After completing his secondary school education, Kingsley Ofuonye was expecting to top that a degree with a degree in Computer Science from the University of Benin. This dream was soon cut short when he had to drop out of school for financial reasons.
With a university degree out of reach, Kingsley serendipitously picked up photography. He narrates his first experience with a camera, ‘I went for a camp meeting, and the photographer for the day was not available, but there was a camera… so I took it upon myself…’
Prior to this, Ofuonye had had no experience with the camera, that would be his first time using the device, and it turned out he had an easy eye for the camera. He explains his natural affinity. ‘When I was little… even till now, I draw, but I’ve not done it for a long time… After secondary school, I wanted to learn 3D Animation, but there was no money to get me a good laptop so I couldn’t…’
Growing up in Ajegunle with his family, the Delta state native has always been interested in creating visuals, whether by drawing or through 3D animation, and now with photography and videography. Explaining how he got involved in videography, Ofuonye shares, ‘As a photographer, I used to work with an artist – “Gamie”, following him for events and taking pictures for his projects… Something happened one time, he (Gamie) wanted to do a music video, so he called me and I shot the video…’
It will turn out that Gamie was related to Dare Okesanjo, who at the time worked as Art Director at ID Africa. Dare had seen the video that Kingsley created for his brother, he was impressed by this amateur work and asked to meet the person behind the camera.
‘… Dare saw the video and he invited me over, we spoke and that was the beginning of our friendship’
This was five years ago. Kingsley quickly learned the ropes from Dare Okesanjo, who took him under his wings and showed him the rudiments of video editing and production. Dare became something of a mentor to Kingsley, who went on to become a freelance videographer and photographer after this encounter.
Asking him if he has undergone formal training to advance his skills as a videographer besides the lessons he got from his mentor, Kingsley shares, ‘I spent most of my time on Youtube, I even had a note, one for videography and one for photography’.
Did he consider returning to school to continue his education, the videographer narrates ‘after that time I got admission again… I got a scholarship, but I had lost the zeal, because it was a long time…and I was already into photography.’ He however states that he is now open to returning to school to study creative art. ‘For my filmmaking school, I am looking at Akin Alabi… there’s a programme he is running…’
Speaking about other mentors and inspirations, Ofuonye shares, ‘I love Peter McKinnon, Matti Haapoja, Daniel Schiffer, Zack King’. Explaining why he considers these people mentors, he shares ‘they are versatile in the field of video editing and graphics design, the way they think is beyond normal, and when you see what they do it attests to this fact.’
Kingsley joined the ID Africa team in August 2019 as a videography intern, and has created over 50 videos within that period. He has now become a full time video producer, working with brands like MTN, Coke, MTV Shuga, Heineken.
Beneath Kingsley’s cool and quiet exterior is a lot of ambition, aspiring to become like his mentors, Ofuonye shares that he hopes to become a ‘film director’ in the next couple of years.