Recording clean, clear audio in the bustling city of New York can be a challenge. The constant noise pollution can disrupt even the most well-planned interviews, often resulting in frequent pauses to wait for a siren, helicopter, honking vehicle, or screaming pedestrian to pass. But, as the crew of our latest film shoot was about to discover, New York is no match for Lagos, Nigeria, where we were set to capture the story of visual artist Olaniyi (Niyi) Omatayo.

Months of preparation went into organizing our arrival in Nigeria, from consulate meetings, to visas, permits, and even vaccinations - you name it, we did it. But, nothing could have prepared us for the incredible city we were about to experience.

As soon as we stepped out of the airport, Lagos' powerful energy was palpable. The bustling streets were filled with sights and sounds that were both unfamiliar and exhilarating. In a pickup truck, we weaved through the chaotic traffic that made LA feel like a walk in the park, while dodging street vendors selling everything from food to clothing, to whoever opened their window. Music blared from every car and street corner. The busses were not only completely full, but passengers rode atop as well. And, the guy who sold us a skewered smoked pepper chicken through the window of the truck was also a record producer, movie director, and photographer, while working toward a degree in business and law. It's a place where the impossible seems possible, and anything can happen.

“As soon as we stepped out of the airport, Lagos’ powerful energy was palpable”

We were headed straight to Niyi's studio, where we were set to record his interview. When we finally arrived we found a suitable backdrop, filled it with some of Niyi's canvases, positioned the microphone, and tested the audio. We were then faced with a new challenge - the widespread use of generator energy in Lagos meant it was incredibly difficult to capture clean audio. Despite Niyi turning off his own generator, his neighbor's generator was still humming loudly, interfering with our recording. Niyi quickly jumped into action and spoke with his neighbor, who graciously turned off their generator.

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Without the generators, we lost our light source, and we quickly adjusted and set up near a window. As we began recording again, another issue arose, our batteries had drained due to the extremely high heat and travel. The sun was setting, and our light source was dwindling. We tried multiple sets of batteries, but none seemed to work. Niyi brought us a box of AA batteries: Tiger Brand. The neon red batteries were labeled with a roaring tiger. We gave them a try, only to find that they had a life of about 45 seconds in the recorder.

We raced to the nearest supermarket, appropriately named "Fast & Cheap Supermarket," where we were escorted inside by a security officer. Grabbing four packs of Duracell batteries, we ran back to the van. The sun was setting over Lagos, and the traffic was finally beginning to slow, but it was a race against time to capture everything while we still had natural light.

With the new batteries in place, we finally started the interview. Niyi spoke eloquently about his artwork and the inspiration behind it; and as we filmed, we couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. Going into this project, we knew we had to keep a low profile with what we brought and carried around, and we relied heavily on creatively capturing Niyi's story in its rawest form. It wasn't about the equipment, but rather about allowing the story to shine through with authenticity and honesty. Despite the challenges we faced, we had managed to capture an incredible story in a vibrant and energetic city.

We spent time over the next few days filming in the streets of Lagos, and capturing the city that Niyi calls home. And, as we wrapped up our shoot and headed back to the airport, we knew that we had created something truly special. In the end, our experience in Lagos reaffirmed that when it comes to filmmaking anything is possible, and it reminded us of the importance of remaining adaptable, thinking on our feet, and embracing energy and life around us. We couldn’t help but feel grateful for the opportunity to experience Lagos and capture something to showcase the unique story of Olaniyi Omotayo to the world.