OLAMIDE OLADIMEJI SHOOTS HIS WAY TO STARDOM
Olamide Oladimeji is not a familiar name in Nollywood but in Hollywood. A few of his Nigerian friends and colleagues may remember him from his days as a young student at Cecil Petros College in Ogun State or in University of Lagos in 2009 where he studied Psychology.
Today Oladimeji is better known as a US-based cinematographer who is meteorically etching his name in the Hollywood scene. He has worked with some of the A-list artistes in Hollywood, including Nick Cannon, Robin Thicke and was part of the crew that shot the 2016 BET Awards.
The young cinematographer didn’t nurse his passion for the camera in his childhood days, although he discovered he loved writing. However, his writeups was not meant for bookshelves but for the screens. It took a while for him to convince himself that his unbridled passion for the camera was not just another phase in his life.
“As I grew older I found love with the camera, then it was like a phase it disappeared. Then I got into UNILAG and I got into editing which I learnt from watching my older brother (who has edited commercials for the Heineken, AMBO). With that little knowledge, my colleagues and I were shooting and editing announcements for our campus fellowship.”
A year later, he was picked by The Redeemed Christian Church of God, City of David to join the media and news crew. That experience would steer him into the right path of his career. He bought his first camera in 2011 from the monies he made. Encouraged by his boss, Bolaji Salu, he did a short programme in filmmaking in Abu Dhabi in 2013.
After graduating from UNILAG in 2014, he took a step further by relocating to United States of America to study Filmmaking at the New York Film Academy.
Although he has worked on many projects, Oladimeji holds dear to his heart, his experience working with Hollywood comedian and actor, Kevin Hart on the set of ‘The Real Husbands of Hollywood’ Season 5. He was invited on set by the Director of Photography, Tommy MaddoxUpshaw (Iron Man 2, Straight Outta Compton), who was also his mentor and former cinematography instructor.
Describing the experience as a crazy one, Oladimeji said he was glad he worked on that production.