Magic Carpet is an innovation storytelling company based in Lagos, Nigeria. It is one of Africa’s ever-expanding studios which focuses on developing talent and the continent’s capacity to deliver world-class content. Duru is part of the founding team at the forefront of the studio 3D division, Co-founder of Magic Production, and Pipeline Subsidiary of the Studio. He speaks on his journey to animation and vision of Magic Production and a Pipeline, to build a world-class filmmaking team across 2D and 3D animation.
We were excited to sit down with him for an exclusive interview! We reflect on his experience as a first-time feature film director and growing a team.
Sip is your directorial debut. Who is the man behind the director?
Duru Azubuike: Duru is the man behind the director (chuckles). But it depends on who you are asking, I am a photographer, artist, 3d animator, I have done some game development, and cinematographer and directed most of the commercial ads produced in Imaginarium and still do on a level, before taking on the role as a founding team member in Magic Carpet and heading the 3D team. I really love art and I give myself to learning and experimenting, which is what we do at the studio. I have a BSc in Fine and Applied Art from the University of Benin. My longing was to pull that art out with either a brush, camera, or with the stroke in every frame. The medium may change, but fundamentally the art remains the same. I see art as an invitation to discover beauty, to discover life, and to help people awaken to the world around them.
Most animation studios in Africa are focused only on one medium either 2D or 3D, but Magic Carpet is expanding into both, why did you guys evolve into 3D?
Duru Azubuike: Our evolution and growth as a studio are largely due to our sense of adventure. We primarily started off as a 2d animation studio when I joined the team. We were deliberate; we didn’t make the mistake of defining our work in ways that could limit our capacity to become more. We say we are an innovative storytelling company that gives us room to expand beyond one tool, or medium, or genre in the art of storytelling. I joined the team in 2018 and eventually, the need for a 3D division arose and we had to assemble one in order to achieve what we wanted. We do a lot of training in-house so we can upskill for the global vision we have. Growth is part of our global strategy to use every medium to tell our stories.
What is it like to be part of a truly talented team across the 2D and 3D mediums?
Duru Azubuike: The magic of Magic Carpet is the team. I remember meeting Ferdy sometime in 2018 when he came for a photo session. I loved the passionate way he spoke about shifting culture and re-telling global stories from an African viewpoint. So there is a strong and brave vision to anchor the talent and it does help. We also have Cheks our lead art director, he is painstaking and detailed and one of the truly talented art directors in this space across Africa. He is directing our first 2D feature film and it has some 3D elements so we are on a dive currently. Really an unfolding beautiful work that I know will capture the attention of the world. There is also the head of story (M.I . Thomas) who is relentless in crafting winning stories and building our story team. There is Danjumah Judah Ndanusa, who is leading the cutout division and working on our first family sitcom “Meet the Igwe’s”.
I always wanted to be part of a team-building something bigger than myself that can truly shape the continent. Magic Carpet was that for me, at the time I joined it was a really small team and I came in to help build the game division. I saw an opportunity to carve a niche in the 3D team and I was asked to lead that. The journey and growth have been awesome. The environment was very conducive to artistic fulfillment.
You are dropping your first directorial debut with the animated shot coming out in December, what is unique about Sip?
Duru Azubuike: Sip is my first animated short, so my team and I are very excited to share it with the world. It was a collaborative process that started way before the Covid lockdown. Embedded in this film is a part of me and a piece of everyone who contributed to its success. Quite frankly, it started as a joke, a simple conversation that originated from our personal experiences, which we were able to infuse throughout the short. During the Covid lockdown, we sort of slowed things down a bit, but we are still on track and expect to release Sip by the end of this year.
Sip is a 3D animated shot that explores the inner world of our soul. It is a deeply conscious and spiritual work that takes a deep dive into the internal battles of the mind, which is all too familiar with many people. It is a stark reminder that all humans are fighting a battle, to become better people. We meet Kolo, a young creative caught up in a world of cultural conditioning, habits, and co-dependence. His battle to have freedom is every man’s journey, the desperate cry of every heart that doesn’t know what it means to be free.
We are all in a fight of some sort, sometimes it’s our lovable faults or our guilty pleasures that we have become addicted to other times it’s our self-doubt, imposter syndrome, insecurities, or crippling sense of inadequacies and the voices in our heads. At the end of the day, we wake up and realize they are all an illusion.
We hope to have Sip on one of the major streaming platforms before the end of the year. Fingers crossed.
What are the challenges facing 3D animation in Nigeria?
Duru Azubuike: The industry in Nigeria happens to be in the developing stage and this is as a result of the fact that there are not enough schools and training facilities to aid the animation industry in Nigeria. In order to build the industry, we also need to inculcate the habit of collaboration. Apparently, a lot of people have not understood the concept of building and there is no way we can scale an industry without it. Freelance is survival, but the studio is scale and impact. Magic Carpet Production and Pipeline is the subsidiary set up by the studio in breaching the gap by organizing training to help the industry get to the point it deserves.
What should we hope to expect from you and your 3D team?
Duru Azubuike: Our flagship feature film “Passport of Mallam Ilia” is still in production. There are 3D elements in the movie and we are on that. We have something in the works and our first feature will commence in the first quarter of 2022. So keep your eyes on our page.
