Public Service Announcements (PSAs) often are cerebral. But as human rights lawyer Adebayo Okeowo demonstrates in “Not for Sale,” telling a story can give a message astonishing power. In this case, the short PSA, shot using an iPhone 7, dramatizes the tragedy of migration. In the first half of 2017, more than a thousand migrants perished in the Mediterranean.
We asked the director a few questions about the making of “Not for Sale” and about his development as a filmmaker.
MMM: Why did you choose to shoot using a smartphone rather than a traditional camera?
Okeowo: For some time now, I have been using my iPhone to shoot films and take pictures in order to prove that the movie making process has been ‘democratized’ and for as many as have a vital message burning on their hearts, they can give it expression through the tool that lies in their hands – their phone.
MMM: How long did it take you to shoot the movie?
Okeowo: The entire shoot took around 10 hours while I did the editing over a period of three days.
MMM: Could you tell us about filming underwater?
Okeowo: For the underwater scene, I used my iPhone 7 along with a waterproof case. This was the most difficult scene to shoot in the entire film. We had to film it several times because we had to stay underwater for an extended period of time and even though I am a good swimmer, my main character (played by Michael Nyarko) had to learn on the go how to hold his breath while I tried to capture him from different angles as well as hold still for the lifeless shot. I am happy about how it all turned out because the film would have been incomplete without that scene.
MMM: Did you shoot it in the ocean?
Okeowo: No, we were in Pretoria, which is landlocked. So for the underwater scene I had to get creative. I actually used a swimming pool that belongs to a friend for the scene. But we had to have the pool water dirty so that it resembles the sea a bit. Using the pool was my way of improvising and making do with what was at my disposal.
MMM: How did you develop your filmmaking skills?
Okeowo: I am a self taught film maker. It is true what they say: experience is the best teacher. So I have developed my skills by getting out, filming, making mistakes and learning to be better through the process. I have also benefitted from a vast online community of creators whose works serve as inspiration.
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“Not for Sale,” which was made for the Centre for Human Rights (Pretoria), has been chosen by the editors of MobileMovieMaking as a “Mobile Movie of the Week.” You can follow the director’s work on Instagram and Twitter. Mr. Okeowo invites viewers to interact with him at his youtube channel and via his website www.adebayookeowo.com.
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Thank you for this awesome priviledge to have my work shared on your platform. Super pumped about it. Thanks for all you do for the mobile videography community. You guys rock!
Never give up Br