Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA). In this interview by ADERONKE ADESANYA, JBlaze shares the incredible journey that led to his boldest work yet—a fantasy film set in an entirely fictional world with its own culture, language and spiritual rules.

First of all, congratulations on winning Best Short Film award at the AMVCA. What was going through your mind in that moment?

What went through my mind first was “is that my name?” I wanted to make sure that it wasn’t a trick thing and it was actually my name being called. Then I stood up and started walking fast. At that moment, I wasn’t sure what was going on, there was adrenaline and excitement and that was my first AMCVA award, so yeah. I’m a very composed person so it was easy to give the speech.

For those just getting to know you, who is Jblaze, and how did your journey into the world of filmmaking begin?

This has been a very long journey for me as I’ve been acting since I was 7 in church dramas in Orita mefa Baptist church in Ibadan. Then I acted for Mount Zion then I continued acting in Bowen University because Damilola Mike-Bamiloye was in my school then.

I made my film in 2014, I wasn’t proud of it because I didn’t know anything. I had to start employing a crew on the spot cause I had not done that prior. Then I continued acting and I’ve been in a lot of movies, I was in “King of Boys”, “House of Gaa” and others. I’m also a filmmaker and director and I like to make to movies that resonate with my vibe which is why I’m making Brukaci.

Let’s talk about Brukaci, what inspired the story behind this powerful short film?

What inspired Brukaci is just my everyday life, from thinking outside the box. Also working on a big project like Kemi Adetiba’s “To Kill a Monkey”, I could see what skill looked like and I thought that was all till I worked with her husband Oscar Heman-Ackah in the film titled “Finding Messiah” which was even the first Nigerian movie that a special language was created for, not mine. So watching “Finding Messiah” being filmed gave me an insight to seeing that my dream was not bigger than me and that what I had in mind was very possible and that I could do Brukaci with a language that doesn’t exist. I sat down one day and decided to make this powerful short film and I was like what if I make a film about a world that does not exist? Like a world that is illusional but is so believable. By putting in the barren lady and infidelity, I was able to make it relatable after which I started adding other elements to it. I had to create the culture, the language spoken, the setting, the food they eat, their golden mask, the way they relate to animals, their closeness to nature, the telepathy and all these things that do not actually exist. There’s also no government, it is more of a religious setting which is why the lead actor is focused on becoming a scribe. It sounds like a lot for a short film but there are plans being made for a visual length, the short film is just a proof of concept.

The title is intriguing. What does “Brukaci” mean, and how does it tie into the message of the film?

What Brukaci means is Bracket in the language that was used in the film. So in the movie, there’s barrenness and infidelity, so the movie is about the bracket the two key families find themselves in.

What themes or real-life experiences were you trying to explore through Brukaci?

The themes are infidelity, child bearing, immorality and as much as it’s a world that does not exist and you can always create your own laws and also the telepathy means your partner can see if you’ve been unfaithful and the punishment is death. So I’m relating it to our real world where adultery is really frowned upon if caught. So as much as it is fantasy, it is not fallacy.

What was the most challenging scene to shoot, and which moment are you most proud of?

The most challenging scene to shoot was when I had to hold the crocodile and walk towards my friend. It was a real crocodile and was told by the animal handler to hold its neck and not let go. But thinking deeper, another challenging scene would be the last scene because there were a lot of monologues in that scene that had to be said in the language and the accent while we were running out of time and everyone had to move. The proudest moment for me in the film was when we wrapped up filming cause I had told my friends and co-actors that I didn’t think we were not going to be able to finish and also that everyone believed in the madness that was that project. As an actor, you have to become the character, you can’t fake it, you have to know the line so I was grateful that people believed in me and gave it their best.

Can you walk us through your creative process, how did Brukaci go from concept to screen?

The creative process just started with me saying I wanted to create this world but had to have elements that would attract Nigerians which is why the story is based on religion. So after getting my story, I moved on to the community like how do they behave in this world? It had to be consistent and right. For example, the ladies had to have natural hair, the guys had to shave some facial hair, the ladies needed to have gold clips and everyone had to look as natural as possible and be comfortable with their insecurities. I wanted the attire to also be as African as possible even though the world is a mixture of medieval and modern just to push the African heritage so they can know the person that made the movie is African. That was pretty much the creative process. I also had to create the language, first written in English and then translate to the language. Brukaci is a massive project.

How long did it take to make the film, and what were the biggest production hurdles you faced?

Making a film is not just production, there’s pre-production, production and post production so I’ll say about a year but it’s a 3 year plan because the idea had been there for a while but actively from scripting to production was about a year. Biggest hurdle we had to face was time. Because of the new language we created, we had to say it correctly with the accent and all. I even had to cut out two scenes to make up for the time lost. There’s a scene where the man was supposed to eat animals but no time and also technicalities, we had to cut it out.

What was the casting process like, and how did you work with the actors to bring the characters to life?

Casting process was a bit biased. I wanted people that believed in my dream and compulsorily knew how to cut because I do not joke with performance. They also had to be okay with handling animals. From the start, I thought of Charles Born cause I knew he is a fantastic actor and he was so excited that it even gingered me too so that spurred me on. It’s the first fantasy film in Nigeria that I can point out that looks like that and he was really committed so my casting process was based on people with similar reactions and commitment. So I said that people I cast must know how to perform. Then I jumped on Folu Storm who I’ve always wanted to work with. She’s quality and dedicated and I really stressed her. In fact, the first rehearsal we did, Folu got the lines way better than I did. Charles Born too. I didn’t even have to do an audition because going by the work these actors had done before and the rehearsal, everything was seamless. Also in the movie, they had to pray topless which was more of an ask from the women than the men and Folu had no issues with that. So seeing how dedicated she was made it easier for me. I also reached out to Martha Ehinome and she was fanstastic. If they don’t believe in your project, they won’t come. It wasn’t even about the money. The money I paid them was not even enough for the work these people did. So I had to teach them intonations and all, about the animals and all, I made sure the animal wrangler was ok set to handle the animals as well.

What does this AMVCA win mean to you as a filmmaker and storyteller?

The AMCVA win, I’m particularly grateful to God, Multi Choice and MTN who sponsored that particular award. It’s an accreditation of the fact that I’m doing something and I’m doing it right.

This award is bringing me to the wild and letting the world know who I am. This award basically means I made the best short film in the whole of Africa and I won’t take that as a joke. It also makes conversations easier when talking to people about film. For me, it also means that I can pitch and get the resources I need for the visual length, the longer version of Brukaci as the budget currently stands at a billion naira. To get a billion naira, you have to trust the work and my win has just solidified the fact that the work is solid.

How has the recognition affected your outlook or plans for future projects?

I think I’m greedy now because skill is important to me in making a movie. Brukaci cost a lot but seeing the results and how it has been widely accepted, i now know that I cannot compromise on quality and I have to continue making unique stuff. Brukaci has spoilt me and I’m an audacious filmmaker and as an actor, I get told that I’m different as well.

Brukaci seems to carry a strong social or cultural message. What conversation do you hope it starts?

I just want people to believe that once you think it, it’s possible. I was literally speaking “jargon” but I sold feelings to the audience and they bought it. Brukaci stands as a testament – asides the whole moral aspect – to say that once you think outside the box, you can break boundaries.

How do you see short films like Brukaci contributing to the broader African cinematic movement?

Short films is a testing ground to be honest. If you get some funding, see what you can do with it and all. It also lets them know how good of a filmmaker the person is and then when you do well with a short film, they’ll trust you with bigger and especially for people with short attention span, they’ll be able to trust your work and jump to it.

What’s next for you, any upcoming projects we should be excited about?

Next work from me as a filmmaker should be the visual (longer) length of Brukaci to be honest but I do have other movies I’m working on as well. I can’t say the names for reasons personal to me but there’s one that has to do with two characters in the bush and it’s personal to me. I can’t wait to be done with that. As an actor, I also have about two movies I can’t disclose because of the contract but at the end of the day, just keep the name JBlaze Oyegbile in mind cause you’ll be seeing a lot happen from me.

If you had one piece of advice for aspiring filmmakers out there, especially in Africa, what would it be?

Think outside the box, work with what you have, keep working on that story and the moment you start making money, do not settle. Don’t think you’ve arrived, that is when the work has actually begun. But keep thinking outside the box and be audacious. I know it’s not easy with the rules we have but still do your best to stand out regardless.

Where can people watch Brukaci or keep up with your work going forward?

For now, Brukaci is not out for public viewing because it is a work in progress as regards the visual length. It’s only out in selected festivals so you can watch out for those. To keep up with my work is very easy, just follow me on Instagram @itsjblaze or on YouTube @Jide JBlaze Oyegbile.