INTERVIEW: There are implications if you don’t get sounds right in film production- Tosin Ayeni
Film Production is majorly combination of Pictures and Sounds, but a lot of Movie Makers, especially producers have been accused over the years on their negligence about sounds in film production. In this Exclusive Interview with Gospel Film News, Tosin Ayeni (a popular and professional Sound Recordist) who has done sound recording and mixing for several gospel movies in Nigeria tells movie producers the implication of having a bad sound, he also gave advise to people who are interested in sound recording, amongst others. Excerpt:
You made a Statement recently that “there is difference between a gospel film and a Christian film,” could you please explain this sir?
Well, to the best of my knowledge Christian films are largely produced by Christians for fellow Christians, they are largely produced by personal inspirations, they are produced after the individual’s doctrines, they are largely produced to inform you that you are in that problem because you have sinned or because someone sinned on your behalf, they can also be produced to encourage fellow Christians.
Gospel films can be produced by anyone, because the word Gospel means good news and the good news is Jesus the Christ Himself so as God can call anyone anytime to become His servant maybe as a pastor, evangelist or any title and will perform miracles through him or her so also He can call on anyone to produce a gospel film.
Gospel films preaches the good news without doctrines, without personal emotional inspiration, gospel films is concerned about God, His people and His kingdom, etc
As a Sound Man that you are, could you please tell us the movies you’ve worked on?
I can’t even remember over 90% of movies I have been privileged to sound, but I can remember NEEMA, A TENNANT IN HELL, WHAT ABOUT ME, WHEN THE DARKNESS IS TOO LOUD, KEMBE ISONU SEASON ONE, MIEDO, ENI TI KAN MONGI, REDEMPTION, DESTINY, OMO AJE ORUN, WHEN YOU STARE, FULL PROOF, IYATO, Exchange of authority, iku nini ikoko, Eru eleru, Eniola, Sweet mother, the cry of an Angel, Praise brook and some Mount Zion movies that I can’t remember.
Is there any difference between Sound Recordist and a Sound Man?
Sound recordist is just like a professional way of describing a Sound Man.
There has been some complaints that Production crew doesn’t get good treatment unlike casts, how do you think this can be improved?
The truth is, I have never complained about experience of lagbajas location to tamedus, I hate hearing and seeing it happen around me, I have never seen myself treated less compare to any cast or anyone, because before accepting to come to your set we might have agreed on how much, and by the time I get to your location if you give me shit I will reject it immediately because that is better for me than broadcasting nonsense everywhere, if your food is not cool by me, I will find something better for myself by myself from myself, I left a production because for about 48 hours we did not sleep up to 8 hours, I’ll rather quit than to manage myself to do your production and become so useless to myself and my family thereafter.
I know when a producer is faithful and when he is not, the Bible says “the secrets of the Lord is with those that fears Him” if I’m not convinced I have my own way of letting it go.
So, I have never been treated less to any cast and I don’t know how true is that statement.
How do you counsel someone who has passion for sound recording for productions?
By His grace, I have been loyal to anyone who shows interest in sound by telling them you have made a right choice, because sound department is the king department of film making, sound is life of every films, sound is the majority of filming, sound is the two third of film production, sound is the true meaning of film, sound is everything in filming, so if you are coming to that department you making the right decision, yes, almost all the producers I have worked with does not see sound as the most important in their reactions especially when they see their lovely pictures sitting comfortably on their screen, anything the sound guy is saying is less important to them, they will invest almost all their fortune in visual department and when it comes to sound they start to negotiate and looking for free sound equipments from brethren, but I can tell you it’s a matter of time that if your sound is not up to standard cinemas will reject irrespective of the quality pictures, then we will begin to see the importance of each department in filming and do the needful.
