THE RISING PROFILE OF NIGERIAN FILM PRODUCTION DESIGNER AND ART DIRECTOR, CHIMA TEMPLE ADIGHIJE -goBIGnews

CHIMA TEMPLE ADIGHIJE

The unassuming talented and creative Nigerian, Chima Temple Adighije is an award winning film production designer and art director of repute in this part of the world.

Simply known as Chima born in Lagos, started his career as a trainee special effect editor with House of Macro Studio in Surulere, Lagos before he relocated to the Federal Capital City-Abuja, where he joined the BBC World Service Trust London Crew in Nigeria as a set dresser and trainee art director in 2006.

In 2008 he started freelancing on the heels of a successful 48 episodic TV drama series entitled “Wetin Dey” and was called upon to be part of a feature film titled “Sarah’s Choice” in 2009 as an Art Director.

We gathered that Chima Adighije is an alumnus of One Fine Day Films Workshop (A Tom Tykwer Initiative). And, he was selected on merit after he built a brilliant scaled miniature film set as part of his master class final project to be part of the crew for a Kenyan production under the mentor-ship of Oscar Academy Delegates “Something Necessary” an offshoot project of the workshop, shot on location in Nairobi, Kenya 2011.

For his dexterity and undying passion for what he enjoys doing best, till date, he has been a special consultant and freelancing for BBC Media Action.

He has worked on both small and big budget projects in and out of Nigeria and has participated in several production design and film workshops including The National Film Institute, Jos.

According to Chima “Nigeria has Nollywood, third largest film industry in the world, I have seen a lot of Hollywood and Bollywood films and the interpretation of the life and world of a character falls on the shoulder of a designer”. This should be applicable in Nollywood and the production designer/art director should be giving the room to establish the visual feel and specific aesthetic needs of a project, he further disclosed. 

 

In addition, guiding key staff in other departments such as the costume designer, the key hair and make-up stylists, special effect director and the locations manager among others is of essence in other to establish a unified visual appearance for the project. Decorative items for the sets such as furniture, wallpaper, knick-knacks and lighting fixtures should also be adopted.

Production designers\Art directors outside Africa have the option to move along a spectrum from realism to stylization. This should be applicable to films produced here in Africa and my goal is to be part of that revolution, he concluded.

To keep the record straight, one of Chima’s works entitled A Place In The Stars got 11 nominations in 2014 at AMVCA and eventually won the best drama to beat and copy. And, he has just been nominated for the 5^th OYA Awards 2017.