Storytelling has always been a fundamental part of creativity with its ability to inspire change and ignite imaginations. Lagos based creative studio Family Inc is reimagining the possibilities of telling creative stories, especially – but not exclusively – through film. “As a creative studio, our core is storytelling, but that’s not all that we are,” co-Founder and COO, Deniyi confirms. And history backs up his claim.
The genesis of the outfit dates back to the founders Deniyi Mayowa and Ademola Falomo shooting music videos for songs that would now be regarded as classics from Nigeria’s alté subculture. However, over the years, it has morphed into an umbrella that houses young, creative, independent film enthusiasts – showing them the ropes when it comes to thriving in the scene, especially in Africa.
“We care very much about posterity and aiding filmmakers in the bud to more easily navigate their way through the space. Fulfillment for us, it’s to get people to a place where their ideas and excitement are not stifled by the economy.”
Furthermore, central to the success of this creative powerhouse stems from their collaborative nature and continuous innovation. Recognizing that the best stories emerge from the experiences of diverse voices, Family Inc. has intentionally maintained this authenticity.
This is why they have so far launched and sustained web products like Recess and The Creators, which tell genuine, original stories of African creatives and how much their art is woven into their everyday lives.
This conversation with Deniyi Mayowa leads us into the growth story of this storytelling outfit, the intentionality that goes into the work that Family Inc. does and the part it is playing at promoting creative film culture out of Africa to the world.
What does Family Inc. mean to you and what would you say its grand mission is?
At this stage, I do not think it’s possible to talk about myself and not mention how Family Creative Studio is an integral part of my life. This is where I have been able to express myself creatively. The entire journey started with my business partner, Ademola Falomo and I, going around, shooting music videos for artists we liked.
Then it morphed from that into two people who saw how they aligned creatively on many things. We shared similar dreams, and knew that we could be so much more than we were at the time. I know this sounds cliché, but we saw Family one day becoming the Disney of Africa for independent filmmakers.
Why does storytelling mean as much as it does to you?
With storytelling, there is no formula. You are allowed to go outside whatever line there is. You are able to explore your imagination across mediums. Family is at a place where we are gearing into going into products outside of the digital space. We have this at the back of our minds while doing everything we do, including Recess and The Creators.
Tell us about Recess and The Creators.
I think it’s important for there to be more emphasis on the process than the results. One thing we are striving to do is show that stories are beyond a commodity. There is a process to every form of creative expression that people don’t see to appreciate or value. Creators have processes they utilize to bring forth the final product that people consume. That’s one of our core goals, which is to show the process to everything by making people see and understand the value.
Recess came to life in 2022 but the idea was conceived in 2018/19. We are products of a lot of consumption. We have seen many productions such as Journeys of a Filmmaker and all. We noticed there is an absence of this kind of content in our immediate community. If you noticed, our branding is very child-like. We had big dreams in terms of production design, but we finally had that push to bring that into light during the pandemic. So both Recess and The Creators were written during that period. We then brought people that we consider to be family and work in this same industry to tell their stories.
The goal was simple, and it was to inspire aspiring filmmakers who want to do what these our people are already doing, by getting them to show their processes. People that aspire to do the things they do by giving them a surface level understanding into what goes into using the case study of their renowned or favorite projects.
Why is Recess special?
Recess is special because when most people talk about film, they focus on the director. But there are a million other people outside of the director who make films happen. Recess tell stories about the processes of these people and how important they are in making films come to life. From cinematographers, to costume designers, makeup artists and many more.
And The Creators?
Recess and The Creators are two separate narratives, but they have a similarity and it is prioritizing the process above the results. The major difference between them is that we didn’t want to limit our series to just filmmakers. We plan to use our superpower of storytelling across other spaces outside of film. So The Creators had us connecting with our friends in other spheres of the creative ecosystem like Yadi, Niyi and Yinka Bernie.
How do you approach capturing the essence and unique perspectives of the creatives you feature in your series?
For us, it was very important that the first couple of episodes were done with people that we have had encounters with in public places or just people whose art we have interacted with in some form. It gives us an understanding of the person’s work.
People have different personalities and you see it play out in each episode. Each episode is a reflection of the subject’s personality and the unifying factor is looking at what community meant to these people from their individual perspectives.
What do you hope viewers take away from watching your series?
We want people to see how passionate and intentional we are about stories because this is everything we do. We want to give 100 percent of what we do. The series don’t exist because we simply wanted to maintain activity, or for any commercial reasons. Family simply genuinely cares about telling the right stories.
How can a young filmmaker get involved with Family Inc. in showcasing their ideas?
Keep doing good work and eventually you will be found. Once that potential is seen, we are always down to work with people. We also have our film club which is also a place to discover people. Just talk about what you do, especially because you love what you do.
Can you share any lessons learned or unexpected discoveries you’ve made along the way?
I think I have learnt more about the creative business, especially in the last two years. I have immersed myself in the business aspect of the creative industry. It has been a challenging, but also a very important journey.
Do you have any exciting projects coming up?
Ademola Falomo has a new short film coming on in Q2 and we are also working on some products which people can purchase. Exciting times ahead!
What legacy do you hope Family Inc will leave behind in the world of storytelling and creative expression?
We want Family to be known as a channel for young, creative and independent filmmakers to get opportunities in the global market space. We want people to explore as much as they can and find a means of expression for everything they are passionate about and not let that dream die.
