NCB: Hiii, Tops! Good evening, how are you doing?
Tops Visuals: I’m doing good. Good evening
NCB: Alright. I'm Eniola, I'll be your interviewer for tonight
Tops Visuals: Alright, nice to e-meet you Eniola!
NCB: Same here. Let's get straight into it. Most people know you as Tops, Tops Visual. We know a number of things about you but can you introduce yourself to us. Just some basic stuff
Tops Visuals: Ooh alright! I’m Tops visuals, an exclusive being. I’m a video director, All round-creative expert, A&R, content strategist and above all a Media mogul. I’m the founder and CEO of Tops visuals studios, a master degree holder in Film making at Tops Academy. I’m mostly known for my distinctive story telling, creative approach and branding in all my works or interferences. I think this is an overall basic of who Tops is. Tops is the exclusive spice to your already beautiful life.
NCB: Interesting! Just like you said you're an all round creative expert. I know you as a videographer, a photographer, cinematographer and even a filmmaker. Where did your creative journey kick off from?
Tops Visuals: It actually kicked off October, 2018 at a cyber cafe in my hood. After I was done with high school, I decided not to do the usual: going to apply as a primary/junior sec school teacher. Instead, I went to learn graphics design at a small cyber cafe in my hood. That was where my creative journey started from.
NCB: Ohh! So, it all started from graphics design. How then did you get into photography and videography?
Tops Visuals: Yes it did. Well, my local church organized a skill acquisition program every Saturday for a month around November 2018, so I decided to apply for photography. Learnt a few theories but we never had a day set aside for practicals so I took it up myself to further the learning process personally. My mother then got a camera for me, Canon 1300D then. With that, I did self practice and also served in the church media (RCCG) for years with my gears and skills. Later on, I switched from photography to videography cause my camera had two modes: picture mode and video mode. I started shooting little videos with my best friend and guys in the hood that dances.
NCB: Awwwn... that's so cool. The simple step of practicing what you learnt was what brought you here, so to speak. So Tops, while I was preparing for this interview I found out a lot of things that seemed interesting to me.
Tops Visuals: Yeah, right! By Gods grace. Okay, go on, I’m with you.
NCB: And one of them is your faith. I saw that the first couple of videos on your IG page was church related. One was like a recording of a worship session. How important is faith to you and how has it influenced you as a person and your career so far?
Tops Visuals: You really dugout my past bruh.
NCB: Just doing my job.
Tops Visuals: Alright, my Christian faith is literally the backbone of my life ever since the onset. Without my faith in Christ, I don’t think I’d be opportune to grace this interview. With God, every direction, every move, every style, every motion is precised! That’s why on my Ig bio you would see “Jesus the director, I’m just HIS Assistant.” And based on my background, it all started from the church. It made me meet lot of great personalities and have major life experiences. I rose from the local church (Parish), to Zonal, to Province, to Regional, to National, as a major personnel in the media space “As a head most times or major striker in any shoot!” So, this has influenced my character and uphold me strongly to never forget the power of discipline I had learnt so far in those spaces.
NCB: Moving on to another of my finds. You know, I never knew you were this versatile and well rounded. And this I think is going to be news to some people who think you only do music videos. I was amazed to find out that you've done commercials, fashion ads, documentary and even a movie...Geulah. What would you say made you this versatile with a high level of expertise? Or rather, how did you become this versatile with the same level of expertise?
Tops Visuals: Well done to you Eniola! Well to your question, what majorly made me this versatile? firstly is the grace of God. And I have always seen myself has one that has crazy motion, so I don’t like to be restricted. I want to see what my next second or hour self can do. In the sense that I love to do more, cause there is this theory I came up with that “Being able to be productive in different areas, gives you much more liberation from poverty and lack of connection”. So I continued exploring several areas of creativity in my field and wanted to know which one works best for me, but it seems all, at the end of day worked out for me, glory to God. If I didn’t try to leave my comfort zone I wouldn’t have discovered how EXCLUSIVE I was. That’s why I’m TOPS TÒH EXCLUSIVE!
NCB: I was going to talk about that word " EXCLUSIVE" later but looks like the time is now. That word is everywhere around you. I meann, even in your works,we find "An Exclusive Picture" as the opening.What does the word "exclusive" mean to you?
Top Visuals: Well, I feel that’s my watchword in general “EXCLUSIVE”. I see myself as an EXCLUSIVE CREATION, I’m not like you or any other person I’m totally exclusive (no offense). And making a statement over your life works like magic and people definitely would see you that way even if they don’t want to, it will grow on them. Everything na mindset lol.
NCB: Let's talk about GEULAH a bit. Was it you first movie?
Tops Visuals: Yes my first official movie I ever shot. But I have been on other movie sets.Just a few but I was always one of the bts director or assistant.
NCB: Congratulations! How did it feel to be the one who was in charge of everything and not just as one of the directors? I'm talking how easy or challenging was it?
Tops Visuals: Thank youu. Well, it was quite challenging that we just had 4 days to shoot the whole movie and it wasn’t my personal project. The main ownership is THE ENTIRE FELLOWSHIP OF ECU, I was just the D.O.P (the cinematographer) Editor, Colourist and Assistant Director. So during the set, the actors weren’t on-screen actors they were church drama troupe actors so it was very new to them, they had to adapt within the first two days I had encountered with them. But after then they did a great try to make the project easy. Also big shout out to the Producer ADEOTI, she is one of the brainiac behind the story and also one of the pioneers in keeping things run smoothly. Also thank God for the talent of the main cast “IFE” known as Praise INIOLUWA; she did a great job in projecting her character well. So, with these amazing people and those I didn’t call the project became easier. And yes it felt great to be in charge and felt like a whole lot of work but I did it regardless, glory to God.
NCB: Thank God. By the way, did it feel very different from shooting a dance video or a music video?
Tops Visuals: Absolutely! Very different, cause everything is created on set but for music videos there is already a made sound so they just mime or act to the made songs.
NCB: Let's talk about one other thing I found out. Tops Modelling Agency. How's it going? You know, I didn't know you had something like that. It was very interesting to know.
Tops Visuals: Well, it’s on hold for now, or would I say I developed it into a more refurbished version right now. As at then I was a creative photographer that loves telling stories through images, so I decided to establish a modeling agency and added my pretty female friends that wanted to be part of my crafts under the agency, then went on to keep on creating. But right now I’m majorly into videography so I tag them as my “Video models or Video vixens” but not a legal agency par say but I have community of interested persons that work directly under me and I commission jobs to them when I have a shoot and to other notable video directors or photographers. More like a creative hub, I have creative persons you can ever think off.
NCB: It's great to know that it evolved into something better. There's one thing I've just learnt from you, though. It's how you managed to rebrand the agency and make it fit into your current career. Basically, some ideas don't have to die because we couldn't keep up with it, we just have to be more open to seeing how those ideas can serve our current needs.That's really profound for me.
Tops Visuals:Hmmm I just even learnt this from you, maybe on how you put it. We learning from each other. I’m glad you did! You right
NCB: From what I've seen and have heard from you during the course of this interview. What would you say keeps you going? I meannn, it's been a long time coming. There definitely must have been tough days. How are you still able to keep showing up?
Tops Visuals: Definitely there are always tough days oo, ngllll.( Not Going to Lie). But how I’m able to keep up is the grace of God, God's strength and above all is my hunger for success and total liberation of restrictions in all areas for myself, generation and those around me. Everyone deserves to have a great life so I want to be a major evidence of that.
NCB: That's great! I see the vision. Let's talk. How has OAU been, English department to be precise?
Tops Visuals: Permit me. But MADNESS!!! I wan craze but no panic I’m still active!! It’s not easy nglll even as an intelligent kid, cause the mixology of the two keywords “school n business” can be so tough. I love school, I mean I was once a scholar na my Tb ( throwback) be that I’m not sure you found that out. Was the head boy/senior prefect in sec school also organized tutorials in pre degree days at Moro campus but well everything changed when I met my love Photography. But I have been able to find my way balancing it, and it been pretty good and not easy.The scoring guide or what is it called Omo e go far. But no worry I sha know say I go graduate next year.
NCB: Wow! So, Tops was headboy
Tops Visuals: Yes o once upon a time niii oo. Many of them that knew me as Tope never expected me to turn out this way
NCB: Do you intend to proceed with your master's here in OAU?
Tops Visuals: I already have Masters degree at Tops academy also a BA. In film making in the Falmouth University, United Kingdom (Online course tho)
NCB: Anyway, it's so nice to have spoken to you this evening. It was really insightful and engaging. Thank you for your time. And that's it for tonight. See you at OAU post graduate college.
Tops Visuals: Mehn same here wish it didn’t end! Well tell the people of NASELS or OAU that Tops is cooking something interesting for them, in this I’m cooking they will get to listen to more beautiful parts about me and business in general. Trust me, it’s a great meal for all! NCB heard this first, yayyy!
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