As a videographer in Lagos with extensive video production experience, I get requests to produce documentaries, commercials and corporate films in Nigeria and around Africa.
My team was engaged by an agency in Europe to produce a documentary film in Benin Republic about Holland Greentech. Holland Greentech helps young local farmers increase their agricultural yield through the use of technology and latest farming techniques. Holland Greentech is supported by the Dutch agricultural sector. The Agency couldn’t find a team they could trust in Benin Republic to produce the project with minimal supervision. So their best option was to find an experienced videographer in Lagos alongside other experienced crew members.
The aim of this documentary is to show how the Dutch Agricultural sector is empowering young farmers around the world and showing the direct impact on their lives, families and communities. I was the DP and director on this project. We had 3 days to tell an impactful story through the lens before returning back to Nigeria.
We share same land border with the Republic of Benin, so it isn’t worth air travel. The trip took about 4-5hrs from Lagos to Benin, no thanks to bad roads and lots of security stops on the Nigerian side. However, as soon as we got into Benin Republic every other thing went smooth. From meeting the contributors to scouting and shooting at the locations.
There were different elements of the documentary however, the main contributors were the people at Holland Greentech and the farmers. We filmed the project on the new Sony FX3 and shot Slog. Here’s a video where I explained why I chose this camera, the issues I had with the camera, and how I was able to resolve them. Enjoy.